A comprehensive reference to one of America's preeminent literary figures. The author of such classics as The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and many more, John Steinbeck is one of the greatest American writers of all time. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath and was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception." Critical Companion to John Steinbeck celebrates this distinguished American writer who used his works to confront and explore the social fabric of the United States in the early 20th century. In this single-volume reference, Steinbeck admirers, general readers, and lovers of literature will find hundreds of informative entries covering every aspect of his life and work. Synopses of his novels, short stories, and nonfiction - Descriptions of his characters, from the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath to Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men - Details about family, friends, and associates - Information about film and television adaptations of Steinbeck's works - Descriptions of places that influenced Steinbeck, from Salinas, California, to Paris, France.