the winter of our discontent by john steinbeck

Why not have some of it for his loved ones? He decides to take a holiday from his scrupulous standards to trade temporarily, as he thinks, 'a habit of conduct' for 'a chshion of security.' He never assumes a mask of righteousness for what he is doing, but he knows what he wants and goes after it with great ingenuity. He knows, too, that the way to wealth of many of the town's respected ancestors would not bear close scrutiny. Ethan is aware of the shady tricks, the cheating and underhandedness, that seem to permeate life today in matters of money and success. His wife is restless his teen-age children, along with all the other problems of their age-group, are impatient for more of the worldly goods they see about them. Ethan, whose forebears had numbered sea-captains and men of property, is working in a grocery store.

Ethan Allen Hawley, an heir to the upright New England tradition, is the focus of this story, which takes place between Good Friday and just after the Fourth of July, 1960. The result is a novel in its very different way as powerful as anything he has done, and certain to stand as a major work in the Steinbeck canon. But it deals with it in a way that reveals the continuity within Steinbeck's diversity: through the lives of one family and their friends, he has taken that society apart, shown its frightening shams and shortcomings, and measured it against true human decency.

Instead of being set in the Far West, the scene of most of his books, this one takes place on the northeastern seaboard instead of depicting simple, uneducated people, this deals chiefly with a well-to-do society with long traditions. Yet this new novel will probably surprise even his warmest admirers. Each of his books is apt to be a new departure, differing sharply from the one before. 'Steinbeck's versatility should no longer cause astonishment. The upper right corner of the blank first free front endpaper contains a neatly scripted vintage 1961 former owner signature and date written as ''61'. All pages are in fine condition and the spine is tight and square. The lower front right jacket tip has a one inch closed edge tear and much smaller closed tear at the lower center edge, upper jacket spine edge rubbing and some additional scattered small chips (see photographs). The Copyright page states: 'Second Printing Before Publication' with a '1961' publication year listed on the title page. Includes List of Books by John Steinbeck Dedication and Preliminary Note regarding '.people and places here described'. Fine condition blue cloth boards with a blind-stamped front cover illustration, a black and silver spine block enclosing silver lettering, contained in a very good condition non price-clipped color illustrated and photographic dust jacket.

The winter of our discontent by john steinbeck