John Steinbeck

STEINBECK, JOHN, 1902 to 1968

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American novelist, author of Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, and the 1962 Nobel laureate in literature.

Books
25
Editions tracked
52
First editions
11
Nationality
United States

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About John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American novelist, author of Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939), who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962.

He was born on 27 February 1902 in Salinas, California. His first novel, Cup of Gold, appeared in 1929, and he found success with Tortilla Flat (1935). Of Mice and Men, published by Covici-Friede in 1937, was chosen by the Book-of-the-Month Club before publication and adapted for the stage the same year, with a Broadway run of 207 performances. The Grapes of Wrath was published by the Viking Press on 14 April 1939; it won the National Book Award and the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Later works include Cannery Row (1945), East of Eden (1952) and Travels with Charley, an account of his 1960 road trip across America. He died in New York City on 20 December 1968.

For collectors. The first edition of Of Mice and Men (Covici-Friede, New York, 1937) had a first printing of only 2,500 copies, according to both Bauman Rare Books and RR Auction. First-issue copies carry the words "and only moved because the heavy hands were pendula" on page 9, a phrase dropped from later printings, and a bullet between the two 8s of the page number 88. Bauman Rare Books records the first British edition as William Heinemann, London, 1937, in a blue jacket by Michael Rothenstein. The Grapes of Wrath first edition was issued by Viking in a jacket by Elmer Hader.

Collecting guideThe Most Valuable First Editions to Look For at HomeThe first editions most often found in ordinary homes and worth real money are modern classics in their original dust jackets: the 1997 Bloomsbury Philosopher's Stone, Casino Royale, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Hobbit …
For collectors

Collect John Steinbeck

Earliest first editionThe Pastures of HeavenBrewer, Warren & Putnam, 1932 Most editions trackedIn Dubious Battle3 editions
First published by
Reading guide

John Steinbeck books in order

In publication order

  1. 1Cup of Gold1929
  2. 2The Pastures of Heaven1932
  3. 3To a God Unknown1933
  4. 4Tortilla Flat1935
  5. 5In Dubious Battle1936
  6. 6Of Mice and Men1937
  7. 7The Red Pony1937
  8. 8The Long Valley1938
  9. 9The Grapes of Wrath1939
  10. 10The Log from the Sea of Cortez1941
  11. 11The Moon Is Down1942
  12. 12Steinbeck1943
Show all 25 books in order
  1. 13Cannery Row1945
  2. 14Of Mice and Men & Cannery Row1947
  3. 15The Pearl1947
  4. 16The Wayward Bus1947
  5. 17A Russian Journal1948
  6. 18Burning Bright1950
  7. 19East of Eden1952
  8. 20East of Eden and The Wayward Bus1952
  9. 21Sweet Thursday1954
  10. 22Once There Was a War1958
  11. 23The Winter of Our Discontent1961
  12. 24Travels with Charley1962
  13. 25The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights1976
In order

First editions, year by year

  1. 1932The Pastures of HeavenBrewer, Warren & Putnam
  2. 1933To a God UnknownR. O. Ballou
  3. 1937The Red PonyCovici-Friede
  4. 1938The Long ValleyViking
  5. 1947The PearlViking
  6. 1947Two-in-oneReprint Society
  7. 1947The Wayward BusViking
  8. 1948A Russian JournalViking
  9. 1950Burning BrightViking
  10. 1952East of Eden and Wall Wayward BusThe Viking Press New York
  11. 1958Once There Was a WarViking
Books and editions

Which edition do you have?

Questions collectors ask

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read John Steinbeck's books in?

In publication order they begin with Cup of Gold (1929), then The Pastures of Heaven (1932) and To a God Unknown (1933). Books in a series are listed in series order on this page.

What was John Steinbeck's first book?

The earliest book we list is Cup of Gold, first published in 1929.

When was John Steinbeck born?

John Steinbeck was born in 1902 and died in 1968.

How many John Steinbeck books does MyVolumes track?

We track 25 books by John Steinbeck across 52 editions, 11 of them first editions.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.

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