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Title: The Short Reign of Pippin IV: A Fabrication (Twentieth Century Classics) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0-14-018749-9 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.89 (9 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Probably his most disappointing work
Comment: I have all but two of the books that Steinbeck published. The Short Reign of Pippin IV is by far my least favorite. There is, in my opinion, a decided stylistic shift in Steinbeck's writing following the war, and his books became increasingly bourgeois. This book is the pinnacle of this shift. I had a very difficult time reading this book, and actually had to put it aside at one point out of disappointment and frustration.
Rating: 5
Summary: What a surprise
Comment: Someone once said "I cannot read more than ten pages of Steinbeck without throwing up." It is a feeling that I share wholeheartedly. I've found the novels of his that I've read to be bleak, depressing, and punctuated with lovingly rendered depictions of disease and gore.
However, this book (as well as "The Deeds of King Arthur"), to some degree redeems Steinbeck in my eyes.
I found it in a used bookstore, and I was so intrigued by the idea of John Steinbeck writing a comedy, that I bought it immediately.
Its a farcical tale of a French Astronomer who, by some twist of fate, is briefly appointed King of France. In its style, it is reminiscent of novels by other famous authors, such as Dumas and Voltaire. It did not have me rolling in the aisles with mirth, but there were so many beautifully turned comic phrases and situations, that I was just in awe that this was the same man who had written the book "The Black Pearl" (in my mind, one of the most utterly disgusting books I have ever read). If he had added a bit more of the comic touches he used in this book, to his other novels, such as "East of Eden," I believe he would have humanized them, and would have better succeeded in conveying his message.
"Pippin IV" is a true little gem as full of mirth and humor as his other works are full of misery and despair. I highly reccomend it, especially if you are not fond of Steinbeck's works. If nothing else, it will give you an appreciation of his technical abilities as a writer.
Rating: 4
Summary: Maybe a minor Steinbeck, but still a very good book
Comment: Do not be misled by the fact that Steinbeck have written better books, this is indeed a good one.
It is extremely well written and you will go through it fully enjoying the story and the characters. While this book is only a satire, Steinbeck does a very good job in studying the nature of man when politics, power and government are concerned. Even if the author attitude may seem different from his first novels, and while he may seem more cynical and resigned, he is still a very keen observer of a world that has drastically changed from the one he used to describe.
The only (minor) flaw of this book is that sometimes Steinbeck try to go back to his typical epic and evocative style, which seems a bit out of place in a satire such this.
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Title: Once There Was a War (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0140187472 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1994 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: A Russian Journal (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) by John Steinbeck, Robert Capa ISBN: 0141180196 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Burning Bright: A Play in Story Form (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0140187421 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1994 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, With Occasional Reference to History (Twentieth-Century Classics) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 014018743X Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1995 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: The Pastures of Heaven (Twentieth-Century Classics) by John Steinbeck, James Nagel ISBN: 0140187480 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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