Home / Quotes / Quote by John Steinbeck

Quote by John Steinbeck

“And I here make a rule-a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting-only the deeply personal and familiar.”

Quote by John Steinbeck

Book:East of Eden

Work

John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' is a profound and complex narrative that delves into the lives of the Joad family as they navigate the challenges of their time. The story is rich with symbolism and philosophical musings, offering a rich tapestry of human emotions and societal struggles. more

Author

John Steinbeck was an American author renowned for his profound depiction of American society and the lives of farmers. His works often explore themes of poverty, social injustice, and human nature. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 for his significant contribution to American literature. more

You May Also Like

“...[A] loving woman is almost indestructible.”

Woman East Of Eden Steinbeck

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“Privately there were some things in Heaven of which she did not quite approve. There was too much singing, and she didn’t see how even the Elect could survive for very long the celestial laziness which was promised. She would find something to do in Heaven.”

Humor Christianity East Of Eden Steinbeck

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“The strange and foreign is not interesting—only the deeply personal and familiar.”

East Of Eden Favorite Must Read Steinbeck Scarring

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“Thou mayest rule over sin,’ Lee. That’s it. I do not believe all men are destroyed. I can name you a dozen who were not, and they are the ones the world lived by. It is true of the spirit as it is true of battles—only the winners are remembered. Surely most men are destroyed, but there are others who like pillars of fire guide frightened men through the darkness. ‘Thou mayest, Thou Mayest!’ What glory! It is true that we are weak and sick and quarrelsome, but if that is all we ever were, we would, millenniums ago, have disappeared from the face of the earth. A few remnants of fossilized jawbone, some broken teeth in strata of limestone, would be the only mark man would have left of his existence in the world. But the choice, Lee, the choice of winning!”

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“First we find a buried star and now we go to dig up a mint-new human”

Meteors East Of Eden John Steinbeck

Author:John Steinbeck

“She [Liza] most of all would disagree, and so I would not say it to her and let loose the thunder of her disagreement. She wins all arguments by the use of vehemence and the conviction that a difference of opinion is a personal affront. She's a fine woman, but you have to learn to feel your way with her.”

East Of Eden Samuel Liza

Author:John Steinbeck

“It was his first experience with this kind of love and it nearly killed him”

Author:John Steinbeck

“If the Germans had known Olive and had been sensible they would have gone out of their way not to anger her. But they didn’t know or they were stupid. When they killed Martin Hopps they lost the war because that made my mother mad and she took out after them.”

Humor East Of Eden

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.”

Good And Evil East Of Eden

Author:John Steinbeck

“And I feel that I am a man. And I feel that a man is a very important thing - maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed - because 'thou mayest'.”

Soul Theology Man East Of Eden John Steinbeck

Book:East of Eden

Source: East of Eden