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Summary: inspect your own communities and search your own hearts
Review: the Winter of Our Discontent is a very thought provoking, entertaining novel. Steinbeck comes through in a way much different than any of the California novels, but his message rings just as true. Ethan Allen Hawley's struggle within himself is a look into our own hearts as we strive for a better life and come to terms with our own morality. I recommend this book without reservation.
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Summary: So different than the others
Review: As an avid reader of Steinbeck's works, DISCONTENT blew me away. While lacking the development of a breadth of characters, as we see in EAST OF EDEN and GRAPES OF WRATH, Steinbeck really captures the human spirit in the character of Ethan Hawley. While not as descriptive in the same way as other Steinbeck novels, he makes up for this with great use of language. However, there is no lack of description, and one gets a true picture of what is going on. This book is a quicker read than other novels of similar size, such as THE WAYWARD BUS, and is well worth ones time. It is an incredible experience to see the mind of Ethan Allen Hawley at work.
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Summary: Well-written story of a man's internal conflict
Review: I loved this novel because of Steinbeck's mastery with images and words. Things like how he described the leaves of a tree that sprang too soon, too trusting of spring, only too be blown away when winter didn't quite leave. Or of using Easter and Resurrection to describe Ethan's transformation. I thoroughly enjoyed this Steinbeck's work of prose because of the way he described the inner conflict of Ethan Allen Hawley, using almost-perfect allegories and allusions. In a larger sense, Ethan's struggle to be true to himself while trying to improve his station is an allegory about America. This book reminds me a lot of THE GREAT GATSBY.
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Summary: A man torn between personal ethic and societal standard
Review: This was the first Steinbeck book I read and I'll have to read it again sometime as it is more complex than many of his earlier works. The basic dilemma that Ethan is faced with is one that all can identify with on a personal/professional level. I was surprised with the ending and the choice Ethan makes, although those who have read Steinbeck's earlier works prior to this book may not be. This book also contains the quote, "The threshold of insult is intelligence and security.", which spoke volumes to me.
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Summary: No wonder he won the Nobel Prize for this.
Review: I have read a lot of Steinbeck books and this book is one of my favorites. I loved the Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, but there was something about this book that made it my favorite. It might be because of the prose or the theme of the book,I really think it is the combination of the two. I think that it hits home with the middle class morality.
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Summary: Not my favorite Steinbeck, but still a great novel
Review: This book was not the masterpiece that The Grapes of Wrath was in my eyes but it had its own charm and meaning that I feel shows the value of Steinbeck's writings. I thought the story was believable. I also think that the portrayal of the conflict Americans face when it comes to morals and values was also very well done. I do reccommend this book to both Steinbeck and non-Steinbeck lovers alike because it is an excellent and interesting read. I plan on reading it again a few years from now, only after I re-read the Grapes of Wrath again.
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Summary: A profound book - a must read
Review: This book is easily one of the best I've ever read, and I've read quite a few! It's captivating and it's different. It deals with middle class morality and a man's struggle with it, or is it for it? It is very profound and the style of the prose is pure 24-carat gold. This book scores very high both on subject matter and presentation. Vintage Steinbeck!
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Summary: The Message Is Clear, But Do We Heed?
Review: We obviously weren't paying very close attention when books like this started emerging from the Eisenhower years. They are all dire warnings of where, not just our lives, but our very souls are heading as we walk the grim path of increasing affluence and keeping up with the Joneses. Beautifully and sensitively drawn, this portrait of Ethan Hawley's conversion to guerrilla capitalism and its consequences is nothing less than a must-read for every American who has been tempted to trod the same path. Take a half star off, though, for Hawley's (and other characters') male chauvinism which really gets to be a drag along the way (and I'm no big feminist).
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Summary: A Handbook on American Values.....
Review: If you are ever asked what five books you would recommend to someone who knew nothing about America to introduce them to what it means to be American...like say...on the Foreign Service Exam ;-) this book had better be on that list. The Grapes of Wrath is the Masterpiece that gets all the attention but this novel shines even in the shadow of one of the key pieces of American literature. I have rarely been "moved" by a novel the way that I was with this book. It forces you to read it at its own pace and to let the story unfold around you. It is a great book and one that deserves to be read time and again. Read it yourself and then give it to your children. This book will speak to your soul.
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Summary: Interesting, But Unconvincing
Review: In The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck has written a diatribe of modern American society. The protagonist, Ethan Hawley is transformed by his exposure to a corrupt society into an unscrupulous man, but ultimately returns to his original, rightous principles. It's a decent story, but the ending is far from feasible. Finally, Ethan impulsively commits himself to working for a better world when he realizes that "the development of consciousness must be accompanied by an equal development of conscience or else a light goes out."
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