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Tom Wolfe's complaint about modern American fiction is simple. There are not enough writers taking the challenge to report on the American scene the way Steinbeck did. Steinbeck, who wrote The Grapes of Wrath after making a trip to California and witnessing firsthand how the migrant farmers worked, was able to capture all the elements of the current American situation because he got his hands dirty, mingled with real people, and wasn't afraid to report what he had observed. By Wolfe's criterion, one of the best novels of recent time would be his A Man in Full, precisely because it is filled with realistic details about America today. Wolfe's critique can be found in his essay "My Three Stooges" in Hooking Up. (Photo: John Steinbeck)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tom Wolfe's Critique of American Fiction
Tom Wolfe's complaint about modern American fiction is simple. There are not enough writers taking the challenge to report on the American scene the way Steinbeck did. Steinbeck, who wrote The Grapes of Wrath after making a trip to California and witnessing firsthand how the migrant farmers worked, was able to capture all the elements of the current American situation because he got his hands dirty, mingled with real people, and wasn't afraid to report what he had observed. By Wolfe's criterion, one of the best novels of recent time would be his A Man in Full, precisely because it is filled with realistic details about America today. Wolfe's critique can be found in his essay "My Three Stooges" in Hooking Up. (Photo: John Steinbeck)
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John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. In high school we had to read "The Pearl" which I did not like. I probably should go back and read it again. My father owned a used bookstore and I started reading Steinbeck again when I was in my twenties. I read East of Eden and loved it. I also enjoyed Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. Is there anyone out there today that has written anything like The Grapes of Wrath? Thanks. I found you through Entrecard.
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