<div><p><b>Penguin Classics commemorates the 50th anniversary of Steinbeck's Nobel Prize with <i>Portable Steinbeck</i> for the 21st century</b></p></div><div><p>It would be impossible to overstate John Steinbeck's enduring influence on American letters. Profuse with a richness of language, sly humor, and empathy for even his most flawed characters, Steinbeck's books are still widely read and deeply relevant today.</p><p><i>The Portable Steinbeck</i> is a grand sampling of his most important and popular works. Here are the complete novels <i>Of Mice and Men</i> and <i>The Red Pony</i>, together with self-contained excerpts from several longer novels, the text of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, a fascinating introduction by Pascal Covici, Jr., son of Steinbeck's longtime editor, and brand new introduction from leading Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw that puts Steinbeck in the context of the 21st century. </p></div>