Cup of Gold

I honestly expected to absolutely hate Steinbeck's first published novel. I've heard several warnings about how terrible it is. Perhaps these warnings only buoyed my opinion.

Cup of Gold certainly is far from the author's greatest works, but it's probably not his worst. In fact, this one gets off to a decent start as young Henry must grapple with his desire for adventure. His conflict with his parents regarding his future and the subsequent life of servitude were the novel's highlights. It's when “the adventure begins” that the pacing gets wonky and the story starts to drag.