Journal of a Novel by John Steinbeck

Each working day from January 29 to November 1, 1951, John Steinbeck warmed up to the work of writing East of Eden with a letter to the late Pascal Covici, his friend and editor at The Viking Press. It was his way, he said, of "getting my mental arm in shape to pitch a good game." Steinbeck's letters were written on the left-hand pages of a notebook in which the facing pages would be filled with the test of East of Eden . They touched on many subjects-story arguments, trial flights of worknamship, concern for his sons. Part autobiography, part writer's workshop, these letters offer an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck's creative process, and a fascinating glimpse of Steinbeck, the private man.

I'm really glad I read this. It's not often that I get to read another person's journal and (more or less) unfiltered thoughts, worries, hopes etc etc. and it was so instructive in terms of what a creative process requires, and how much of oneself (must?) be given to output something that is infused with passion, honesty and heart.

Also how much planning, thought and discipline is required

Super duper

As a fan of East of Eden and the work of John Steinbeck in general, I loved this book. There is so much insight into what I consider the most brilliant work of fiction ever crafted. With all the cuts that were made to the final product of East of Eden, it's sometimes difficult to tell whether Steinbeck was really dabbling in Postmodernism or not. Journal of Novel makes it clear that he was. And for that, I love this man.

For the writer, there are some wonderful bits of advice in Journal, but it's probably not worth reading the entire work. Essentially, Steinbeck's philosophy could be summed up as “do what you feel is right and don't give a damn what anyone says.”

For the layman, there isn't much here. After all, Journal of a Novel is a series of letters written to a friend (and editor). Steinbeck repeatedly says things like “I have to go use the toilet now.” Now, for me, I care. ‘Cause I want to know about every bowel movement John Steinbeck had. But you, you probably don't care.

I'd only recommend this book for those who have a passion for East of Eden. It'll add some color to an already wonderful story.