The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck – Reviewed by Guy Portman
The book consists of twelve interconnected stories. They all centre around families who have relocated to the idyllic Las Pasturas del Cielo in Monterey, California. In one tale a man believes himself to be cursed; another features an unusual child, while a third sees a former clerk turn workshy.
The Pastures of Heaven simply does not boast enough pages for the reader to invest in its numerous characters. Steinbeck penned this tepid and unmemorable work early in his career, when he was still developing the skills that would make him a literary genius, and one of the most beloved writers of all time.
