Steinbeck vs The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (Cannery Row / Moon is Down / Of Mice and Men / Pearl / Red Pony / Tortilla Flat): Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Labor Trilogy, Vida ranchera, Goal, Men, Male friendship, Psychological fiction

Cover of Steinbeck

Steinbeck John Steinbeck · 1943 ★★★★☆ 4.3 594 pages · ≈ 11 h 00 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (Cannery Row / Moon is Down / Of Mice and Men / Pearl / Red Pony / Tortilla Flat)

The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (Cannery Row / Moon is Down / Of Mice and Men / Pearl / Red Pony / Tortilla Flat) John Steinbeck · 1953 ★★★★☆ 4.4 550 pages · ≈ 10 h 11 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.3 vs 4.4 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (Cannery Row / Moon is Down / Of Mice and Men / Pearl / Red Pony / Tortilla Flat) is the easier read (Challenging), Steinbeck more demanding (Demanding).

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