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Book reviews for "Astro,_Richard" sorted by average review score:

John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts: The Shaping of a Novelist
Published in Paperback by Western Flyer Publishing (09 September, 2002)
Author: Richard Astro
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Wonderful insight to a remarkable friendship.
I picked this long out of print book up at the Monterey Aquarium - kudos to Western Flyer Publishing for bringing this fantastic book back.

There are two "bibles" for people who want to know about John Steinbeck - Jackson Benson's biography and this one. Personally, I prefer this one because it covers the golden age of Steinbeck and his friendship with marine biologist, philosopher and brilliant mind, Ed Ricketts.

If you've read Cannery Row and Grapes of Wrath (among others), you've gotten a glimpse of Ed RIcketts. In Richard Astro's book, you get the "toto-picture" of the man. Steinbeck's literature has been called simple. Yeah, simple as a Zen painting. Richard Astro shows how the collective (and at times drastically different) philosophies of these two men spawned one to create some of the greatest stories ever told. Stories that can be read and appreciated by a kid in middle school and then upon rereading, it is discovered how many layers lie beneath the tightly plotted tales. Astro's book digs deep too and is a valuable, readible and thought provoking journey into a remarkable friendship.

Informative!
This was wonderful. So insightful to learn about the man behind the stories.


The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Penguin Modern Classics Fiction)
Published in Paperback by Penguin Books Ltd (18 January, 2001)
Authors: John Steinbeck and Richard Astro
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Travel, Philosophy, Zoology, and Eulogy
This is a fascinating book for a number a reasons and is a success because, it manages to work on a number of different levels. As a travelogue it paints a fascinating portrait of the people and places on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. Steinbeck has always been able to capture this part of human existence in his fiction and nonfiction works. Steinbeck manages to capture the flavor of this scientific expedition, and the wonder of nature, particularly in this unique ecosystem. Steinbeck manages to fuse these somewhat separate thread to describe his philosophy of life and existence. In this respect it provides a useful supplement for understanding his masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. Finally, an appendix has a eulogy for his friend Ed Ricketts, who led this voyage to the Sea of Cortez and who was the insiration for the character Doc in Cannery Row and its sequal. This eulogy is both a wonderful tribute to Ricketts, but also a celebration of life.

I would not recommend this book as an introduction to Steinbeck. If you have never read Steinbeck your time will be better spent reading the Grapes of Wrath. I think it works best for those of us who have read other Steinbeck works and/or those who wish to have better understanding of the peoples and ecology of the Sea of Cortez.

A different Steinbeck

I read this book while preparing to follow the footsteps of Steinbeck and Ricketts to the Sea of Cortez (the Gulf of California).

I was living, at the time, in 'Steinbeck Country,' Monterey, California--where Ed 'Doc' Ricketts kept his lab (referred to in "Cannery Row.").

In this book, "The Log From the Sea of Cortez," Steinbeck sheds his fiction-writer persona, and regales his readers with the story of his trip, which Ricketts initiated for scientific purposes.

The thing that interested me the most, aside from the descriptive passages about the area in question, was the juxtaposition of Ed Rickett's pragmatism and Steinbeck's unabashed idealism and populism. Steinbeck comes across as a flaming socialist--not too surprising, considering "The Grapes of Wrath" and some of his other works.

The friendship of these two men, despite the radical differences in their philosophies, is intriguing.

If you are a fan of Steinbeck's fiction, this book will give you more insight into his character and philosophy than any of his other books save, perhaps, "Travels With Charlie," which came much later.

a real classic & a great read
This is the book that really "turned me around" on Steinbeck. I had been forced to read RED PONY & THE PEARL in High School & while I acknowledged Steinbeck's ability I found his subjects unbearably depressing. LOG FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ showed me another, funnier, more thoughtful, and more engaging Steibeck that then lead me to CANNERY ROW etc. This is the so-called Narrative Portion of a much longer guidebook co-authored by Steinbeck & Ed Ricketts that was simply called SEA OF CORTEZ and includes both illustrations and keys to the marine intertidal of Baja. The longer version is alas now long out of print & a real collectors item. LOG it turns out is a mixture of an actual travel log as Ricketts, Steinbeck & the crew of the Western Flyer wander in and out of the coves on the eastern side of the Baja peninsula, and also some philosophical essays by Ricketts that I gather actually pre-date th Cortez trip. I have frequently assigned the Easter Sunday chapter to my students as an marvellous discourse on science & scientists, but in fact the whole book is just that -we get a real sense of the joys & follys of field ecology & a wonderful look at an amazing piece of country before it was "discovered" and at least in part spoiled. The book is like a wonderful conversation with two very very smart & funny people & one comes away having learned a great deal & wishing one could have gone along on the original trip.


Edward F. Ricketts (Western Writers Series No 21)
Published in Paperback by Boise State Univ (December, 1976)
Author: Richard Astro
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The Fiction of Bernard Malamud (American Authors Series)
Published in Hardcover by Oregon State Univ Pr (March, 1977)
Authors: Richard Astro, Jackson J. Benson, and Corvallis Dept. of English Oregon State University
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Steinbeck: The Man and His Work
Published in Paperback by Oregon State Univ Pr (February, 1977)
Authors: Or. 1970 Steinbeck Conference Corvallis, Tetsumaro Hayashi, Richard Astro, Oregon State University, and Ball State University
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