John Steinbeck’s 10 Favorite Books (as a reader) These are books Steinbeck repeatedly cited, reread, or named as major influences on his life and writing: 1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 2. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville 3. The Odyssey by Homer 4. The Iliad by Homer 5. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 6. The Once and Future King by T. H. White 7. King James Bible by Various 8. Paradise Lost by John Milton 9. Hamlet by William Shakespeare 10. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan | Kayoul

John Steinbeck, an American author and Nobel laureate in literature. Steinbeck is best known for his works that depict the struggles of working-class Americans during the Great Depression, such as The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden. His writing often reflects themes of social justice, human resilience, and the dignity of ordinary people. Steinbeck's empathetic portrayal of marginalized communities solidified his reputation as one of the most influential writers of the 20th ce