It’s a perfect example of a cliche, but history really does repeat itself.

I write something here about every book I read, partly for my own archival purposes but also to share with others what I’m reading and the thoughts those texts conjure.  For some people, I know these posts are unbelievably boring, and that’s OK.  Hopefully I write enough other stuff to keep everyone somewhat entertained.

Last December I posted about John Steinbeck’s “The Pastures of Heaven,” saying weeks had passed since I finished it, and that I didn’t have a ton to say about the story itself.  Well it’s December again, and several weeks ago I finished the John Steinbeck book “Cup of Gold” about which I really don’t have anything to say.

Like last year, that’s not a knock on the text, but something that tends to be a pattern with Steinbeck books.  I guess the only thing to note is that this is the first in a new approach to Steinbeck.  He’s one of my favorite authors and has written so many books that I had a hard time choosing which one to read next.  So I decided to take subjectivity and guessing out of the process by reading all of the rest in chronological order.

“Cup of Gold” is his first, and it seems like it wasn’t exactly well-received.  I can definitely understand why that may be the case.  It’s kind of a crazy story that involves British indentured servants, pirates and of course, Merlin.  Not exactly what people expect from the “Grapes of Wrath” Steinbeck, and I’m certainly not alone in liking the latter much better.

I have two more of his books to read before I get to the ones that really started to make him famous.  That quest will have to wait until next year though, since I have turned over a lot of my former reading time to my own writing project.  I feel like I’m making some progress (about to pass 50,000 words) with a goal of finishing by the end of January.  We’ll see how that goes.