A little gem

clipped from www.todayinliterature.com Steinbeck, Shakespeare, Pearls On this day in 1947 John Steinbeck's The Pearl was published, to coincide with the release of the film version. Steinbeck developed his "parable" from a traditional Mexican folk tale, and in such a way as to guarantee it a permanent position on the high school curriculum, but some biographers interpret it in a more personal way. Kino, the poor-but-happy fisherman who finds "the Pearl of the World," is Steinbeck finding international wealth and fame with his previous book, The Grapes of Wrath; the ensuing confusion over values and lifestyle is reflected by Steinbeck's marriage and alcohol problems; Kino's loss of his son and his self-image are paralleled by Steinbeck's problems with his sons and his persistent feeling that he had squandered his talent.