Occupied by enemy troops, a small, peaceable town comes face-to-face with evil imposed from the outside--and betrayal born within the close-knit community. Originally published at the zenith of Nazi Germanyâ's power, this masterful fable uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war--and about human nature. Steinbeck's self-described "celebration of the durability of democracy" had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe. Despite Axis efforts to suppress it (in Fascist Italy, mere possession of the book was punishable by death), The Moon Is Down was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, and Russian; hundreds of thousands of copies circulated throughout Europe, making it by far the most popular piece of propaganda under the occupation. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force.
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"Interesting read in light of its context...it makes me wonder what is going on in the minds of the people in the regions we currently occupy. Do they feel toward us how the towns people felt toward the invaders? What exactly is their perspective, and are we in some futile effort? " — Dale (4 out of 5 stars)
"Interesting read in light of its context...it makes me wonder what is going on in the minds of the people in the regions we currently occupy. Do they feel toward us how the towns people felt toward the invaders? What exactly is their perspective, and are we in some futile effort? "
By the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
John Steinbeck knew and understood America and Americans better than any other writer of the twentieth century. (The Dallas Morning News) A man whose work was equal to the vast social themes that drove him. (Don DeLillo)"
" A pretty inspirational story about a town in Northern Europe that is occupied in WWII. Steinbeck presents the unquenchable cry of freedom, though I'm not sure he ever reconciled the emotion with his simultaneous love of communism. "
" I came across this at a used book sale, it "called" out to me. I loved it, a simple story of defiance in a small village during WW II. "
" One of Steinbeck's best short novels. "
" Thinking about it now, I don't remember "The Moon Is Down" terribly well. An ominous, strange Steinbeck story that's short, sweet, and to the point--and also full of analogies/innuendos relating to the Second World War. "
" Love me some Steinbeck. Quite funny that I picked this up randomly while the US is caught, like flies conquering flypaper, managing two invasions at the same time. We're better than Nazis, though, right? USA! "
" I thought the book was very good and short. It's about the invation of Nazis in a small town. In his writing he shows both sides, the soldiers and the people view of the war. I like all John Steinbook short stories. "
" I love Steinbeck, but this wasn't my favorite of all his work. It felt heavy-handed at times, and while I enjoyed reading it, I'd recommend The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men before this. "
" There's a reason this is not one of Steinbeck's more well known works. Obvious propaganda, but still well written. "
" An interesting bit of WWII propaganda from one of my favorite authors. "
John Steinbeck (1902–1968) remains one of the quintessential writers of American literature. Born in Salinas, California, Steinbeck attended Stanford University before working at a series of mostly blue-collar jobs and embarking on his literary career. Profoundly committed to social progress, he used his writing to raise issues of labor exploitation and the plight of the common man, penning some of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century and winning such prestigious awards as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He received the Nobel Prize in 1962, “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.” He wrote more than twenty-five novels during his lifetime.
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.
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