Reviews

Σ' έναν άγνωστο θεό by Κοσμάς Πολίτης, John Steinbeck

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doji_k's review against another edition

4.0

It is apparent after reading this how early Steinbeck wrote this in his career, not due to the skill he has displayed in writing this, but in how stark of a contrast the themes tackled in this novella are to the rest of his work. And after being on a sort of Steinbeck binge, this was definitely a breath of fresh air.

Steinbeck here has written a novella a kin to the works of Cormac McCarthy, a grim and often time unsettling and hopeless view of the harsh and desolate climate in the American West. Steinbeck's descriptions of Monterrey are still to this day unmatched, but in a departure he also chooses to incorporate surrealism in many scenes, making this story more of a tale of magical realism.

All of this culminates in a story that tackles the idea of faith and how different people react to having that faith tested. It explores many people's need for religion, and the nagging sense of superstition that builds in all of us. It also shows the lengths people will go to in order validate that faith, regardless of the consequences or mental skips in logic to do so.

I understand for many, this may be too different from the rest of Steinbeck's work. My only negative would be that even though this is already a short novella, shaving a little more off of the somewhat meandering first half would have made for a much more enjoyable read once the point of the novella begins to show itself.

Overall, judging from reading many other reviews, I think this is his most underrated work that has a lot to say and is well worth your time.

jeanie77's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

marlo42's review against another edition

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4.0

This was my first Steinbeck read in a while, and I guess I'd forgotten how stunning this man's writing is.
I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I should write here exactly. This is not a perfect book by any means - the beginning and very end of the novel felt a little stilted. The characters at times don't exactly talk like real people and their behaviors are a bit extreme, but the flaws of this piece are far, FAR outweighed by the superb prose.
I was extremely taken by (and even moved, at points) by this. Once it gets going (at around 70 pages in), this novel does not let up - it keeps picking up steam and there is just rolling excellence until the end. You need to give this one a chance, but once you do it rewards you in spades. Please, give this a shot.

lizzyfrykman's review against another edition

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4.0

I could write paragraphs of detailed analysis as a review of this book, as it dealt with themes of nature, religion, spirituality, family, and duty, and was very mystical, poetic and dramatic. BUT I think anything I say will be inadequate and I read this for fun, so I’ll just say this:

This NEEDS to be a film. I really think there’s a market for this kind of story and setting right now, and it would transfer SO well to the screen. I have never been more confident of an adaptation idea in my life, despite the book not being my favorite of Steinbeck’s books, and certainly not my favorite in the whole range of literature. But it just has a haunting, captivating tone that would just make so much sense on screen.