Down to a Soundless Sea

by Thomas Steinbeck

Book Overview

Here is an unprecedented fiction debut that is cause for celebration. Growing up in a family that valued the art of storytelling and the power of oral history, Thomas Steinbeck now follows in his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345455762
• ISBN13: 9780345455765
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 283 Pages
• Weight: 0.99 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A Treasured Find

Being a life-long John Steinbeck fan, I began reading this book with the clear objective of "being gracious" and trying not to expect too much, since it might fall short of his father's talents. I was so pleasantly proven wrong! Thomas Steinbeck has NOT had to fall back on his family name to be successful. His writing can stand alone on its own merit. I love this book, and while I have already recommended it to friends and associates, I will not be getting rid of it by passing it on, as I often do. It's a "keeper" and I will read it again. Thomas Steinbeck can clearly turn a phrase, and it appears that he can do so naturally. He clearly possesses acute observational skills, and knows human personalities. His characters are full of life and are fully three-dimensional. One does not walk away from this book wondering "Why was this guy or that girl in the plot?" They all hold intrinsic and valuable places in the whole. Not only are these stories interesting and often entertaining, they hold social redeeming values. Thomas Steinbeck, with one book, has shown serious readers that a new kid is on the block, and is a force to be reckoned with. This book is a must read.

From the son: A beautiful voice

Ballantine isn't a small publishing house, but few would have bothered with a book of short stories. Down To A Soundless Sea by Thomas Steinbeck, son of the California literary legend, John. A collection of seven (which must be a magic number) short stories, all of which takes place in Big Sur. A limited geography with unlimited stories to tell. Steinbeck is every bit the writer that his father was, and it was better that the son waited until he was absolutely ready before he tossed his fate upon the fickle tastes of the reading public. This book is a gem and like all good things, was worth the wait.

A Collection of Stories to Read by the Fire

Living on the central coast adds to the richness that is this book of short stories created by the son of John Steinbeck. I'm sure that many readers will gauge what Thomas Steinbeck does here by the works of his prestigious father. But I chose to read them for the sheer enjoyment of discovering a new author who happens to live in the same area I do. I wasn't disappointed.It is worth noting that Mr. Steinbeck likes to tell his stories with narration, not dialogue. You'll find little of the latter in this collection. But what you WILL find is an anthology of stories that all take place on or near the sea (thus the title), and more readable while sitting around a campfire, giving your kids or family an earful as you read the tales aloud. They'll get a peek into the local legends around the Monterey area that will surely remain with them for years to come. The first story in this collection, 'The Night Guide', is about a young boy named Frank Post (of local Post Ranch fame) and his early heritage growing up as a half-breed Native American. When his mother (a native Rumsen Indian) goes missing during a terrible storm, young Frank is visited by a vision and shown where his mother is at. The child rescues his mother from underneath a downed tree. The boy becomes somewhat legendary because of this event. That, and he was probably 'the first child born in the high Sur under the American flag.' 'The Wool Gatherer' pays homage to Thom Steinbeck's father. Young J.E. Steinbeck Jr. works his summers as a ranch hand down in Big Sur on The Post Ranch, and on his way to the ranch one summer, John sees a legendary beast staring down at him from a high cliff vantage point. Then it vanishes. John squanders away his entire summer trying to find the creature again, but never does.'Blind Luck' is the story about a boy named Chapel Lodge who has to make his own destiny and his own luck after his parents abandon him on the central coast. Chapel becomes an able seaman and heroic figure during the sinking of the Los Angeles near Point Sur. 'An Unbecoming Grace' is a cute little junket that ponders the fate of men based on their social graces and caring of one another. When a local doctor (Doc Roberts) is called upon to care for a cranky and mean-spirited central coast patient, his ability to uphold the Hippocratic oath will be tested. 'The Dark Watcher' is an intriguing tale about Professor Solomon Gill who tries to find out about the ancient tribes that used to encamp on the hills of the Big Sur area. And he soon sees a dark specter just ahead of him . . . on every rise. Is this friend or foe? The tale seems quite dark in the beginning but becomes very light-hearted by the end. This was one of my favorite stories. 'Blighted Cargo' is the tale of Simon Gutierrez O'Brian and his evil ways helping in the slave trade on the central coast during its mining days. And fate WILL catch up to him in the end. 'Sing Fat and the Imperial Duchess of Woo' is the final story in th

Excellent storytelling

After all that is why we read. It doesn't get any better than this. I just purchased the book the day before yesterday and only read 4 of the 7 stories. "Blind Luck" was great and "An Unbecoming Grace" had me laughing out loud at the end of the story.I wish T. Steinbeck had several voulmes like this, looking forward to his 1st novel-Don

Enthralling

A mesmerizing collection of seven short stories, narrated with grace and power. Thomas Steinbeck remains the rightful heir to his father's gift for writing, as well as the landscape of Monterey, Pacific Grove, and especially Big Sur, which captivates the reader and initiates one into the mystical aura of its setting, with the sea being a unifying motif. Hauntingly beautiful is the final novella "Sing Fat and the Duchess of Woo."