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Down to a Soundless Sea: Stories
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Published:
Random House Publishing Group 2011
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Description
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 father’s footsteps with a brilliant story collection. Down to a Soundless Sea resonates with the rich history and culture of California, recalling vivid details of life in Monterey County from the turn of the century through the 1930s. Steinbeck accomplishes an amazing feat: his stories have the feel of classic literature, but his haunting voice, forceful narrative drive, and dazzling imagery are unmistakably his own.
In seven stories, Steinbeck traces the fates and dreams of an eccentric cast of characters, from sailors and ranchers, to doctors and immigrants—as each struggles to carve out a living in the often inhospitable environment of rocky cliffs, crashing surf, and rough patches of land along the California coast and the Big Sur. In “Blind Luck,” a wayward orphan finds his calling at sea, only to learn that life must concede to the whims of authority and the ravages of nature. In “Dark Watcher,” with the country at the start of the Great Depression, a professor craves a plausible discovery to boost his academic standing—and encounters the Indian myth of a shadowed horsemen that may ruin his career. “An Unbecoming Grace” tracks the route of a country physician who cares for an ill-tempered cur—but feels more concern for the well-being of the patient’s beleaguered young wife. The collection concludes with “Sing Fat and the Imperial Duchess of Woo,” a novella that follows the tragic love story between a young apothecary and the woman he hopes to marry.
Deeply felt and richly imagined, full of compelling drama and historical authenticity, Down to a Soundless Sea heralds the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction. Thomas Steinbeck has written stories as memorable and rugged as the coastline that inspired them.
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Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
11/09/2011
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780345458674
ASIN:
B000FBFMJ8
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Thomas Steinbeck. (2011). Down to a Soundless Sea: Stories. Random House Publishing Group.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Thomas Steinbeck. 2011. Down to a Soundless Sea: Stories. Random House Publishing Group.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Thomas Steinbeck, Down to a Soundless Sea: Stories. Random House Publishing Group, 2011.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Thomas Steinbeck. Down to a Soundless Sea: Stories. Random House Publishing Group, 2011.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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5538add7-29e4-eaee-c511-2816f0e61803
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Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 18:22:45
Date Updated:
Dec 08, 2020 07:15:56
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      • bioText: Thomas Steinbeck began his career in the 1960s as a motion picture cinematographer and photojournalist in Vietnam. Interspersed with his writing, speaking and producing obligations, Mr. Steinbeck has taught college-level courses in American Literature, creative writing, and communication arts. He serves on the board of directors of the Stella Adler Theatre Los Angeles and the National Steinbeck Center. He has written numerous original screenplays and documentaries as well as adaptations of his father’s work. Thomas Steinbeck lives on the central coast of California with his wife. He is currently at work on his first novel.
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title
Down to a Soundless Sea
fullDescription
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 father’s footsteps with a brilliant story collection. Down to a Soundless Sea resonates with the rich history and culture of California, recalling vivid details of life in Monterey County from the turn of the century through the 1930s. Steinbeck accomplishes an amazing feat: his stories have the feel of classic literature, but his haunting voice, forceful narrative drive, and dazzling imagery are unmistakably his own.
In seven stories, Steinbeck traces the fates and dreams of an eccentric cast of characters, from sailors and ranchers, to doctors and immigrants—as each struggles to carve out a living in the often inhospitable environment of rocky cliffs, crashing surf, and rough patches of land along the California coast and the Big Sur. In “Blind Luck,” a wayward orphan finds his calling at sea, only to learn that life must concede to the whims of authority and the ravages of nature. In “Dark Watcher,” with the country at the start of the Great Depression, a professor craves a plausible discovery to boost his academic standing—and encounters the Indian myth of a shadowed horsemen that may ruin his career. “An Unbecoming Grace” tracks the route of a country physician who cares for an ill-tempered cur—but feels more concern for the well-being of the patient’s beleaguered young wife. The collection concludes with “Sing Fat and the Imperial Duchess of Woo,” a novella that follows the tragic love story between a young apothecary and the woman he hopes to marry.
Deeply felt and richly imagined, full of compelling drama and historical authenticity, Down to a Soundless Sea heralds the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction. Thomas Steinbeck has written stories as memorable and rugged as the coastline that inspired them.
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: TERRENCE MCNALLY
      • content: "Thomas Steinbeck writes with grace, authority, and passion. If John Steinbeck were my father, I would not have the courage to write a laundry list or a letter to the editor. But Thomas Steinbeck inherited his father's great love of story. It is a grand thing to have a Steinbeck back in American letters."
      • premium: False
      • source: DAN CHAON Author of the National Book Award Finalist Among the Missing
      • content: "These tough, unsparing stories are written as if they were lived, not imagined, by their author. Thomas Steinbeck has found his own voice and he exults in the sound of it. This is authentic, honest American writing. The kind of writing a father would be proud of."
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        August 12, 2002
        Stylistically speaking, the apple doesn't fall far from the family tree in this debut collection by Steinbeck (son of John), a solid series of stories that deal with the settling of the Monterey Peninsula early in the 20th century. Steinbeck is especially successful when he writes long and develops his narrative line, most notably in "Blind Luck," the tale of a young seaman who goes through a rough initiation during his first voyage, surviving a tragic accident and ultimately fulfilling his desire to become an engineer and then a captain. Another noteworthy effort is the engrossing, novella-length "Sing Fat and the Imperial Duchess of Woo," about a Chinese immigrant who meets the love of his life while studying medicine with an older Chinese apothecary. Nature is a major presence in almost all seven of these stories, especially in two of the shorter entries: "The Night Guide" deals with the adventure of a young boy who uses his skills to locate his mother in the woods during a storm, while "The Wool Gatherer" describes the awe of a young man (a "daydreaming book hound" named John Steinbeck) when he spots a legendary Big Sur bear. A couple of entries fall victim to murky plotting and elliptical storytelling, but Steinbeck's naturalism and his accomplished voice make it clear that the family's literary legacy is in very good hands. National advertising, 6-city author tour. (Oct. 1)Forecast:Obviously, interest in the Steinbeck pedigree will be significant, and mainstream coverage is sure to help drive sales—all of which will lay a strong foundation for Steinbeck's first novel, which is in the works.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        June 1, 2002
        Steinbeck has been a cinematographer, photojournalist, and creative writing instructor, but he is also son of the celebrated novelist. So this first collection of stories, drawn from the history and culture of Northern California, comes as no surprise.

        Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        September 1, 2002
        In the year of John Steinbeck's centennial, son Thomas Steinbeck debuts an uneven collection of short stories. The opening story, "Night Garden," is an intriguing yet ultimately unsatisfying piece involving a mother and son with an inexplicable bond that reveals itself during a ferocious storm. More entertaining is "The Woolgatherer," a semibiographical tale about young cowboy John and the mysterious creature he vows to find again after a brief glimpse on his way to a summer ranch job. Steinbeck buries all salient details in the overwritten sea story, "Blind Luck." He is at his best creating the deceitful, petty villain Simon Gutierez O'Brian, who appears in "Blighted Cargo" but comes to an unexplained end. Each story reads like a passage from a larger work, missing key events to tie it all together and never quite standing alone. For comprehensive short story collections and Steinbeck fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

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shortDescription
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 father’s footsteps with a brilliant story collection. Down to a Soundless Sea resonates with the rich history and culture of California, recalling vivid details of life in Monterey County from the turn of the century through the 1930s. Steinbeck accomplishes an amazing feat: his stories have the feel of classic literature, but his haunting voice, forceful narrative drive, and dazzling imagery are unmistakably his own.
In seven stories, Steinbeck traces the fates and dreams of an eccentric cast of characters, from sailors and ranchers, to doctors and immigrants—as each struggles to carve out a living in the often inhospitable environment of rocky cliffs, crashing surf, and rough patches of land along the California coast and the Big Sur. In “Blind Luck,” a...
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