The Winter of Our Discontent

My book club read The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck this month.  The book takes place from Easter to the 4th of July in 1960 so it really isn't about winter but it definitely is about discontent.  When reading the book you'd think it was about twenty years prior because the main character, Ethan, and his family, do not have a television or a car. The book is about integrity (or lack of) and the moral decline in the USA.  Ethan's wife and kids complain that they don't have the things other families have.  Ethan, a grocery clerk who graduated from Harvard and who's ancestors were wealthy, feels the sting of their complaints; their discontent.  He makes choices that achieve his goals but he feels regret.  It's a sad story.  I finished the book about 9:30 p.m. and then went to bed. That was not a good idea.  If you read the book, finish it earlier so you have time for some comedy before you retire for the day.  I loved the relationship between Ethan and his wife.  Their love probably reflects Steinbeck's happiness in his third marriage.  Ethan has new sweet names for his wife almost every day.  Ethan's teenage son is a brat; plain and simple.  His youngest child, the daughter, is wise and insightful beyond her years.  Margy, the town slut, is another interesting character.  Even though she is a friend of Ethan's wife, she tries to lure him into her bed. Unlike Steinbeck's other great novels that I've read, this one is not set in California.  This story takes place in a harbor town on the East Coast.  If you are in the mood for a sad story, read The Winter of Our Discontent.  Find out if Ethan falls into Margy's spell and why he has so many regrets.  It's a good story.