Steinbeck’s first novel was published in 1929 by Robert McBride & Company. He was 26 years old at the time of publication and McBride understandably chose a short print runoff of 1537 copies for the unknown author. In 1936, Steinbeck’s new publisher, Covici-Friede, capitalised on Steinbeck’s later successes and reprinted Cup of Gold with an edition of just under a thousand copies. His third publisher, Viking, did the same again in 1938.
Steinbeck’s only historical novel, Cup of Gold is a greatly revised version of an unpublished short story he wrote previously, about the Elizabethan pirate, Henry Morgan. He was influenced by writers such as James Branch Cabell, author of the popular novel Jurgen and as a result it is different from Steinbeck’s mature and much terser style in novels such as Grapes of Wrath.
The Central American state of Panama is one of the settings for this story, an inspiration that came to Steinbeck from his visit there on the freighter Katrina, on which he had obtained work. He found it challenging to write a full length novel and at one point he returned to writing short pieces, one of which was accepted for publica
Steinbeck’s only historical novel, Cup of Gold is a greatly revised version of an unpublished short story he wrote previously, about the Elizabethan pirate, Henry Morgan. He was influenced by writers such as James Branch Cabell, author of the popular novel Jurgen and as a result it is different from Steinbeck’s mature and much terser style in novels such as Grapes of Wrath.
The Central American state of Panama is one of the settings for this story, an inspiration that came to Steinbeck from his visit there on the freighter Katrina, on which he had obtained work. He found it challenging to write a full length novel and at one point he returned to writing short pieces, one of which was accepted for publica
