The lives of the greatest writers of the world are explored in the series "Bloom's BioCritiques." In addition to a lengthy biography of important writers from Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare to J.D. Salinger and John Steinbeck, each book includes an extensive critical analysis of the writer's work, as well as critical views by important literary critics throughout history. The "Bloom's BioCritiques" series is edited by the preeminent literary critic of our time, Harold Bloom; these volumes are the perfect introduction to critical study of the important authors currently read and discussed in high schools, colleges, and graduate schools.
-- User's guide
-- Biography of the writer and chronology of his or her life
-- An in-depth critical analysis of the writer, detailing style, important symbols, themes, and ideas in his or her major works
-- Supporting critical essays from some of the world's leading critics
-- A complete bibliography of the writer's works
-- A list of critical works about the writer and his or her work
-- An index of themes and ideas in the writer's work

While much of his adolescence was marked by illness and a lack of motivation, it was sheer determination that allowed Steinbeck to pen his famous tale The Grapes of Wrath.