The moon is down. The Moon is down. The moon is down , Heinemann Educational. Der Mond ging unter: Roman , Diana Verlag. The Moon is Down , MacMillan. De vliegenvanger , De Bezige Bij. Maanen er gaaet ned: Roman fra Felttoget til Norge. Noite sem lua , Companhia editora nacional.
The moon is down , Sun Dial Press. The moon is down: a novel , The Viking press. The moon is down , P. The moon is down: a novel , Heinemann. Maanen er skjult. The moon is down , Collier. The moon is down , The Viking press,New York. Places Europe. Times World War Two Edition Notes "First published in March Classifications Library of Congress PS T M6 Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. The moon is down Item Preview.
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There are no reviews yet. It's even sympathetic to the Nazi characters! They are portrayed as human beings, not monsters, since that would be ironically to play into the fascist game after all- didn't the Nazis, for example, attempt to claim that they were superhuman? An overtly propagandistic novel which actually addresses the humanity of the enemy and that's quite an enemy we're talking about here is a mightily impressive and respectable feat, says I.
I'm just glad I read it. What it represents, on several levels, is gratifying and positive that this very minor book should never be forgotten. View 2 comments. Dec 04, Jon Nakapalau rated it it was amazing Shelves: politics , war , favorites , nazi-germany , classics , cultural-studies. A small town is forced to decide to what extent it will cooperate with a tyrannical invader. Powerful and haunting - evil has rarely been exposed in truer banality.
I went through most of my life not knowing that The Moon is Down even existed. I haven't been the most fervent fan of John Steinbeck , so that could be the explanation, but in all the classes I've been in, in all the discussions of Steinbeck's work or dicussions of stories of WWII, I've never heard of this book. When I stumbled upon it in my local used book shop I couldn't help wondering why it was new to me.
I figured it must just be a terrible book, unworthy of attention, a rare Steinbeck failu I went through most of my life not knowing that The Moon is Down even existed. I figured it must just be a terrible book, unworthy of attention, a rare Steinbeck failure, but I went ahead and bought it anyway it was only a buck and a quarter. Then it sat on my shelf for a couple of years.
I dragged it along with me to the Caribbean where we're staying for , determined to give it a crack on the beach sometime. That time was over the Christmas break, and within about twenty pages I was trying to figure out the real reason for my ignorance of this book because it isn't a failure on the part of Steinbeck.
The Moon is Down is sparing, as are all of Steinbeck's novellas, and there is a beauty in his chosen simplicity. The cast of scantily drawn characters seems to be a deliberate part of that simplicity. It is as though Steinbeck wants us to find ourselves in any or all of the men and women who inhabit this little world of Conquerors and Un- Conquered, Vanquished and Un- Vanquished, so he spares us too much detail that could get in the way of our ability to relate.
And herein may lie the reason why The Moon is Down has been pushed to the fringes of Steinbeck's work, because the characters at least two thirds of them that Steinbeck wants us to relate to are Nazis inhabiting a town in the midst of WWII.
We all know the discomfort that comes with being able to empathize with or relate to Nazi characters, but that discomfort can only be intensified by the fact that Steinbeck himself never gives his occupiers the name Nazi. The only place the word Nazi appears on my book, in fact, is on the back cover. I imagine anyone reading this book when it was released, or even folks who might read the book now without a back cover-spoiler, would be angered when they realized that the Nazis of Steinbeck's novella are not so different from they themselves or from their troops that might this very second be occupying another place somewhere in the world.
I'd be willing to wager a pay cheque don't get excited, that's practically nothing these days , that Steinbeck's book has been quietly set aside because of that very discomfort, which is a shame because it is telling an important story that I am better for having read.
The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck is wartime novella about a how occupying soldiers learn that peaceful townspeople do not like being told what to do. Colonel Lanser, the head of the invading battalion, along with his staff establishes their HQ in the house of Orden, the democratically elected and popular Mayor.
As the reality of occupation sinks in and the weather turns bleak, with the snows beginning earlier than usual, the townspeople are getting angry and confused. Lanser, a veteran of many wars, tries to operate under a veil of civility and law, but knows that amongst those whose freedom has been taken away by force there are no peaceful people.
A miner quits and when kills an officer who orders him back to work in the mine. After a summary trial, the man is executed by a firing squad, but the incident catalyzes the people of the town to begin resisting. Transportation and communication lines are taken out, mine machinery breaks down often, and whenever soldiers get comfortable, they are killed including a young lieutenant infatuated with the widow of the miner who stabs him to death before escaping to the hills.
Members of the resistance escape to England and ask the English for explosives so that the townspeople can intensify their efforts. In a state of panic, Lanser takes the Mayor and his friend Dr. Winter, the town doctor and historian, hostage and lets it be known that any guerilla action will lead to their execution. Mayor Orden knows his people will not stop active resistance and accept his imminent death.
Knowing that the townspeople will use the dynamite any moment, Orden and Winter discuss Socrates in front of a stunned Lanser until the first explosion. Orden calmly walks out the door before Lanser can verbally order his execution. Published in the spring of , Steinbeck wrote this obvious propogandist novella to inspire the Allied war effort and through clandestine publishing in occupied Europe to inspire resistance fighters against their German occupiers as well as collaborators.
While the town and country are unnamed, it was not hard to tell it was Norway given the clues Steinbeck sprinkled throughout the text. While written for more political than literary purposes that does not diminish the impact of the narrative nor does Steinbeck not put in his best work. Still as good as the first time I read it some 20 years ago. Steinbeck is such an amazing writer who has me quite in his thrall.
More details to come. This is filled with ironic humor. Line after line after line. Or is my brain twisted?! Isn't it kind of funny that the value of propaganda, which is what this was when it was originally written in , all depends on which side you stand?
Propaganda is usually seen as "bad literature". Not here. This is the first time I have read propaganda that gets its message across through humor, and it is good! Steinbeck wrote it during WW2 as encouragement to the people of those countries which were occupied by the Germans, to encourage resistance!
I believe Steinbeck has through humor achieved his purpose. I removed one star because the message delivered is a bit heavy handedly presented in the latter half.
Heck, it was meant to be written as propaganda. It certainly achieved its purpose. Jun 17, Christina Gouthro rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. You will find that is so, sir. Such a brilliant little novel! It begins quite slowly, but after about forty pages I was fully pulled in. Written in , it's a clear parallel to the unfolding of WWII, although the occupying forces are never attributed to a particular region.
It's a fascinating exploration of the human spirit under duress - for both the conquered, and the conquerors. The fact that Steinbeck shows the human side of the conquerors themselves was refreshing too, and reinforces the fact that war is a game very fe Such a brilliant little novel! The fact that Steinbeck shows the human side of the conquerors themselves was refreshing too, and reinforces the fact that war is a game very few people want to play.
Steinbeck proves again he is a fantastic writer. This book is Steinbeck's interpretation of what might have happened in one Norwegian town, beginning with the moment of invasion. The back cover says it better than I can: "In a masterful tale of the effects of invasion on both conqueror and conquered, John Steinbeck delves into the motivations and emotions of a German commander who is 'only following orders', and paints a devastatingly accurate portrait of a Norwegian traitor.
He brings brilliantly to life the patriotic fervor of the men and women of the Norwegian underground who refused to let their spirit die. As Mayor Orden at one point reminds the German officer in charge: "Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. View 1 comment. Shelves: hardback , classic , tbr-busting , paper-read , war , one-penny-wonder , wwii , norway , nobel-laureate , nazi-related.
Withdrawn from Llanilltud Fawr English Department. No dedication. Opening: By ten-forty-five it was all over. The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war finished.
Uplifting read and suddenly I want to make millions of little blue parachutes to help those beleagured females in America who would prefer an abortion without the Victorian sh Withdrawn from Llanilltud Fawr English Department. Uplifting read and suddenly I want to make millions of little blue parachutes to help those beleagured females in America who would prefer an abortion without the Victorian shame tactics, or how about a drop in Russia where the anti-Putin contingent would get a fair election result.
A world full of blue parachutes to aid the metaphorical white hats. View all 3 comments. Jul 06, Conor Ahern rated it liked it Shelves: nobel. This was a quick little bit of agitprop from one of my favorite authors. It's short and reads a lot like a play--apparently by design--and has an interesting history. But I wasn't very invested until the very end. The simple reminder that "herd men" win battles but independent minded people win wars is a helpful and hopeful one to remember. Dec 16, Jim rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction.
The invading troops figure that they will be welcomed with candy and flowers like Dick Cheney's supposition on invading Iraq ; but a different reality altogether comes to pass.
The locals are sullen and unwelcoming of the conquering troops, and begin to commit acts of sabotage -- which, of course, are met with public executions. Steinbeck examines the situation both from the point of view of the conquered and of the conquerors, leaving the reader wondering why anyone would want to occupy another country. Point well taken -- and nicely expressed. Nov 09, Steven rated it really liked it Shelves: american , history , steinbeck , literature.
The novel centers on the invasion of an unnamed Northern European country like Norway by unnamed conquerors like the Germans , and reads almost like a play. In fact, it was later adapted for the theater by Steinbeck himself. Its atmosphere of staunch socio-political defiance reminded me of Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People'. It's not perfect; the setting and some of the conversations could have been better, Steinbeck wrote this novel in support of the occupied territories of Europe during WWII.
It's not perfect; the setting and some of the conversations could have been better, especially given the rich material that Steinbeck was working with. But in the end that doesn't take away from the novel as a symbol of the freedom of the human spirit, and of the self-assertion and self-expression of a people under oppression. Aug 01, Connie G rated it really liked it Shelves: world-war-ii , classic , nobel-prize-author , war. It depicts a peaceful country, similiar to Norway or Finland, that has been invaded by a larger, stronger country.
It tells of the local townspeople's efforts to regain freedom from the invaders, who are shown similiar to the Nazis. The invading soldiers are portrayed with real human emotions, not just as a cold military machine.
Faced with an active local resistance movement where the soldiers were fearing for their safety, one soldier said, "The flies have conquered the flypaper. Even the Chinese, who had part of their country occupied by Japan, published it in It's a book that makes the reader think about freedom and war from the points of view of both the invaders and the conquered people.
Dec 10, Ed rated it it was amazing. If you're ever scouting for a robust, fast read, Steinbeck's war novella might be the ticket. Troubles ensue. Though the names aren't given, you know Steinbeck is talking about the Nazis probably occupying Norway. There's a patriotic verve here, but it doesn't grow overly hokey or schmaltzy. The violence isn't graphic, and Steinbeck's prose often shines If you're ever scouting for a robust, fast read, Steinbeck's war novella might be the ticket.
The violence isn't graphic, and Steinbeck's prose often shines out. I'm not sure why he isn't read more now. I don't recall him on any of my college reading lists. What a shame. I'll put him on my reading list for Sep 08, Ryan rated it liked it. This is usually filed away as a dated propaganda piece. Steinbeck had been working for the precursor of the CIA and had seen, at first hand, the effects of pro-Nazi propaganda in Mexico.
This novel was the result of his determination to oppose it. Set in a fictional European nation plainly Norway , Steinbeck tells a story of the invaded and their invaders. It has more nuance than you might expect. If drama takes a backseat to exposition too many times, the psychology is sound.
A foul-tempered loner who chucks boiling water at everyone who comes too close to her front porch one day unknowingly throws it an invader, and is mistakenly elevated to the rank of folk hero. Victory is the father of paranoia for defeat means nothing; every person is whispering behind closed doors. It outrages the senior officer that the people downtown know more than he does - how truth sluices past censorship like water around stones.
New York critics panned the book as naive, soft on Nazism, and more likely than not to demoralise the people it was meant to uplift. They were proved disastrously wrong. Underground presses in occupied Norway, Denmark, Holland and France printed translated versions and issued them while an unsuspecting Gestapo watched on.
The Swedish edition was printed on tissue-like paper with soft covers for ease of sudden disposal. A batch of confiscated copies reached the desk of Quisling himself. Possession of the novel in Fascist Italy was punishable by death. In the end, the King of Norway himself presented Steinbeck with a medal for his efforts. Not bad for pages. This is the first "obscure" John Steinbeck I've read and it wasn't on my radar until a week ago.
This is totally out of Steinbeck's typical wheelhouse of the working class in California during the s. This book was used as propaganda in the Second World War and the Nazis threatened to and probably did kill people who were found with copies of this book.
It was copied in secret and garnered some criticism for making the invaders "human. It's set up as a caution This is the first "obscure" John Steinbeck I've read and it wasn't on my radar until a week ago.
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