The Moon Is Down

De: John Steinbeck

Narrado por: George Guidall

Occupied by enemy troops, a small, peaceable town comes face-to-face with evil imposed from the outside--and betrayal born within the close-knit community. Originally published at the zenith of Nazi Germanyâ's power, this masterful fable uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war--and about human nature. Steinbeck's self-described "celebration of the durability of democracy" had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe. Despite Axis efforts to suppress it (in Fascist Italy, mere possession of the book was punishable by death), The Moon Is Down was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, and Russian; hundreds of thousands of copies circulated throughout Europe, making it by far the most popular piece of propaganda under the occupation. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force.

Reseñas de la Crítica

By the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

John Steinbeck knew and understood America and Americans better than any other writer of the twentieth century. (The Dallas Morning News) A man whose work was equal to the vast social themes that drove him. (Don DeLillo)"

Poignant, relevant still.

Characters could have been read more flatly, to greater effect. 1918, 1944, 1968, 2003, 2022 . . .

I have no idea what this book was going for

I was totally riveted until the end and I have no idea how I feel afterward. I kind of liked everyone. I guess that’s just war. Everything sucks.

Mr Steinbeck Goes to War

“There you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether he is doing right or wrong.”
- John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down

"The moon is down; I have not heard the clock."
- Shakespeare, Act II, Scene i of Macbeth

I've been on a Steinbeck kick the last month. This is my fourth. I read a couple novellas and a nonfiction. This is one I knew very little about. I heard it was popular in Europe and the Soviet Union during the war and I'm still not sure if it was written at the request of any government or individual, but as a piece of literary propaganda it works out really well.

It is essentially the story of a village in an unnamed country (read Norway) that is invaded by another country (read Germany) and begins to initiate resistance to occupation. It was made into a play in 1942 (not great reviews) and later a film in 1943.

Not a perfect novel, but I think the thing that keeps bringing me back to Steinbeck is this generalization, while I think other writers (see Faulkner) are technically better writers, I get fed really well whenever I read Steinbeck. There is just something about his outlook, his moral philosophy, his vibe that I really roll with.

Some people never get this.

A great examination about what freedom truly is, even in 2022. The Ukraine shall prevail.

An Practical and Philosophical Viewpoint on War

I especially enjoyed the clean and unforgettable thinking used to rationalize wartime resistance. Aggressors violate Natural Law so resistant forces likewise aren't subject to Natural Law. Of course once war is over law returns.

Seeing the mental side of war from the perspective of the occupying army and how the morale of the conquerors makes them the defeated long before the surrender is insightful.