--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac…" description: "\"I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always loved the stories of regular people. Mark Twain, too. When you look back at some of the epic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/159/lucas-neff-30384_bigs_i-m-a-big-john-steinbeck-fan-cormac-mcca_803973.jpg" --- # I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always… ![“I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always loved the stories of regular people. Mark Twain, too. When you look back at some of the epic writers of our country's history, very rarely do you find upper-class royalty. We seem to delve into the struggle of life and the labor of life…” quote by Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/159/lucas-neff-30384_bigs_i-m-a-big-john-steinbeck-fan-cormac-mcca_803973.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/159/lucas-neff-30384_bigs_i-m-a-big-john-steinbeck-fan-cormac-mcca_803973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/159/lucas-neff-30384_bigs_i-m-a-big-john-steinbeck-fan-cormac-mcca_803973.jpg) > “I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always loved the stories of regular people. Mark Twain, too. When you look back at some of the epic writers of our country's history, very rarely do you find upper-class royalty. We seem to delve into the struggle of life and the labor of life much more frequently.” [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admires writers who portray ordinary lives, noting that great literature often emerges from humble, working‑class experiences rather than elite circles. **In simple terms:** He values stories of everyday struggle. Key Takeaway Seek narratives that reflect real life. Themes literature class authenticity storytelling Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - reading clubs - creative writing - educational curricula Key Concepts social realism working‑class perspective human resilience Questions to Reflect On - Which author’s work most vividly captures ordinary life? - How does class shape narrative voice? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on "regular people" may overlook valuable perspectives from diverse backgrounds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Epic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epic/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Life struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-struggle/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Royalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/royalty/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Struggle of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-of-life/) [Upper class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upper-class/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“They have the authority of ignorance and that is something you simply cannot combat.” – John Steinbeck”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/they-have-the-authority-of-ignorance-and-that-is-something-you-simply/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I became aware of Jews in my early teens, as I started to pick up the signals from the Christian church. Not that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/i-became-aware-of-jews-in-my-early-teens-as-i-started-to-pick-up-the/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [I was born January 6, 1937, eight years after Wall Street crashed and two years before John Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/i-was-born-january-6-1937-eight-years-after-wall-street-crashed-and/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [One of my favorite things I read was John Steinbeck's journals while he was writing 'East of Eden,' which was so cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/one-of-my-favorite-things-i-read-was-john-steinbeck-s-journals-while/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [“Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck-from-the-fall-1975-issue-of-the-paris-review/abandon-the-idea-that-you-are-ever-going-to-finish-lose-track-of-the-2/) John Steinbeck from the Fall 1975 issue of The Paris Review > [“John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-wright/john-steinbeck-once-said-that-socialism-never-took-root-in-america/) [Ronald Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-wright/) > [How can I teach my boys the value and beauty of language and thus communication when the President himself reads westerns exclusively and cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/how-can-i-teach-my-boys-the-value-and-beauty-of-language-and-thus/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I remember reading 'The Grapes of Wrath' in high school in 1983. My family had immigrated to the U.S. three years before, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-remember-reading-the-grapes-of-wrath-in-high-school-in-1983-my/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I nearly always write just as I nearly always breathe. - John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-nearly-always-write-just-as-i-nearly-always-breathe-john-steinbeck/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Maybe what I admired most about John Steinbeck is that he never mortgaged his 45-acre heart for a suite in an ivory tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/maybe-what-i-admired-most-about-john-steinbeck-is-that-he-never/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [One of the true pleasures of my life has been the work of John Steinbeck. He was one of the people who turned my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/one-of-the-true-pleasures-of-my-life-has-been-the-work-of-john/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) > [John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' also speaks urgently to today's concerns: the cratered trail of dreams for Mexican immigrants seeking a promised land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/john-steinbeck-s-the-grapes-of-wrath-also-speaks-urgently-to-today-s/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [John Steinbeck once wrote, 'Change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like a stealthy perfume of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-scott/john-steinbeck-once-wrote-change-comes-like-a-little-wind-that/) [Lucas Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-scott/) > [“Tom felt his darkness. His father was beautiful and clever, his mother was short and mathematically sure. Each of his brothers and sisters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/tom-felt-his-darkness-his-father-was-beautiful-and-clever-his-mother/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Lucas Neff > [I rarely accept things on blind faith, especially the orthodoxy of any given practice, or any given practicum. I'm like, "Oh come on. Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-rarely-accept-things-on-blind-faith-especially-the-orthodoxy-of-any/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I'm a young actor and I haven't learned everything there is about acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-m-a-young-actor-and-i-haven-t-learned-everything-there-is-about/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [Oftentimes, when people don't respond to text messages or emails, I just start writing long, long in-depth essays and diatribes where characters start to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/oftentimes-when-people-don-t-respond-to-text-messages-or-emails-i/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [There's sort of a very symbiotic thing that happens on good TV shows with great writers, which is that they start to sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/there-s-sort-of-a-very-symbiotic-thing-that-happens-on-good-tv-shows/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [Ninety percent of the time, I'm wearing imaginary people's clothing. I don't feel a huge pressure to go out and, like, hit the town,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/ninety-percent-of-the-time-i-m-wearing-imaginary-people-s-clothing-i/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I'm certainly not a trained singer. The only place I could probably carry a tune is my shower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-m-certainly-not-a-trained-singer-the-only-place-i-could-probably/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I like the idea of building this wandering, epic narrative in a form that people don't expect epic narratives to appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-like-the-idea-of-building-this-wandering-epic-narrative-in-a-form/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [When we make jokes about being lazy, or things that look like we're lazy parents, we don't want to make it appear like we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/when-we-make-jokes-about-being-lazy-or-things-that-look-like-we-re/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [There is a somewhat-surprising, somewhat totally predictable paucity of struggle in entertainment television. I do like being a part of a show featuring a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/there-is-a-somewhat-surprising-somewhat-totally-predictable-paucity/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [Working on 'Raising Hope' is a very hurry-up-and-wait activity, and I just always liked the idea of being as productive as I can be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/working-on-raising-hope-is-a-very-hurry-up-and-wait-activity-and-i/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I really don't want to do anything that resembles stand-up comedy. But I will agree to say that I am doing it, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-really-don-t-want-to-do-anything-that-resembles-stand-up-comedy-but/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I think that's part of the fun of being an actor - you get to not be normal all of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-think-that-s-part-of-the-fun-of-being-an-actor-you-get-to-not-be/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [It's ridiculous. My life's been a series of happy accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/it-s-ridiculous-my-life-s-been-a-series-of-happy-accidents/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [Yes, I want kids. I don't know that I'll ever be ready. But, I'll certainly want them. I'll have them regardless of whether I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/yes-i-want-kids-i-don-t-know-that-i-ll-ever-be-ready-but-i-ll/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [That honeymoon phase is so much fun in real life, when you meet and discover somebody new and fall in love and chase them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/that-honeymoon-phase-is-so-much-fun-in-real-life-when-you-meet-and/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) [Explore all 17 Lucas Neff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always loved the stories of regular people. Mark Twain, too. 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