The Moon Is Down

Most of John Steinbeck's readers admire him for his singular ability to create characters so real and memorable and to tell their story with extraordinary sympathy. Steinbeck himself witnessed the poverty of rural America, especially during the Great Depression. Steinbeck was also a journalist during the Second World War. In "The Moon Is Down," Steinbeck combined his knowledge of the Nazi invasion of Europe with his outstanding storytelling, to relate the story of a small town that fights back and resists the Nazi occupying forces. The name of the town is not given - it is most likely somewhere in France or Belgium. As "The Moon Is Down was penned in 1942, eyewitness accounts of the greater Nazi atrocities in Eastern Europe were not yet revealed; at the time, Jan Karski was still on his way to London with his testimony. As such, "The Moon Is Down" is primarily a psychological study of the townspeople and their occupiers.

The story opens with a sense of profound mistrust - by the occupiers who had lost men in an uprising and the townspeople forced into heavy labor without pay. Among the people of the town is Mayor Orden, a man who may have had simple ways but also possessed the fighting spirit of a giant willing to sacrifice anything for freedom. George Correll was a popular storekeeper who diverted goods to the resisters. Annie, the cook, was as adept at delivering secret messages as she was at providing meals. And Alex was prepared to die on his own terms rather than live a life of lies; this theme resurfaces toward the end of the novel. Among the Nazi conquerors were Colonel Lanser, ready to follow any order, right or wrong. Lieutenant Tonder believed The Leader's propaganda that the people of the town would love and welcome him and that he would meet a glorious death on the battlefield: "He imagined his death very often, lighted by a fair setting sun which glinted on broken military equipment, his men standing silently around him, with heads sunk low, as over a fat cloud galloped the Valkyries ... while Wagnerian thunder crashed in the background. And he even had his dying words ready." Instead, the occupiers were presented with "...the dark, cold, sullen hatred that chilled the soldiers and filled them with fear." The occupiers felt as trapped as the occupied, as Steinbeck remarks not without irony. "They dismounted in a small town they grew to despise."

When Colonel Lanser told Major Orden he had a duty to "keep his people safe" by having them follow the orders of the occupiers and perform the slave labor of mining the coal, he responded, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people. I am confused, but that I am sure of." In the end, Orden related the story of Socrates in Plato's "Apology," in which he says `Someone will say, "And are you not shamed, Socrates, of a course of life which is likely to bring you an untimely end?" For him, I may fairly answer, "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." Orden had denounced the School Board early in his career; now, he was denouncing the enemy. Even in captivity, he - like the townspeople he governed - was living life on his terms; as he made it very clear, he was also willing to meet death on the same terms. Ultimately, what is right and just has to prevail.

Probably not Of Mice and Men or Cannery Row either. But, still 5 stars.
A short read even though it took me 3 weeks. I read a paperback in the bathtub. Gotta be careful with those Kindles.
There's not much I can add to 75 years of others acclaim for Steinbeck except to echo it.
I will say, however, that this work adds to the strength of the human spirit and its demand for freedom, something that is particularly relevant in our current political situation.
A parting comment on the ending: There really wasn't much doubt in the doubt.

A small, coastal town in northern Europe is occupied by an invading army that is at war with England and Russia. The town is peaceful, but its coal mining operation makes it a desireable target. The poor people of the town never really had a chance to resist, but being betrayed by one of their own sealed the deal. The people reluctantly begin to settle into their new lives as the snows come early that year and a harsh winter begins to clamp down. The fragile peace is shattered however, when one of the town's aldermen goes before a firing squad.

Alexander Morden was a peaceful man, and well respected among his fellow townsfolk. But when two of the occupying soldiers order him to work in the coal mine, he snaps and kills one of them with his pick-axe. Alexander firmly believes that free men should not be ordered about. Alexander is placed before a firing squad and summarily executed, ending the peace between citizen and soldier.

The people of the town show no open hostility, obeying orders and doing their work, but the resistance has begun. The workers grow suddenly clumsy, equipment mysteriously malfunctions, sections of railroad track are damaged regularly. Bombing raids from England fly over, and blackouts are ordered in the town so that no target will be visible, but lights always seem to be left on at the coal mine. Guards become tempted by women or drink, and disappear one by one.

Eventually, two men are able to sneak away in a fishing boat, and head for England. Not long after, airplanes begin parachuting in small packages of dynamite over the town. The message to the occupying force is clear: people can be held against their will and forced to obey, but the human spirit can never be diminished.

John Steinbeck wrote The Moon Is Down in 1942, during the height of World War II. He doesn't actually say so, but it's safe to say that the invading army in the story represents Germany. The novel was sponsored by the United States government as a bit of propaganda in hopes that it would inspire resistance among the territories that Germany occupied. The book was translated into many languages and distributed widely across Europe, often illegally, making it the most popular piece of propaganda to be circulated. Steinbeck was awarded the Medal of Honor for his work.

As I have said before, George Guidall is the finest audiobook narrator in the business. It is difficult, however, to say exactly what I like so much about his narrations. His character voices are not great, although I've often thought that he does women's voices better than most men. He just reads so naturally. When he reads dialogue, it sounds the way people really sound when they talk. I'm guessing this is a skill that can't be learned. George Guidall was born to narrate the way Beethoven was born to write music.

John Steinbeck has a very clear understanding of the human spirit, and this shows in his various works. He has a knack for capturing people's thoughts and feelings in his words. The Moon Is Down is a good example of his story-telling ability.

The Moon Is Down is a fascinating study of the psychology of conquest, on both sides, as John Steinbeck produces nuanced characters who show the corrosive effect of a military occupation on both the occupying army and on the occupied civilians. While the former lose their morale and their military discipline as they become ever more alienated from the people around them, the latter become coarse and brutal to a point they couldn't have imagined previously. For example, one young woman ends up murdering one of the occupiers who is attracted to her even though he has no ill intentions toward her. While there are no real villains here--even the most unsympathetic of the occupiers, a young by-the-rules captain, is more martinet than fiend-there are certainly heroes, starting with the town mayor, who rises to the occasion in what is an impossible situation. I also liked the character of the occupying army's commander, a grizzled veteran of previous (lost) wars who sees what's happening but feels compelled to do his duty.

Ultimately, I think Steinbeck was at his best when he confined himself to an American setting. Unlike some of his celebrated contemporaries such as Ernest Hemingway, he was fundamentally and temperamentally an American author (it's interesting to note that almost all of Hemingway's most celebrated works are set outside the United States).

Still, this is an interesting curiosity from one of the giants of 20th century American literature.

Most of John Steinbeck's readers admire him for his singular ability to create characters so real and memorable and to tell their story with extraordinary sympathy. Steinbeck himself witnessed the poverty of rural America, especially during the Great Depression. Steinbeck was also a journalist during the Second World War. In "The Moon Is Down," Steinbeck combined his knowledge of the Nazi invasion of Europe with his outstanding storytelling, to relate the story of a small town that fights back and resists the Nazi occupying forces. The name of the town is not given - it is most likely somewhere in France or Belgium. As "The Moon Is Down was penned in 1942, eyewitness accounts of the greater Nazi atrocities in Eastern Europe were not yet revealed; at the time, Jan Karski was still on his way to London with his testimony. As such, "The Moon Is Down" is primarily a psychological study of the townspeople and their occupiers.

The story opens with a sense of profound mistrust - by the occupiers who had lost men in an uprising and the townspeople forced into heavy labor without pay. Among the people of the town is Mayor Orden, a man who may have had simple ways but also possessed the fighting spirit of a giant willing to sacrifice anything for freedom. George Correll was a popular storekeeper who diverted goods to the resisters. Annie, the cook, was as adept at delivering secret messages as she was at providing meals. And Alex was prepared to die on his own terms rather than live a life of lies; this theme resurfaces toward the end of the novel. Among the Nazi conquerors were Colonel Lanser, ready to follow any order, right or wrong. Lieutenant Tonder believed The Leader's propaganda that the people of the town would love and welcome him and that he would meet a glorious death on the battlefield: "He imagined his death very often, lighted by a fair setting sun which glinted on broken military equipment, his men standing silently around him, with heads sunk low, as over a fat cloud galloped the Valkyries ... while Wagnerian thunder crashed in the background. And he even had his dying words ready." Instead, the occupiers were presented with "...the dark, cold, sullen hatred that chilled the soldiers and filled them with fear." The occupiers felt as trapped as the occupied, as Steinbeck remarks not without irony. "They dismounted in a small town they grew to despise."

When Colonel Lanser told Major Orden he had a duty to "keep his people safe" by having them follow the orders of the occupiers and perform the slave labor of mining the coal, he responded, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people. I am confused, but that I am sure of." In the end, Orden related the story of Socrates in Plato's "Apology," in which he says `Someone will say, "And are you not shamed, Socrates, of a course of life which is likely to bring you an untimely end?" For him, I may fairly answer, "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." Orden had denounced the School Board early in his career; now, he was denouncing the enemy. Even in captivity, he - like the townspeople he governed - was living life on his terms; as he made it very clear, he was also willing to meet death on the same terms. Ultimately, what is right and just has to prevail.

"The Moon is Down" (the title is culled from a line in Shakespeare's Macbeth)was published in 1942. John Steinbeck (1902-1968) the Nobel Prize winner and author of such classics as "The Grapes of Wrath"; "Tortilla Flat"; "Cannery Row"; "Of Mice and Men"; "In the Winter of our Discontent" and many more novels and short stories is the author. Steinbeck was a native Californian and a patriot. Throughout his distinguished career Steinbeck voiced the importance of democracy against totalitarianism and the importance of common people.
Donald V. Coers of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas notes in his excellent introduction to the Penguin Edition that this slim novella of only 113 pages (it was also turned into a play) lit the fire of freedom in underground movements throughout Europe captive to the evil of Nazi German rule. The book was also used in China where it inspired those citizens of that vast land who were fighting against the Japanese. It has been translated into many languages and remains a worldwide bestseller.
The Plot: The book reads like a fable set in an unnamed country. The action takes place in a small village which has been captured by a foreign army (strongly resembling Nazi troops). The characters are:
Mayor Orden-He begins the occupation by collaborating with the conquerors but soon turns against their harsh and cruel regime.
He becomes a hero to the townspeople.
Dr. Winter-The good doctor is also a hero as he joins Orden in opposing the invaders. Both men are scholarly and quote from Socrates oration prior to execution in the poignant final scenes.
George Corell-The owner of a store and a Quisling who works with the enemy against the people of the town. He is later punished by revengeful townspeople.
Captain Bentick-He is an invading officer who is killed by an irate miner after forcing the village's miners to produce coal to fuel the enemy war effort.
Colonel Lanser-the head of the invading army. He is a cold man who will kill in an effort to squash any rebellion against authority.
Lts. Pracker and Tonder are two young officers in the army of occupation who long for wine, women and the joys of domestic life back home in their native land.
Captain Loff-An officious and foolish young man who has bought into the lies told by the unnamed leader of the nation he serves as a order loving by the rules man who wants to advance far in his military career.
Annie and Joseph-two old servants of Mayor Orden who hate the invaders. Annie throws hot water at the enemy troops in a bold act of defiance and anger1
Alex Morden and his wife Molly-Alex pays with his life before a firing squad for killing Bentick. Molly revenges herself by murdering Tonder who is courting her.
The book is propaganda which is well written. The novel gave hope for freedom loving men and women who needed courage in the face of great evil. This is an important and fine book by one of America's greatest authors. Recommended!

John Steinbeck deserves praise for writing The Moon Is Down. This story is a simple yet poignantly written parable serving to educate and sound an alarm. When people are lulled into a false sense of security by a seemingly benign regime, unfortunate things happen. The book was written to serve a specific purpose during WW II. It was designed to motivate people in the path of evil to recognize it and fight against it. My uncle was one of the First Special Service Force soldiers in WW II. His father was executed by the Nazis for participating in the resistance. As part of the FSSF, Uncle Finn served as an interrogator and was highly decorated for his heroic efforts as a soldier. If he were alive today, he could tell you what his family endured. Today, we have read the history of wars and know about the battles and the atrocities. Steinbeck serves as the vigilant watchman over the vagaries of human nature. Man is capable of convincing himself to perform immoral acts under the guise of a greater cause, even one that is inherently futile. Man is also capable of reaching beyond himself in service and sacrifice to achieve goodness and instill hope for a greater good. The Moon Is Down is a powerful lesson in preserving the right to live in peace. I found the message timeless.

John Steinbeck's "The Moon is Down" was written at the height of Nazi power in World War II. It is deliberately vague in not explicitly identifying Nazi Germany as the occupying power. The occupied town is equally mysterious. Un-named and unremarkable, it could have been a small town in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Romania, Poland or anywhere else invading troops had taken over.

The reason this book was banned in Nazi Germany and in Fascist Italy is that Steinbeck hits the mark in identifying the feelings that consume both occupying power and occupied community. With passing weeks and months the power of the occupying army begins to wane. The occupied town resists passively and increasingly, more actively. Attitudes on both sides harden as hatred, distrust and revenge consume both.

There is no clear-cut winner or loser. Community and individuals alike are compromised and relationships broken. The reason this short work has endured is that its lessons are timeless. The feelings that Steinbeck identifies are similar to what can be seen in Afghanistan today with U.S. forces in the role of occupying power. The same could be said for the years the U.S. was in Iraq. The same holds for Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank. These are the timeless feelings of injustice.

An occuping power regardless of time, place and country experiences what the occuping power in "The Moon is Down" experienced. Likewise, the occupied town reacts. Object lesson: for all, civility is lost.

This was first published the year after the United States entered World War II (WWII); however, the European war began in 1939 by the Nazis invasion of Poland; Japan instigated their part of the war by invading China in 1937. Luckily these countries lost the war (although NeoNazis keep forgetting that the Nazi regime failed and Hitler committed suicide because of the ignominy). The oveall plot of this book could have been set in Asia; however, the descriptions really place it in Europe. However, the fight of conquered peoples against invading armies have happened throughout the world for millennia; unfortunately, human mindset makes it likely that it could occur for millennia more if we don't all kill each other off (and I have the hope that we can survive, in spite of our selfish and self-righteous attitudes).

Big things, such as bombing enemy targets and blowing up bridges, and little things, including written propaganda and chocolate, all helped to win WWII; as it did for previous wars. In WWII, the people of those countries subjugated to the Nazis needed physical as well as mental support to fight on to liberate their countries. I heard this story was used in Europe to help bolster support of underground networks and to rally groups to directly fight against Hitler's megalomaniac dreams. Apparently Steinbeck won a freedom medal from Norway because of this story.

This short story could be based on any number of wars, including World War I, in which the Germans were also defeated in ignominy. Except for the presence of airplanes, this could have even been set during earlier wars, including the Napoleonic Wars (Napoleon, another megalomaniac). The so-called conquering people can only think of the occupation on their terms and cannot understand that the conquered people do not want to be subjugated by them and will sacrifice themselves to gain their freedom. Luckily for us and what helped defeat the Nazis was their the self-righteous, superior attitude, often seen more recently by egomaniacs or megalomaniacs throughout the world (and in the past, notably many popes and monarchs).

In this little story, Steinbeck has a full range of characters, from the ditsy wife of the mayor, to leaders who acknowledge their true role in the town and that they are dispensible in the war to maintain freedom for the town; and finally to German soldiers who question what is going on but keep doing their duty because if they go home they realize they would be executed. In the short length of this story, some of these characters are developed as much as in a full-length novel; the doctor, the mayor, the widow, and even a German colonel. The prose is easy to read and flows well; in places, the prose is poetic and quite moving.

I have been interested in literature and nonfiction about WWII because two of my uncles and some people I used to work with fought in the war; my uncles in the Pacific, my friends in Europe. Many don't want to talk about their experiences, they did have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), which had not been defined or acknowledged until recently, but these men and women still had it. Talking about some or all of it apparently does help and frankly it can be very interesting and of course distressing. Talking with people who fought in the war, reading histories, biographies and autobiographies (Audie Murphy's To Hell and Back is excellent) and reading literature written about the times, does help to understand what was going on 70 years ago. In addition, reading about the women here in the US during WWII who became mechanics, pilots, and other necessary personnel to aid in the war effort is very interesting and enlightening.

Other people reading this review may feel this about other wars, most notably the Civil War; but WWII was personal to me because of those I loved who participated in it. The Civil War is not personal to me because I know of no ancestor of mine who fought in that war or any other earlier wars; possibly they did but my family has no knowledge of it (we only came from north of the Mason-Dixon line; so I know if my ancestors did fight in the Civil War, it would have been for the Union). I hope that more people would read fiction and nonfiction about previous wars to understand and hopefully help prevent future wars. Other really good books about various wars are: The Red Badge of Courage (the Civil War); All Quiet on the Western Front and Sagittarius Rising (WWI); Ill Met by Moonlight (WWII) and others. All books listed here I have read and consider them all 5 star. Please read these.

Despite being written specifically as wartime propaganda `The Moon is Down' is still a credible Steinbeck novel in it's own right. Set in a northern European town this looks at how the resistance grows up against the invaders and how they react to it. The town and countries are never specified, but it is normally agreed to be Norway and Germany, especially as this was written to bolster morale during WW2. This is a short novel, but typically for Steinbeck, it is perfectly crafted. His descriptions take you immediately to the scene and you feel the rebellion and disgust of the townsfolk and the despair and weariness of the invaders. This is a very subtle piece of propaganda and this is in no way brash or overtly anti German. Instead you see the human aspect of both sides in the conflict and how the enemy begin to fray around the edges in the face of the towns cold resistance. This redeeming quality of humanness is the soldiers strength and also their weakness and makes this a potent piece of propaganda. You see how the soldiers are human, just as much as the next man and if they seem machinelike and unbeatable in public it pays to be aware they are fraught and plagued with doubts in private. This must have been powerful to realise for those in occupied Europe. Ownership of this book was punishable by death in Italy during the war and it's nuanced and masterful story telling shows you exactly why this was so. This may not be as great as some other Steinbeck novels, but this is still a wonderful story, written with all of Steinbecks verve and skill and in hindsight is a great example of wartime propaganda at it's very best. This also has an informative introduction to add to your understanding and appreciation of the story.

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The important thing about this slim novel is when it was written. By 1942, the Nazis had occupied most of western Europe, but the world knew little then of the horrors that occupation would involve. Yet Steinbeck anticipates many of them and his observations of how the physical conquerors become the psychologically conquered is remarkably prescient. Or as one occupying officer put it so tellingly, "Conquest after conquest and deeper into the molasses .... The flies have captured the flypaper." This is not propaganda as the world has since come to understand the term. Steinbeck doesn't demonize the anonymous occupying forces nor does he make heroes out of the people on the losing side. He just presents in a clear, straightforward way with a remarkable economy of language the debilitating effects of war when the fighting appears to be over.

The Moon is Down was not greeted with universal acclaim by the critics of the day. But for the people of occupied Europe it was a godsend, as Donald Coers outlines in his fascinating introduction included in the Penguin Classics edition. Resistance movements grasped the hopeful message that "It is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars" and history proved them and Steinbeck right.

The history of this book is as interesting as the book itself. Written by author Steinbeck as a propaganda piece for the Office of Coordination of Information and the Office of Strategic Services, this book was intended to inspire the citizens of Nazi occupied countries during World War II. Its purpose was to give them hope during these dire times and to inspire them to sabotage action against the invaders. It was created for the citizens of Norway, Denmark, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Hundreds of thousands of copies in four languages circulated through Western Europe at great risk to the occupied. It is easy to see why this book was so popular. It is real. The German occupiers, the inhabitants of the overturned lands, the traitors and spies, all are captured with intensity by Steinbeck. In the unnamed country that is the setting for this book, the Germans invade to steal their coal. But soon, the invaders were as disturbed and unhappy as the invaded, who were taking steps to overthrow the foreigners. There are several layers to this book, and even now, seventy years later, it is a moving experience. Another time, another place, but still with meaning.

The Moon Is Down focuses on an unnamed town in an unnamed country - though the United States and England are alluded to as being elsewhere, so we can assume the town is not in either - that has recently been occupied by an unnamed occupying force. Written at the height of World War II in part as a motivational propaganda piece for the United States, Steinbeck does a reasonable job humanizing the evil of the occupation, mostly pointing to how an occupied free people will never stop disrupting the occupying forces' work.

This is not your typical Steinbeck. When I think John Steinbeck, I think of warm climates and working class, often rural people. The Moon Is Down is similar to other Steinbeck, though, in that the chapters jump perspectives and focus. The writing is lyrical, much as Steinbeck's other books, and the story moves fast.

It is a quick and easy read.

It's fashionable these days to dismiss Steinbeck's Nobel Prize as an example of the bad judgment of the Committee. In fact, Steinbeck is the one of "the big three" (Papa, Bill, and John) most likely to hold his preeminence among American novelists in a century. I don't know of a writer who more truly represents his own century than Steinbeck, except perhaps Mark Twain.

If you want to know why the Committee chose Steinbeck, The Moon Is Down is a painless way to find out. Everything is there -- the brilliant, understated, economical writing, the visionary faith in the common people, the embracing spirit that understands without applauding or condemning. You can find all that in other books, familiar ones like Of Mice and Men or Grapes of Wrath. Of Mice and Men has become such a staple of obligatory reading that it's hard to appreciate, and Grapes of Wrath is dauntingly long for Twitterers. But The Moon Is Down can be read in a couple of leisurely hours, and Steinbeck walks the slack rope between sentimentality and simplicity as deftly as Thomas Paine, creating a story simple enough for children that ends, with enormous cheek, by recreating the death of Socrates.

Steinbeck's instincts are refined to a kind of purity here. He makes fun of the pretensions and priggishness of young officers, confronts one of them with the crude reality he disdains ("love" costs "two sausages, nice plump ones"), and yet allows the woman in question to keep her honor and dignity. He never says so in so many words, but the leader of the Resistance is not the honest and courageous mayor, it's his cook, an aging curmudgeon who fights the Nazis because she has a bad temper she can finally be proud of. His "sympathetic" German officer is all the more noxious because he comprehends the moral degeneracy he serves. When the Mayor observes "It is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars," the platitude resonates through every page of the book.

This is an ideal introduction to Steinbeck -- didactic without being preachy, amusing and heartbreaking, as focused as an Ansel Adams landscape, as universal as breath. Any writer would be proud to have written one book this good; Steinbeck wrote nearly a dozen.

Today, Steinbeck's World War II novella, sixty six years after it was written, has gained a timeless significance: a brief, yet well thought-out glimpse into human relationships, between occupation and resistance in times of war. Published in 1942, the book was translated, clandestinely distributed and eagerly read by people in German-occupied countries. In the United States, it was also criticized for being too soft and generous in the depiction of the enemy. Whereas early impressions may suggest to the reader a surprisingly light parody or simplistic morality tale, we soon recognize the subtle, and with each page mounting, intensity of Steinbeck's anti-war message.

Set in a small mining town in an unnamed country, invaded by an unspecified enemy force, numerous hints, however, suggest that the story's events take place in Northern Norway at the time of the 1940 Nazi occupation. The townspeople, totally unprepared for an invasion after having lived in peace for a very long time, had forgotten how to fight... Consequently the initial assault is over in less than an hour, well planned with the help of a local quisling. Taking control of the town and its mining operation turns out to be a much more complicated and difficult affair than Colonel Lanser and his battalion had been trained for and anticipated. Their headquarters established in the Mayoral residence, good Mayor Orden has little choice but to tolerate their presence. Steinbeck introduces the main players in the unfolding drama with a few yet defining characteristics. Orden, for example, comes across as an indecisive, somewhat dotty, older chap, fussed over by "Madame", his protective, efficient little wife. Doctor Winter, the local medic and historian and Orden's childhood friend does not appears to be up to the challenges, despite some traits of a Dr. Watson. But, early impressions are certainly misleading in this story.

On the opposing side, the officers are a motley collection of unlikely elite military personnel, described more like army caricatures: spending more time debating than leading the battalion: one is an Anglophile, another more concerned with his model railway than the battle, and yet another honestly believes that he can find real friendship among the women of the town. Except for Lanser, none of them had seen combat before and their naïveté is poignant. While justifying their action with "just following the Leader's orders", they soon realize that that excuse doesn't convince anybody. To achieve their primary objective, that is access to the town's coal, the officers insist on orderly cooperation from the townspeople, increased production and an easy life for the soldiers. Herein, as they soon find out, lies the problem... While the soldiers are muddling through in their attempts to control the locals through arbitrary executions for disobedience and non-cooperation, occupiers and local resistance are caught in a spiral of events that will lead to inevitable results as one side is destabilized and the other made stronger. Nobody can escape, sidestep or ignore the brutality of war.

Steinbeck's subtle build up of the characters' strengths and weaknesses is superb. Orden (his name, incidentally, in German means "medal", often as a military decoration that Orden would have deserved...) is a case in point. His perceived malleability to the colonel's demands grows in fact into disguised and effective opposition: because he cannot represent his townspeople and therefore "cannot control what they do". The townspeople, initially confused, isolated yet quietly resisting, find new defence mechanisms and strength in coordination, and, like the flies the flypaper, may eventually overwhelm the enemy...

Steinbeck's novella is written in a series of tableaux as if set for the stage. (*) Each such set is introduced by a short depiction of the background or description of events beyond the confines of the scene's space, most often the Palace's drawing room. There, the lively dialogue between the main protagonists gives immediacy to the action threads of the story. With this narrative technique, Steinbeck focuses on the personal and intimate interaction between occupiers and occupied and their evolving relationship, underscoring the human tragedy of war and those caught up in it, whatever their personal guilt or innocence. [Friederike Knabe]

(*) It was in fact produced as such in 1943.

This story takes place in a small mining town located close to the sea. The town is in a Northern European country, which, judging by the last names of the characters could be Norway. One Sunday morning at 10:45 AM a foreign force of gray uniformed soldiers drives into town and occupies it. Two officials, the postman and the policeman, are out on the ocean, on a fishing trip, in Mr. Corell's boat. The shopkeeper, Mr. Corell, has also organized a shooting competition for the local troops. They are out of town when the gray uniformed soldiers arrive. The occupation goes off without much of a hitch. A bad of occupying soldiers plays for the entertainment of the citizens. All seems calm, but in time the town's people become shocked, then angry, then view the new soldiers with great resentment. In order to gain the support of the people Colonel Lanser, the commanding officer of the occupiers, hopes to enlist the co-operation of Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter. Lanser reveals to these two that Mr. Corell has in fact been co-operating with them for some time. That is how the invasion went so smoothly. The Colonel asks why don't Orden and Winter co-operate as the shopkeeper did? Orden and Winter are greatly surprised. They wonder world the town's people follow them even if they did co-operate? The mayor and the doctor see no alternative but to quietly resist. Indeed the whole town will in secret resist.

This book was first published in 1942. Although the invaders are never clearly identified as Nazis the text reveals that: (1) they are at war with England and Russia, (2) they follow a revered Leader, who must be obeyed at all costs, and (3) they remember defeats in Belgium and France in a previous war 20 years ago.

John Steinbeck is of course a famous author and a winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. This book was written about one third of the way into his writing career. By then he had written many of the books he is most famous for, such as Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition) and The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition). All this of course leads the reader to expect that this will be a great work of art. Unfortunately reading it is a little like seeing those old black and white World War 2 movies, where the heroes, little men, struggle on valiantly against the implacable enemy. The book was in fact almost immediately on publication made into a movie. Steinbeck wrote the book "... to motivate and enthuse the resistance movements in occupied countries ..." (Wikipedia) and editions were indeed secretly published in occupied France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark the Netherlands and Italy. (Wikipedia) The propaganda ethos is strong and to modern readers a little false. It should be noted that when Steinbeck wrote the book he had no experience of war, or occupation, and had never been to Europe. This is perhaps why the novel lacks the authenticity of his well knows depression and rural American novels.

To give Steinbeck his credit, though, it should be noted that, unlike those old movies, the Nazis are not faceless enemies of ultimate evil. We are presented with a very human array of soldiers, each one with his own motivations and reactions to various circumstances. Colonel Lanser is indeed the most interesting character in the book. He remembers the mistakes of the previous war and has doubts about his superior's orders. He is a man who looks for the path of least suffering, yet he is still a Nazi. Mayor Orden is also of some interest. He is a simple man, at times almost a buffoon, yet he knows what is right.

The novel reads very easily and the plot moves along at an interesting pace. Chapter Six, revolving around Molly and Lieutenant Tonder, is perhaps the best written, very human but somehow not quite poignant. Steinbeck writes in a very theatrical style, with much dialog, interior, one room sets and minimal narration. At times this style works and on other occasions it seems stilted.

In the past this book was a great commercial success and I do not mean to be overly critical of it. Let's face it, even today; people still like those old war movies. This novel is not bad, but not great.

In 1942, at the height of the Nazi domination of Europe, Steinbeck wrote this novella about a small mining town under enemy occupation. Neither the country nor the aggressor is specified, and the character names are generically European, but everything fits the German conquest of Norway in 1940. Steinbeck wrote the book frankly as propaganda, as a contribution to the war effort; the introduction by Donald V. Coers to the Penguin Classics edition admirably documents the success the novel had in numerous translations smuggled into occupied Europe. Coers also discusses the controversy that the book stirred up among critics in America, some of whom accused Steinbeck almost of literary collaboration.

But therein lies its fascination. At first blush, the subject suggests a story of helmeted Nazis and daring saboteurs by Alistair MacLean or Jack Higgins, and propaganda would seem a rather low literary form. But the amazing thing -- though obvious in retrospect -- is that Steinbeck keeps his own style intact, just as though he were writing of the American heartland. He is less concerned with great events than with the people caught up in them, and he describes them with the same understanding, warmth, and even humor that he would bring to CANNERY ROW  or EAST OF EDEN. Furthermore -- and this is what so shocked his critics -- he finds the same humanity in the occupying soldiers as among the victim population. I titled this review "Occupation" rather than "Resistance" because Steinbeck's book really is two-sided, and shows the soldiers being destroyed as much by their own isolation and loneliness as by the overt acts of the people. The nearest thing to a stereotypical Nazi is the keen-as-mustard Captain Loft, who wants to do everything by the book. But his commanding officer, Colonel Lanser, says of him: "He's frightened. I know his kind. He has to be disciplined when he's afraid or he'll go to pieces. He relies on discipline the way other men rely on sympathy."

Lanser, the First War veteran who sees the folly of his orders even as he is forced to follow them, is one of the two richest characters in the book. The other is Mayor Orden, the aging representative of the townspeople, who is confused by events at first, but gradually comes to realize his true role. The scenes between these two men, impossible negotiations unresolved by their shared humanity, show Steinbeck at his best. Even Steinbeck's slightly awkward reach for grandeur towards the end, when Orden tries to quote Socrates, is redeemed by the fact that the old man cannot quite remember the words. Whatever the context, Steinbeck writes best about ordinary people because he can imagine himself in their minds and feelings. The fact that he is writing about a situation he had never experienced in a country he has never visited, makes that feat of imagination nothing less than amazing.

This is Steinbeck's fifth novel or more accurately a novella. The writing is exceptional and it must be ranked as average or better, but it is short and cannot be compared with his best known novel "Grapes of Wrath." Steinbeck shifts his focus away from California and gives us a very interesting book based on World War II. Think it is exceptional and one of his better short works. It is almost as good as his other famous novella "Of Mice and Men," which was his first novel. I have read most of his works including the present, which is an interesting and a must read for Steinbeck fans. It has interesting prose and good drama, and it is very well written. I would rank it on par with "Cannery Row" and ahead of "The Pearl" and better than "Tortilla Flat" in my opinion - based on the writing.

It is an interesting book. It is about resistance to an invading force. We can assume that it is probably Norway during World War II, and their resistance to Germany, but Steinbeck keeps it a bit vague which broadens the appeal of the book. It could apply to any invading force.

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath" has over ten million copies in print.

Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.

I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his work - especially his short stories and short novels and this is another good example. The present work is short and probably ranks among the middle or higher of his 17 novels and novellas. Readers will appreciate the clarity of the prose, the characters, and the message.

It is not a heavy read and takes one evenings to read. I liked the book and give it a positive recommendation, and it would be high on my list of Steinbeck novels.

As a suggestion, do not buy the book alone, but rather would buy it as part of a collection such as Steinbeck's book: "The Short Novels of John Steinbeck," from Viking Press in 1953, and updated versions of that book.

In an unnamed country (similar to Norway) during World War II, a German sympathizer lures local men and the town's twelve soldiers into the forest long enough for the Germans to take the town. They occupy the home of the mayor as a sign of their power and commandeer the local coal mine. Mayor Orden has never before been a brave or very forceful man, but he is not a fool, and while he tries to keep order in the town, as the Germans demand, he refuses to use the power of his office to betray the ideals of his people. Soon the locals begin to sabotage everything the Germans can use to prolong the war.
The narrative is dramatic, full of conversation and containing minimal description, which gives it the feeling of a simple morality tale. Steinbeck depicts the German soldiers, at first, as almost bumbling--organized, to be sure, but basically human, showing footsoldiers getting homesick, seeking understanding of the orders they must fulfill, complaining about the weather, and wondering if their mail will arrive on time. Gradually, as Berlin exerts more and more pressure to take out the coal, the German occupiers must impose more drastic measures. Local resistance becomes more violent in response: soldiers disappear and are found dead in snowbanks, small explosions blow up rail lines, and the miners have "accidents" which prevent the coal from being removed. Even the arrest of Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter cannot force the citizens to give in to tyranny.
Though the novel was published in 1942 expressly for "propaganda" in Europe's occupied countries (where it was quickly translated and disseminated secretly), it is a good story which transcends its original purpose and, as a result, it continues to find an audience. The depiction of the Germans as ordinary but flawed humans--"herd men who win the battles"--rather than as terrifying monsters, makes their defeat seem possible. Depicting the townspeople as resourceful but ordinary--"free men who win the wars"--rather than as heroes, makes their resistance seem a natural, and victory seem possible. Though the characters are shallow, Mayor Orden does grow and change, and his references to Plato's defense of Aristotle in a crucial conversation with Doctor Winter put the relationship of the individual to authority into a wider context. Simple, direct, concise, and humane, this may be the most effective piece of mass propaganda ever written. Mary Whipple

In an unnamed country (similar to Norway) during World War II, a German sympathizer lures local men and the town's twelve soldiers into the forest long enough for the Germans to take the town. They occupy the home of the mayor as a sign of their power and commandeer the local coal mine. Mayor Orden has never before been a brave or very forceful man, but he is not a fool, and while he tries to keep order in the town, as the Germans demand, he refuses to use the power of his office to betray the ideals of his people. Soon the locals begin to sabotage everything the Germans can use to prolong the war.
The narrative is dramatic, full of conversation and containing minimal description, which gives it the feeling of a simple morality tale. Steinbeck depicts the German soldiers, at first, as almost bumbling--organized, to be sure, but basically human, showing footsoldiers getting homesick, seeking understanding of the orders they must fulfill, complaining about the weather, and wondering if their mail will arrive on time. Gradually, as Berlin exerts more and more pressure to take out the coal, the German occupiers must impose more drastic measures. Local resistance becomes more violent in response: soldiers disappear and are found dead in snowbanks, small explosions blow up rail lines, and the miners have "accidents" which prevent the coal from being removed. Even the arrest of Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter cannot force the citizens to give in to tyranny.
Though the novel was published in 1942 expressly for "propaganda" in Europe's occupied countries (where it was quickly translated and disseminated secretly), it is a good story which transcends its original purpose and, as a result, it continues to find an audience. The depiction of the Germans as ordinary but flawed humans--"herd men who win the battles"--rather than as terrifying monsters, makes their defeat seem possible. Depicting the townspeople as resourceful but ordinary--"free men who win the wars"--rather than as heroes, makes their resistance seem a natural, and victory seem possible. Though the characters are shallow, Mayor Orden does grow and change, and his references to Plato's defense of Aristotle in a crucial conversation with Doctor Winter put the relationship of the individual to authority into a wider context. Simple, direct, concise, and humane, this may be the most effective piece of mass propaganda ever written. Mary Whipple

John Steinbeck is best known for his depictions of American life, of the trials that ordinary men must face as they travel through life. "The Moon Is Down" is a departure in setting for Steinbeck, with the action placed in a small Norwegian town during WWII. Yet even with a change of scenery, the elements that make Steinbeck such a keen observer of human fate are present in this timeless, almost 'everyman' examination of how war affects the conquered and the conquerer.

One Sunday morning, German soldiers arrive in a peaceful Norwegian town, and make short work of their occupation. Boarding with the mayor, the commanding officer hopes that the two can retain order as the Germans go about their business of extracting coal from the local mine to further their war actions. Yet the mayor will not betray his people, even to save them. As the occupation continues, the townspeople, unused to war, begin to fight their captors, with devastating consequences on both sides. And as the resistance increases, the soldiers find themselves despairing of victory.

The story is short, with sparse amounts of description, which adds to the 'everyman' feel; readers are able to see themselves and their towns in the same situation. The conversations between characters are intense and focused; shifting between the brutal reality of war and the bittersweet memories men carry with them. "The Moon Is Down" is a poignant look at the effects war has on every side, and the debts that must be paid.

The Moon is Down is not the most well-known of Steinbeck works, probably in part due to its unusual genesis, but it is a remarkably stirring work. Written as anti-German propaganda in 1942, it was by far the most successful work of Allied propaganda, with hundreds of thousands of copies in circulation in many different languages (despite Axis attempts to suppress it).
As propaganda, the work was criticized as being too easy on the Germans -- portraying the occupying soldiers as very human and real instead of as cold and heartless. There is no doubt in my mind that this is precisely the reason for its success (and that Steinbeck is a genius in this respect). Steinbeck wrote about the plight of the occupied citizenry in a way that was so real that he reached them. It is also precisely in the occupying army's humanity that Steinbeck places the weapon that ultimately inspires the occupied and destroys the occupier: fear. One of the occupying soldiers articulates the fear very clearly: "The enemy's everywhere! Their faces look out of the doorways. The white faces behind the curtains, listening. We have beaten them, we have won everywhere, and they wait and obey, and they wait" (p. 64). He goes on to liken the occupying army's success to that of flies who conquer flypaper. And of course the novel itself brings the fear to life -- the flypaper ultimately proves quite inhospitable to the flies.
Steinbeck's work is interesting on deeper levels, too. Freedom and leadership are clearly top-of-mind for him, and he elegantly describes both. Steinbeck's Mayor is a wonderful leader and a powerful advocate for freedom as indefatigable. He tells the colonel of the occupying forces, for instance: "You and your government do not understand. In all the world yours is the only government and people with a record of defeat after defeat for centuries and every time because you do not understand people" (p. 48). The colonel's lack of understanding is precisely that the will to be free will prevail.
Finally, the Mayor is such a wonderful case study of a leader who is born of the circumstances in which he finds himself. Early in the novelette he is timid and reticient. He seems to be waiting. Then, when one of his people kills an enemy soldier, he suddenly steps up, and says of the beginning of the occupation: "the people were confused and I was confused. We did not know what to do or think" (p. 54). But the action of this one person provides the guidance and clarity that he needs to catalyze his people. And with that one man's action, he takes his queue from his people (such a remarkably subtle but so significant characteristic of a great leader), and with great wisdom and courage leads his people in the exploitation of his occupier's great fear.
Definitely a good (short) read.

"The Moon is Down" is not one of John Steinbeck's better known books. This novella--the copy I read was less than 100 pages of actual story--looks at a small Scandinavian town occupied by the Nazis though, while there is no mistaking the message and the general theme, the author remains vague about the governments involved. Steinbeck presents a haunting look at tyranny and the human spirit and offers a reminder that governments may conquer nations but they can never control "hearts and minds"--a lesson that still needs to be learned as recent events have shown. As always, Steinbeck is a masterful writer though much of the action takes place off stage much like a Greek drama. I was not particularly surprised to see "The Moon is Down" also was a play. While short, this novella is very satisfying and earns the highest recommendation though some readers will find this a different work than Steinbeck's usual fare.

I began reading this book without much background, but from the first page I was drawn into the story and set aside the other book I was reading. This is an extraordinary book that contains a moral argument that can apply to any place and any time. The story is told with an economy that is marvelous to behold. Where other authors would have penned a weighty tome, Mr. Steinbeck presents the problems and personalities of his characters in just over 100 pages. This is an ageless story of the conquered vs. the conqueror. Although the setting offered is in Norway during the German occupation of the Second World War, it is a story that took place in many places with the same problems and arguments.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this book is that Mr. Steinbeck does not take sides. The Germans are in Norway to do a job, to take away as much coal as they can, and the people in the village resist the invaders. One of the pivotal characters is Colonel Lanser, a veteran of the First World War who knows what to expect from a conquered people. He knows the various stages of resistance yet is also aware that he will follow orders and can do nothing to change the course events will take. There is fatalism to all of the characters that they must do what they have to and cannot deviate from their courses: the conquered will resist, the conquerors will punish resistance. The drama of this story is central to the story of Molly Morden, whose husband Alex is executed after he kills a German captain. She finds herself face to face with a lonely German lieutenant who wants to talk with her. She begins to see him as just another human being caught up in an impossible situation, but, eventually, he identity as one of the conquered overtakes these feelings. We see both sides in this conflict as the human beings they are, caught up in an impossible situation. We find the conquerors caught in a no-win situation and the conquered certain that victory will be theirs, but at a terrible price.
I think this book should be taught in schools as it gives unlimited possibilities of discussion but also provides a realization that war is terrible for all, and no one has clean hands. I highly recommend this book.

The Moon isDown is aSteinbeck novel which has been downgraded by critics as a propaganda novel and especially by academic ones.I must disagree the novel presents the nazis who are named as such not in the cartoonist cariacature of propaganda but as humans with real feelings who have fear who desire love who suffer homesickness etc. There are some who are remorseless soullessideologues because such did exist but the emotions are realistic and this is why this novel is literature not propaganda, Steinbecks occupiers are a realisitc of how the Norwegians resisted the Nazis and many Norwegians commented on how amazingly accurate Steinbeck captures their resistance blowing up railroads working slow especially when mining equipment needs to be faced etc.All is told with inspiring heartfelt dialogue that some see as sentimental but I see as spirited and full of humane sensitivity and it is concise with few wasted words.The Moon is Down isnt at the level of other5 star novels like OfMice andMen or The Grapes of Wrath but I give it 5 stars anyway for the reasons stated above

The setting is World War II and in less than an hour a small Norwegian town is captured by the Nazi forces. Peace has been in the hamlet for so long that the Mayor is befuddled as to what is the proper protocol for a city under occupation.
If you believe this is a simple story of naive people then you are just as bad as the Nazi commander who thinks the same. Steinbeck's brilliance has presented us with a complex psychological drama of war. What we have portrayed is a commander who surrenders his common sense and judgement to his far off superiors in controlling the town. He is so sure of his stance even when he sees things are falling apart.
Come to this little hamlet and witness a people whose stubborness won't allow them to be conquered. Feel the alienation of the German soldiers as they become stripped of their humanity and relegated to madness. See those whom you think are naive and stupid rise to the occasion in displaying great courage and leadership.
Steinbeck has done an exceptional job in displaying the horrors and absurdity of the so-called conquered and conquerer. Are the two what they appear to be or are they something more? Find out as the moon slowly comes down.

Though the THE MOON IS DOWN is set in Europe early in the Nazi Occupation and was written to stir resistance among captive peoples, it is not a novel about World War II and should not be pigeonholed as mere wartime propaganda. By not identifying the nationality of the occupiers or the occupied, Steinbeck allows readers to project their own feelings on the dramatic conflict between tyranny and freedom. For that reason, and because the oppressors are portrayed sympathetically rather than as caricatures, this short novel will likely be read by many future generations. As Sinclair Lewis did in IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE, Steinbeck has created a dystopian microcosm where ordinary people commit violent acts to reclaim their freedom while the agents of tyranny learn that force is insufficient to stamp out love of liberty. If American democracy were ever replaced by American tyranny, THE MOON IS DOWN would almost certainly be banned and reemerge in samizdat form as it did in 1940s France, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Russia.

John Steinbeck wrote this propaganda novel shortly after the Nazis had occupied most of Europe. A belief became prevalent, in Steinbeck's eyes, that much of the world was beginning to think the Nazis invincible and undefeatable, and to Steinbeck this was ridiculous. He wanted to portray them as mere men, evil and cruel and certainly overpowering at the moment, but human beings and not infallible. This novel was the result.

The story centers around a town that has been occupied by an invading army (Steinbeck never identifies the soldiers as Nazis nor what country the town is in, but it's obvious that they are just that and the country is Norway). The invaders also plan on occupying the local coal mine; soon after coal miner Alexander Morden kills one of the soldiers with a pickax. Morden is sentenced to be shot, but his wife pleads with the mayor of the town, Orden, not to pass sentence. A battle of wills develops between Orden and Col. Lanser, the commander of the army. Lanser is a war-weary leader and Orden assures him he and his invaders will be "destroyed and driven out" by free men. In the meantime explosives have been acquired from England and are used to commit sabotage. Lanser wants Orden to put a stop to this, but Orden says it's beyond his control. The book ends with a large explosion in the distance.

Although the book had a propaganda intent, Steinbeck does not demonize the enemy. The invaders are shown becoming homesick and disillusioned; one character, Lt. Tonder, is a lonely poet who is quite tender in his dealings with Alexander Morden's wife Molly (she kills him with a pair of scissors). (Some people at the time thought Steinbeck was TOO kind to the invaders.)

Steinbeck's message is that free men working for a common cause will always be victorious. The book was, of course, banned by the Nazis, but was widely pirated and smuggled into all the occupied countries - and gave many in the resistance movements courage and hope. An important book then, and maybe worth looking at again as a reminder of the "durability of democracy."

John Steinbeck is a masterful writer with a keen eye to see divergent perspectives of the world. This book may strike Steinbeck fans as being odd because it is not his typical set of early 20th Century California. Despite this jaunt from his comfort zone, I would go so far as to say this is my second favorite Steinbeck book.

The Moon is Down tells the tale of a Norwegian town conquered by the Nazis. Despite the advantage that the conquering Nazis have, they are never able to gain the love or admiration that they expect from the people. This troubles the Nazi soldiers, particularly when the townspeople begin to retaliate against the Nazis. What immediately strikes me reading this book in 2004 is the book parallels with the situation in Iraq. I am certainly NOT comparing American soldiers to Nazis. The idea that a country does not like foreigners occupying their country, no matter how justified the invaders might be, is true.

The plot eventually digresses into a question of how the Nazis can control the townspeople. The Nazis are less confident of winning the war and only want to survive. As the reader would suspect, the Nazis resort to drastic means.

Steinbeck certainly captures a unique view of war in The Moon is Down. The value of this book in terms of its political and historical commentary makes it a compelling read.

Steinbeck's "The Moon is Down" is a must read for anyone who has an interest in the World War II Nazi occupation of towns in countries like Norway, Italy and France. Steinbeck wrote this novel in response to the the U.S. government's request that he write a propaganda novel. He set his story in a fictitious city invaded by an unnamed enemy. Clearly his invaders were Germans. Steinbeck explored the occupation from the perspectives of both the invaders and the invaded. The result is an in-depth examination of the psychological and emotional impact enemy occupation has on all people involved. The book was an instant hit in Europe and purportedly aided the healing process after the end of the war because the victims believed Steinbeck expressed the true agony of occupation. I highly recommend this short novel.

Though it won a Nobel Prize and was widely read during WWII, it has become one of Steinbeck's lesser-known works. Which is too bad, because it deserves to be as highly regarded as "Animal Farm," published less than three years after this book.

In 1941, John Steinbeck met with officials of the Foreign Information Service in Washington D.C. to discuss writing a book to assist American propaganda efforts during WW II. He initially prepared a draft of a play centering upon German occupation of a town in the United States. This setting did not meet with approval from the Foreign Information Service, and Steinbeck revised his work. He wrote a short novel set in a small town in an unnamed Scandanavian country which had been subjected to German invasion and occupation. The resulting book "The Moon is Down" was published in 1942. It was transformed into a play and opened on Broadway later that year. A film version of the book appeared in 1943; and, in 1946, Steinbeck was awarded the King Haakon Liberty Cross from Norway for this novel.

Today, "The Moon is Down" is less well-known that some of Steinbeck's other works, but it bears comparison with his best.
The story moves quickly, the characterizations are effective, and the story rises to make eloquently its timeless point about the nature of human liberty.

The story opens when the Germans invade by sea a small village to exploit its coal resources in the war effort. For a short novel, the story presents a variety of characters and each of them is individually developed. These include the German commander, Colonel Lanser, a man of education and culture, swift to obey all orders but who has serious inner doubts about Germany's war effort and aims. We also meet several members of Colonel Lanser's Officer Corps, some of whom are full of themselves and of military ambition, while others are lonely and feel the greatest need for the companionship of a woman.

The book also includes good characterizations of the townspeople. Among others, the reader meets Corell, the local who collaborates with the Germans and facilitates the invasion, the mayor of the town, Mayor Orden, his friend, Dr Winter, and a woman of indominitable spirit, Molly, whose husband has been shot by the invaders. The book shows the conflict and enmity that develops between the invaders and the invaded as the Germans resort to ever-harsher methods to secure the coal and the townspeople stiffen their resistance in defense of freedom. For all that Steinbeck recognizes the common humanity of all the characters in his story, the book is a ringing affirmation of freedom and of the human spirit. The work is far more than a simple propaganda effort.

The book makes emphatic use of products of human creativity and thought in emphasizing the value of human freedom. The climactic scene of the book includes a lengthy discussion of Plato's Apology in which Mayor Orden, Dr. Winter, and Colonel Lanser all participate. Earlier in the book, at another key moment, love poetry by the German author Heinrich Heine plays a crucial role in moving the story forward.

I found "The Moon is Down" much more effective than some of Steinbeck's other short novels which are frequently forced upon young readers. While the book is short and easy to read, it is a work of some complexity and of varied characters. Steinbeck in this work met the aims of the Foreign Information Service; but, more importantly, he produced a work of literature that transcended the goals of the war effort.

With the Moon is Down, John Steinbeck explores the nature of war and it's effects on the human psyche. It is a brilliant, compelling work of fiction that is so close to reality it will give you chills. The book is written with simple prose that is still very gripping, and it's a book you could easily finish in one sitting due to it's length and the fact that you won't want to put it down.
The basic story is that a group of foreign soldiers, commanded by the mysterious "Leader", takes over a small town in another country (specific names of countries aren't used). The interactions between the characters act as a sort of window to some profound truths about human nature and war. As I said, the story is gripping as well and the characters are very interesting. I personally enjoyed this book a lot more upon the first read than I did The Grapes of Wrath (which is utterly brilliant, but works on a different level). The fact that the book was published during the height of Nazi power only adds to it's impact.
I think Moon is Down is a book that everyone should read. John Steinbeck's work is an inspiration.

Nice story, and a nice execution of the story. Steinbeck's voice is strong and unflinching. But the whole thing hinges on the humanity of the invading soldiers - without that there's no meaning. And we all know about how human most Nazis were in their dealings with conquered people. So we're left with the sad sense of everyone taking their place on the Wheel of Life and playing their roles until death do us part. That is, it might have been more meaningful had the Nazi characters actually broken the mold big-time and translated some of their humanity into concrete actions useful to the populace instead of reverting to form and attempting half-heartedly the few stillborn sympathetic actions they did attempt. Nevertheless, the novel is tight, with Steinbeck not yielding to the temptation of playing out some of the more obvious scenes. You won't be bored and you won't be disappointed.

"The Moon Is Down," the novel by John Steinbeck, has been published in the Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics series, with an introduction by Donald V. Coers. The intro discusses Steinbeck's career during World War II, and discusses the novel's history after its 1942 publication. Particularly interesting is Coers' account of the various legal and illegal translated editions of the book. Coers' intro is followed by a comprehensive bibliography, making this edition a treasure for Steinbeck scholars.

The text of the novel itself is quite short (112 pages in the Penguin edition). "Moon" tells the story of a town that is invaded and subdued by an army from another country--little hints indicate that the invader is WW2-era Germany. Steinbeck reveals the psychodrama of relations among occupying troops, the town's civil authorities, and the civilian population. The story explores the tension within the ranks of the occupiers as well as the people's reaction to occupation.

This is an intriguing novel. Steinbeck's prose at times gives the book an almost fable-like flavor. His characters seem at times more like archetypes than fully fleshed people. At his most powerful Steinbeck endows the book with some really haunting imagery. After more than six decades, this book remains, in my opinion, compelling and relevant.

Some label The Moon Is Down as propaganda (usually a negative connotation even if its cause is virtuous) and there is an argument to make for that. The novella, about an unnamed European town under Nazi occupation, was written during John Stienbeck's stint as a World War II reporter and was translated into several languages and purposefully spread to areas that might face the dilemma depicted within.
Yet Steinbeck is still Steinbeck and even if The Moon Is Down is a propaganda piece, that does not mean it is anything swallow. Among other things, Steinbeck excelled at portraying people in difficult situations with deep psychological and moral insight. That applies to the destitute Okies of The Grapes of Wrath, the wanderers from Of Mice and Men and it certainly applies to the humble townspeople of The Moon Is Down, who must decide between indigent but safe captivity or righteous but bloody resistance. Perhaps the most difficult and most interesting predicament is that of Mayor Orden. Is it is his duty to maintain security and order or to lead his people against the invaders?
But what is remarkable about The Moon Is Down (especially considering its status as a propaganda novel) is how well Steinbeck explores the other side, that of the occupiers. Steinbeck refuses to let them be paper bad guys. Instead, he skillfully explores their paranoia that the town will rise-up and kill them and their misery due to everyone around them hating them.
The atmosphere of The Moon Is Down is tense and it becomes only a matter of time before the bubble bursts. In the meantime, Stienbeck gets behind his characters' eyes for a deep and powerful portrait of occupation. The Moon is Down may have been written as a propaganda piece, but it is also a lot more.

La Luna se ha Puesto John Steinbeck
La luna se ha puesto en este pequeño pueblo sin nombre, que podría ser cualquier pueblo y sobre este invasor que podría ser cualquiera. En el principio las cosas marchan bien y los conquistados, que llevan muchos años siendo libres no salen de su asombro y continúan con su quietud, pero pronto el pueblo se levanta, no en una insurrección armada, sino en una conspiración secreta; porque aunque ya no posean el libre transito, aun son libres de pensar. El ejercito, que consideraba que todo estaba listo desde el primer día, empieza a ser invadido por el miedo. La gente les obedece y no opone resistencia, pero no se amista con el enemigo, no le habla fuera de las cosas que son estrictamente necesarias y no le deja estar tranquilo, ya que no hay peor sugestión para las mentes no preparadas, que el desdén de los subordinados. Los soldados están fuera de las risas del pueblo, de sus penas o de sus alegrías. Comienzan a sentir el haber llegado y desean retornar a su hogar.
Esta historia, es mas bien una fábula, sobre lo que le pasa al conquistador, como queda este a merced del conquistado y como después de algún tiempo debe abandonar e irse. Puede aplicarse casi a cualquier guerra en casi cualquier tiempo y por eso es tan bueno este libro. También es corto y se puede leer en unas cuantas horas, espero que disfruten la lectura de este clásico, tanto como yo lo he disfrutado.
Luis Méndez.

According to the interesting introduction written by Donald V Coers, this short book by the author of "Of Mice and Men" was printed and read illegally by many thousands of people living in fascist occupied Europe during World War 2.

The novel provides a fascinating view of the contrasting mentalities of the occupied and the occupiers. It shows how the oppressed become more defiant as the oppressors become more disillusioned.

A quick, satisfying read, which must have been inspirational to those living under the Nazi's heels.

I am the author of 'ALIWAL', available on the store.

A big 'little' book by John Steinbeck concerning an unnamed army ( picture Nazis ), invading and conquering a small European town, and the lull in time that follows, as the invading army sits like a giant hen on the hopefully enlightened minds of newly formed citizenship. All grows impatient as the conquerer begins to doubt the superior word that they are winning the war, and the conquered, once willing overthrown people, sense insecurity and resort to terrorism. Steinbeck's work is mostly dialogue and reads like a taut play, and his eloquent passages speak clearly with no linguistic or cultural differences between the two groups of people, indeed they are all members of the human race, passing time like a bomb waiting to expire. Heavily indebted to Melville's "Billy Budd", ( one chapter seems an homage to Melville's tragedy ), I'm also reminded of a later work; William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick's "The Ugly American", in which an invading American army turns a corner of Vietnam into a bureaucratic nightmare. At 188 pages, ( hardbound ), "The Moon Is Down" reads very quickly, it possesses a timeless quality, being first published in 1942, just prior to American's entrance in World War II.

This is one of my favorite of Steinbeck's works. He portrays the soldiers and civilians of an occupation and talks about the horrors of war from both sides. There are some beautiful displays of literary talent throughout the story. It's a quick and haunting novel and it's definitely worth the read.

My teacher gave us an assignment to read something by Hemingway or Steinbeck for an in class writing. I dreaded having to read yet another book for this class and I had already read Old Man and the Sea for school and I didn't enjoy at all. I put the assignment off as usual for a while until I needed a book to read while I was visiting DC for a few days. I happened across the first edition of this book in my Great Uncle's bookcase and thought of it as just an opportunity to do this assignment.
Boy was I wrong. This book is truly something special for the way it makes your feelings mirror that of the characters in the story. At first it was confusing for I had no clue what the setting was or what was exactly going on. I gathered it was Nazis occupying the town from photographs in the book. Now that I look back on it, this feeling of confusion was the same many of the townspeople were feeling.
Gradually confusion turns to frustration and so do yours not only for the oppressed townspeople but for the "flies who conquered the fly paper", the soldiers. Steinbeck truly mastered using tone in this novel to portray the plot as it progressed.
By the end I had a quick feeling of "that's it?" but I came to realize that Steinbeck had accomplished his goals and chose not to drag it on. Instead of making the plot plod on, he wisely finished at a good spot for the end of the story. You wonder what will happen to the characters after the end of the story, showing how in this short novel you really can empathize with all the characters in it, not just "the good guys".
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a well written book.

If only dropping this small book by the millions would encourage people to read it, here and now, before whatever the future may hold takes place. Please read it, and buy a copy, so there might be more in circulation to distribute.... A lovely, encouraging, inspiring, easy read.

Steinbeck further cements himself as one of my favorite authors. This book stands in stark contrast to the book I'm currently reading (Ulysses) and the last book I read (Infinite Jest), in that it truly is an "every man" type book. Nevertheless, The Moon is Down is poignant and effective and Steinbeck's proven to write that which is equally profound as the aforementioned books' authors; this a great story of wartime rebellion. The Moon is Down can be read in the time it takes to watch a movie, and there's a good chance this'd be more worth the time.

Now it was that the conqueror was surrounded, the men of the battalion alone among silent enemies, and no man might relax his guard for even a moment. If he did, he disappeared, and some snowdrift reeived his body. If he went alone to a woman, he disappeared. The men of the battalion could sing only together, could dance only together, and dancing gradually stopped and the singing expressed a longing for home. THeir talk was of friends and relatives who loved them and their longings were for warmth and love, because a man can be a soldier for only so many hours a day and for only so man months in a year, and then he wants to be a man again, wants girls and drinks and music and laughter and ease, and when these are cut off, they become irrestibly desirable. "

~John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down

This book, written and released in the first year of of the Second World War, was extremely contraversial for Steinbeck. He had already established himself as a wonderful author whom was loved and respected for his clever word choice and characters, but the authoring of this book called him into question in some eyes.

He tells the story of an occupied country, more importantly, an occupied city, where the invading soldiers come into a peaceable-minded people's town and try to slowly take power; eventually seeing that no one takes well to enslavement, and winter begins. Steinbeck gives each character on each side equal time to tell their reasons for being there, for killing the soldier, for falling in love with the coal miner's wife and visiting her on rounds, for being a mayor who stands up to the colonel but does not consider himself to be very brave.

We find out the minds of all creatures of war, the occupied, the enslaving, the confused and angry.

"Good. Now I'll tell you, and I hope you'll understand it. You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant, your life isn't of much importance. If you live, you will have memories. That's about all you have. Meanwhile you must take orders and carry them out. Most of the orders will be unpleasant, bu that's not your business. I will not lie to you, Lieutenant. They should have trainedyou for this, and not for flower-strewn streets. They should have build your soul with truth, not led along with lies... We can't take care of your soul."

When I read this, I wonder about our troops in Iraq. I wonder about the Iraqi refugees trying to flee from the destruction and pain we've caused, for whatever end. War is an ugly business, and this book shed light on it for me as just that: a snapshot into war and how it effects the creatures within it.

I recommend The Moon is Down and promise you will be moved by the simple story John Steinbeck tells about this unnamed town somewhere in the snow, fighting for their lives by turning cold, hanging solidly together, while soldiers attempt to hold the entire existence under control, even though they long for the familiarity of home.

"Do you remember in school, the Apology ? Do you remember Socrates says, 'Someone will say, "And you are not ashamed , Socrates of a course of life which is likely to bring you an untimely end?" To him I may fairly answer, "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'."

Considering it was propaganda, there was a balance between the depictions of people on both sides. I was not surprised to learn that there was a play version as there are parts of it (usually in the invader's office) which read like dialogue and even stage direction,

During the height of World War II John Steinbeck, renowned for his accurate and detailed depictions of the Monterey County published a short propagandistic novel designed to elicit hope and courage in the hearts of the oppressed compatriots in the Nazi-occupied territories. Demonstrating his multifaceted style, Steinbeck keeps descriptions to a minimum as the events unfold. The book, however, has been widely criticized for its portrayal of the `insuperable enemy' as mere-mortals: men with fears and feelings of their own who detest fighting and are anxious to return back home. The Moon is Down tells the story of Mayor Orden and his fellow citizens' fight for freedom through effective dialogues and conversations. Its evident accessibility to people of varying degrees of literacy and education made it one of the most effective pieces of Allied propaganda ever written. Despite the ban in Axis-controlled regions, the book gained momentum and popularity throughout Europe with just 3,000 (estimated) illegal copies. Steinbeck powerfully and eloquently establishes that despite the harshest of circumstances, free-willed people will triumph over their oppressors.

In 1941, amidst uncertainty and declining moral of World War II, Steinbeck drafted and presented The Moon is Down to the Foreign Information Service. Washington DC immediately dismissed setting the story in the United States, the patriots could not imagine an invasion in their homeland. Steinbeck proceeded to write the novel with poignantly vague depictions: as the events unfold, the setting is subject to readers' interpretation and could be located in any Eastern-European country. Shortly after being published in March 1942, The Moon is Down opened as a play in the New York Theater, followed by a movie adaptation in 1943. John Steinbeck generously donated his earnings toward the war effort. The book was targeted at the Axis-occupied Europe that was in a dire need of hope. People quickly translated and disseminated it under the shroud of secrecy and the penalty of death.

A band of soldiers seized Mayor Orden's town with the help of a local coward in order to extract coal from the mines. The people were taken by surprise and initially showed little resistance, "The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war was finished" (p1). From the onset the invaders consider "[the war] more of an engineering job than conquest" (p15) and do not realize the harsh realities of combat. Steinbeck depicts the soldiers as human beings following unquestionable orders from "The Leader;" as the story progress, they grow homesick and doubt the propaganda of their own superiors. Lanser, an experienced but pessimistic Colonel leads the invasion, who "told himself he was a soldier, given orders to carry out... [Not] to question or to think" (p22) and believed with certainty that history would repeat itself and they would lose the war. Despite the military's superiority, a growing resistance emerged among the people - "People are getting together... They don't like to be conquered" (p42). Lanser compels Orden to maintain control over the populace, but the Mayor aids the struggle and insists that people have a dynamic of their own. The pressure increases as sabotage ensues and soldiers begin disappearing as they venture into town. As the airplanes dropped dynamite to aid in the resistance, the enemy's once glorious attitude has vanished: the quick conquest became an ongoing struggle on foreign territory with no end in sight. Unable to suppress the opposition, as a last resort Lanser condemns Mayor Orden to execution unless the explosions cease. However, nothing can stop the free people and the last interaction between Orden and Lanser powerfully reasserts this belief.

"Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars. You will find it so sir." (p113)

Steinbeck's message is clear, powerful, and effective: the free will of the people cannot be suppressed. Although written as propaganda during the World War II, the book's roots are universal and applicable to any period in history. The invaders could be perceived as the Chinese oppressors of the Tibetan region from 1951 to this day, the ultimate belief and hope for freedom shared by the Tibetan citizens and exiles scattered around the globe. Presently it can be compared even to the Iraq occupation; Steinbeck's careful style avoids judgments of right and wrong, but instead illustrates each perspective and the helplessness of the war. This book is an important contribution to literature and starkly contrasts the exaggerated propaganda during the 1940s; it ignited a fire of hope in its readers instead of depressing them with "Buy War Bonds" posters. Once again, Steinbeck displays his firm understanding of human nature and unequivocally writes about importance of human freedom.

Another brilliant short novel by the master. I understand now why this book was banned by certain countries during the war: it has many memorable lines and dialogues about the stupidity of wars, the never ending resilience of free men to withstand repression and their ability to somehow find a way to overcome adversity.

First of all, this is a great book, and I hope you can find some time to read it.

I vehemently disagree with the characterization of Mayor Orden in the review made by the anonymous reviewer, "a reader."

In this review, Mayor Orden is characterized as a coward. The reader contends that Mayor Orden did nothing to help either side and his final decisions were made for himself. Then the reader goes on espousing the virtues of democracy, informing us that democratic rulers carry on the will of the people. Well, perhaps "a reader" needed to read this book more carefully.

Mayor Orden gives his life for democracy. He says in the beginning of the book that he, as mayor, IS the people. That is, he is the WILL of the people. His self-sacrifice serves as an example to his constituency; he's telling them in the good old American-Steinbeck tradition to resist totalitarianism, even if it means death. He knows his death will provide another martyr for the resistance, thus undermining the Nazis. He knows that the will of the people is resistance. He would only betray them if he had chosen to save himself and try to impose the will of the Nazi Colonel on the town.

In short, Mayor Orden = Nathan Hale. I hope people actually read these books before they review them. There are some items in the aforementioned review that make me question whether or not we read the same book.

While the words "Nazi", "Germany", "Hitler", and "Norway" are never mentioned in the novel, it is evident from context that the book deals with the Nazi invasion of Norway. The idea is that Germany's government is so centralized and repressive that they have prevented their people from developing skills like thinking for themselves and leadership. As Mayor Orden (the mayor of the invaded town) says, even if he is shot, a free people will rise to the occasion under a new leader. Because all orders came straight from the top, the Germans did not have this flexibility.

The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck is a classic novel dealing with the emotional effects of war. Set during World War II, we are introduced to the "conquerers" and the town that has been sieged. A once docile, peaceful people, the villagers are quickly changed into a people full of hatred and malice. The Moon Is Down tells us how war can change people for the good, and for the worse. The townspeople become consumed with rage, and want nothing more than to free themselves by killing their conquerers. The conquerers, who were once strictly militant in every move and thought, become affected by what they have done to the once peaceful villagers, and gain more compassion througout the novel. The Moon Is Down is facepaced, and not long length-wise. Contrary to other Steinbeck works, this book is written almost in "play" style. It moves quickly with much of the story being dialog. It reads increadible fast and is very entertaining, as well as thought provoking. It forced the reader to sympathize with the conquerers and become emotionally attached with both the protagonists and the antagonists. This book forces the reader to delve deaper into their own minds and think more deeply about war, and it's effects on all of humanity.

How can I comment on this book. It is a true masterpiece ,this book deals with realities of the minds of the people in war. It takes a long time to learn who is wrong and who is right,and Steinbeck discloses it so simply ,that it would shatters any mankind beliefs.The conversation between Orden and col. Lancer,Molly and Lt. Tonder and Dr.Winter and Orden are simply amazing.It tells you the secrets of the deep dark heart of the mankind and yet so simply.

A very, very short but very, very wonderful book that takes place during WWII. In a remote, unnamed town in an unnamed country, Nazis take control, thinking themselves in an easy position with all the arrogance of a regime of people with radical ideals. They quickly discover it's not much of a picnic to be in a town full of people silently resenting you and ready to take action the moment one of the invaders lets down their guard, whatever the consequences. This book might have only been a bit over a hundred pages but it was vastly moving and really impressed itself on my mind. Highly recommended.

The Moon is Down is a piece of propaganda written durring the second World War when most of eastern Europe was under Hitler's power. Steinbeck wrote it for the people of these countries, and although it was illegal for them to posess it, people translated and distributed it.
The story itself is about a small town in America, though I doubt this is true, that is taken in the early hours of a Sunday morning. The soldiers think that since this town hasn't seen war in a hundred years that they won't be as strong, but what they didn't realize is that free people are the most strongwilled, causing them more problems than anywhere else.
Ultimately, what the soldiers under "The Leader" want is coal. The colonels have soldiers gaurding the mines forcing them to work. Colonel Loft was ordering a man named Alex Morden to work and he being a free man with a hot temper went after him with a pick. Instead of killing Loft, Morden kills another Captain. It isn't until Alex Morden is "tried" and punished that the town finally realizes that their freedom is gone.
I enjoyed this book, and although it is a bit vauge (only 112 pages), it stayed true to how Steinbeck writes. There are hints of symbolism and politics. I only had the chance to read it twice, so I'm sure I'm missing alot of the big picture, but it was great from what I got out of it. I would recommend this book to people who love this country and the idea of democracy, but are sick of the morons who wave their flags around-- as it will soon remind others as swastikas in the middle of a parade or just hanging in a shop window. This novel makes you see what happens when you say that someone is infalleable- facism takes control and the free spirited are killed, literally or figuratively.

I imagine many people who read this book don't realize that Steinbeck wrote "The Moon is Down" as a vehicle for propaganda. It was translated into many languages and distributed throughout the world. The original setting was a small town in the United States, but William "Wild Bill" Donovan of the OSS and others felt it would be too horrific for the people of the United States so soon after World War II so Steinbeck changed the setting to an unnamed northern European country. Steinbeck did considerable research on resistance in occupied countries and found that though the countries had different histories, cultures, languages, etc., the most successful methods of resisting and fighting the enemy were the same everywhere: the method he portrays in "The Moon is Down." Students who choose to read this book for a school assignment will really impress their teachers if they note that the title is a phrase from Shakespeare's "MacBeth." (Be sure to find the source in the play--I'm not going to give you everything!)

By casting the German occupiers as humans, even individually sympathetic humans, Steinbeck created a work of propaganda that was much more than that. For Americans today, it's a modern parable of the perils of being a conqueror and an occupier. In one trenchant line he encapsulates the dilemma of the conquerers: "the flies have conquered the flypaper."

This is possibly the most unusual Steinbeck contribution to the body of American literature. The underlying unique Steinbeck perspective and observation placed in a setting foreign to his other works makes The Moon is Down a necessary read for those interested in Steinbeck, but the book would be a worthy one without the author's name beneath the title. I'd recommend this one, no matter what the reading tastes of the reader.

I starting reading The Moon Is Down with a little skepticism, expecting it to be just another boring history lesson. I have now finished the book, and to say the least I was wrong by 100%. The Moon Is Down was not only exciting, fast paced, an easy read, and fun... but it gave me a whole new outlook on the German armies. It let me see that just because The Leader was such a horrible person, they were still merely humans, simply misdirected. This is a must read for anyone.

The Moon Is Down is a history book. It wasn't written to be such but it is now. It's a history of everything right and most things wrong during World War II.

John Steinbeck takes us on a journey of a people conquered physically but not in their hearts and souls. It's a good read. . . a very good read, because it reminds us of what terrible things can happen, Man's Inhumanity to Man, to coin a phrase.

But it also reminds us of strength and honor. It shows us what can be, good and bad.

It is not Steinbeck's best but it is still good. It isn't Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men, but not every book is. It's good, very good.

In addition to the marvelous insights into the human spirit and breathtaking prose that Steinbeck gives you, what I really admired abou this book is that the Nazis are portrayed as actual human beings, as opposed to, say, Spielberg's cardboard automatons. They are much, much scarier this way when you think about it.
I'd love to see the movie version of this book, done in 1943-ish, but it's no longer in distri- bution. You could be my hero if you could tell me how to somehow find a copy.

I have the original 1942 edition of The Moon Is Down and it is set in an unspecified Scandanavian town. The story could never have been written to occur in the USA and then revised to occur in Norway, although (sadly) it's impossible to read it now without considering the situation of American soldiers in Iraq.

This one may not be as well known as some of his other works, but it is worth reading. Tight writing, excellent plot and characterization rank this book right up there with his classics "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men."

Consistent with the spirit of all of Steinbeck, *The Moon is Down* flushes out the humanity in not only the perceived good but also the evil, the invaded and the invaders. Steinbeck's soldiers are real humans with real concerns, fighting a war and occupying a town for reasons which at first seem clear, but which become foggier as the novel progresses. As one soldier laments in a fit of hysteria, "The flies have taken over the fly paper!" The final moving scene and the interweaving of *The Trial and Death ofSocrates* leaves the reader with only one conclusion: Steinbeck truly was a genius . . .

This is one of the books you should put on your top ten "if ever stranded on a desert island" list. It is beautifully written, with unforgetable characters and a truth that that years have not dimmed. While Steinbeck is best known for Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, this is, in fact, one of his truth masterpieces. Buy, read, cherish. Reread

Written for an allied world, our own American foreign policy makers should reread this book, a masterpiece of insight as well as propaganda, to better understand the mindset of the occupied oppressed.

I just finished reading the little 90 page novel, "The Moon is Down" by John Steinbeck. Written in 1942 about an unnamed Scandinavian country that is occupied by the Nazis, it is testimony to the un-conquerability of free men and women, and the terrible price paid in the souls of the occupying forces. The parralels with the present US occupation of Iraq are profound. It should be required reading for all Americans .. I'm thinking of sending a copy to Paul Bremer.

Steinbeck at his finest. The Moon is Down portrays a people that are so loyal and so patriotic that even when they are faced with thier own mortality they do not waiver. The Mayor in this novel is a beautiful example of a hero. It is a quick read and you will not be disappointed.

An awesome book written by John Steinbeck that talks about how hard the war is and how the people survived. Mayor Orden plays a major role in this book along with many others. A little town gets taken over by Nazis and no one can do nothing about it. A must read book for all people.

This book is fantastic! I can see why it was so popular at the onset of WWII. However, I was expecting to receive a paperback, but what I got was a cheap high school issued small hardcover. If I want a hard cover I buy something with historical value - with the original dust jacket, perhaps. But if I buy a paperback it's so I can stuff it in my pocket, enjoy it on the train, etc. I e-mailed the seller as soon as I received the wrong item, but they never replied. Again, I enjoyed the book but am disappointed with the customer service.

The Moon Is Down is a story of war. Of a conquered people and their conquerors. You cannot tell from the story when or where this book really takes place. The British and Germans are involved but that is about all you can really tell. The story is about a small town with a coalmine and the conquering forces trying to get coal out of the mine. My issue with this story is that it was written in such a pedantic way that you never seem to make any progress. And at the end, are you no further along than you were at the beginning (you still have people being occupied). I finished reading it thinking it wasn't written very well, the plot was terrible and the characters never developed because they had no depth to begin with. A real waste of my time.