The Moon Is Down

An amazing book - short but enlightening. This book was translated into many languages for the Resistance during WWII, and I can see way. It was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Highly recommended.

In the space of a short novella, Steinbeck drives home the sense of confusion that follows an invading army in a kind-hearted country: when a civilized people are conquered, do they serve their captors tea or poison? Written during the early years of WWII primarily to an occupied French audience, the story introduces us to a small town, overwhelmed and instantly overthrown by huge numbers of...more

In the space of a short novella, Steinbeck drives home the sense of confusion that follows an invading army in a kind-hearted country: when a civilized people are conquered, do they serve their captors tea or poison? Written during the early years of WWII primarily to an occupied French audience, the story introduces us to a small town, overwhelmed and instantly overthrown by huge numbers of opposing forces. The invaders are well-intentioned people, and the newly conquered people don't know how to react to the small displays of kindness, vulnerability, and humanity in the occupying forces. This story, like all of Steinbeck's work, has rich language and even richer characters.   hide

I loved how the style of this one, is so different from all the others. Maybe it's just me, but I read Tortilla Flat/The Pearl/Cannery Row all around the same time so this was just a nice variation.

An excellent short novel, and a genius piece of propaganda WWII propaganda. Instead of portraying the German army as evil automatons it shows them with all of their human frailty exposed. I can see why this book was passed around by those suffering through occupied Europe. If the "moon is down" then the sun must be coming up...timeless and inspirational.