Reading Steinbeck in Two Years #1: Cup of Gold

Goodreads blurb for Cup of Gold

From the mid-1650s through the 1660s, Henry Morgan, a pirate and outlaw of legendary viciousness, ruled the Spanish Main. He ravaged the coasts of Cuba and America, striking terror wherever he went. Morgan was obsessive. He had two driving ambitions: to possess the beautiful woman called La Santa Roja and to conquer Panama, the “cup of gold.” Steinbeck’s first novel and sole work of historical fiction, Cup of Gold is a lush, lyrical swashbuckling pirate fantasy, and sure to add new dimensions to readers’ perceptions of this all-American writer. 

My Thoughts

Cup of Gold was Steinbeck’s first published novel, and honestly, it shows. Like most debuts, it’s a little rough in its pacing and plot cohesion, and it flits back and forth between wanting to be a romance, an adventure, and a social criticism on toxic masculinity. (At least I HOPE that was supposed to be social criticism, because that Santa Roja stuff was extremely uncomfortable.)

But what really stood out to me was how gorgeous his prose was right from the beginning of his writing career. Aside from some frank talk about sexual themes, this novel could have been written by a Victorian author. There’s nothing of the spare, blunt prose most American authors of the early 20th century had adopted, and that confirmed for me why I’ve always preferred Steinbeck to any other American writer. It came naturally to him to offer beautiful descriptions and really flesh out his characters, even though he also made himself rein it in for the sake of the American literary style. In a way, it makes the flowery moments of his later works all the more effective, because he learned where to restrain himself and where to let the prose run free.

It’s clear in this novel, though, that he hadn’t found that balance yet, and that he hadn’t yet realized where his strengths as a writer lay. Every now and then, we’d get a glimpse of what would later turn out to be his depth of insight into the human psyche, but it felt a little out of place in a tale of pillaging pirates. I’m sure that’s part of the reason this is one of his more obscure works. Still a fun time, though.

If you’d like to discuss this book with me, feel free to comment below! Alternatively, you can comment on my Goodreads review. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Cup of Gold is available to purchase on Bookshop.org (in US and UK) and on Booksellers.ca (in Canada). Please note: These are affiliate links, and I might earn a small commission from any purchase made through them, at no extra expense to you. Bookshop.org and Booksellers.ca support independent bookstores while offering the convenience of shopping online.