Above the Average

The book was an immature experiment written for the purpose of getting all the wise cracks (known by sophomores as epigrams) and all the autobiographical material (which hounds us until we get it said) out of my system. [...] I think I shall write some very good books indeed. The next one won't be good nor the next one, but about the fifth, I think will be above the average.

--John Steinbeck, about his first book, Cup of Gold. His fifth novel? Of Mice and Men.