Although the committee believed Steinbeck's best work was behind him by 1962, committee member Anders Österling believed the release of his novel The Winter of Our Discontent showed that "after some signs of slowing down in recent years, regained his position as a social truth-teller authentic realist fully equal to his predecessors Sinclair Lewis and Ernest Hemingway."
Skønt komiteen mente, at Steinbecks bedste arbejder lå et stykke tilbage i 1962, mente komitemedlemmet Anders Österling dog, at udgivelsen af romanen Vort mismods vinter viste, at "efter nogle tegn på nedgang i de senere år ] genvundet sin position som social sandhedsfortæller autentisk realist fuldt på niveau med forgængerne Sinclair Lewis og Ernest Hemingway."