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The Grapes of Wrath

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'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck is set during the Great Depression era and follows the journey of the Joad family as they leave their Oklahoma farm in search of work and a better life in California. The story chronicles the struggles and hardships faced by the family, shedding light on themes of poverty, migration, and the human spirit amidst adversity. The narrative provides a poignant portrayal of the challenges faced by working-class families during a time of economic crisis, reflecting on the injustices and hardships of the era.

Characters:

The characters, particularly the Joad family, embody resilience and the human spirit amidst adversity.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is evocative, blending lyrical prose with realistic dialogue and interspersed thematic commentary.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around the Joad family's journey as they migrate to California in search of a better life amidst the struggles of the Great Depression.

Setting:

The setting encompasses the harsh realities of the Dust Bowl and the struggles of migration to California.

Pacing:

The pacing starts slow but becomes gripping as the story unfolds, keeping readers invested in the characters' journeys.
To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. The plows crossed and recrossed the rivulet marks. The last rains lifte...

Notes:

The Grapes of Wrath is set during the Great Depression and highlights the plight of migrant workers.
The story follows the Joad family as they flee Oklahoma for California in search of work.
The Joads face numerous hardships, including starvation, and the dehumanizing nature of poverty.
The novel criticizes capitalism and explores themes of social injustice and inequality.
Steinbeck uses both narrative storytelling and interspersed essays to depict the broader social context.
One of the central themes is the importance of community and mutual aid among the impoverished.
The book features iconic characters like Ma Joad, who embodies strength and resilience.
The ending of the novel is notable for its poignant and ambiguous scene involving Rose of Sharon.
Steinbeck's writing style employs realistic dialects, which can be challenging for some readers.
The novel received a Pulitzer Prize and helped to secure Steinbeck the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The novel contains themes of poverty, death, and suffering, with depictions of hunger, violence, and exploitation.

From The Publisher:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized-and sometimes outraged-millions of readers. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read

First published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads-driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man's fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman's stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck's powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.

Ratings (319)

Incredible (69)
Loved It (100)
Liked It (68)
It Was OK (50)
Did Not Like (24)
Hated It (8)

Reader Stats (592):

Read It (333)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (166)
Did Not Finish (4)
Not Interested (88)

13 comment(s)

It Was OK
2 weeks

3.5 stars. This was an interesting read, written with such skill, and even if the characters aren't extremely likeble I quite enjoyed reading about them. I'm very glad I read this but it's not a new favorite of mine.

 
Incredible
3 months

This is my favorite book. I tend to shy away from choosing favorite anythings, but I love this book. I realize that makes me unoriginal, and I'm okay with that. I love the turtle scene most of all. And one of the best endings ever.

 
Liked It
3 months

Sad

 
Incredible
3 months

The unflinching portrayal and explanatory (but not preachy) analysis make this the quintessential 20th Century American Novel.

 
It Was OK
3 months

I read this book in high school and absolutely hated it with a passion. Which is strange, because I also read [b:Of Mice and Men|890|Of Mice and Men|John Steinbeck|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367951092s/890.jpg|40283] and [b:East of Eden|4406|East of Eden|John Steinbeck|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368072889s/4406.jpg|2574991] in high school, and they were two of my favorite books. I might give this another attempt some day to see if my maturity level improves my experience of it. What I remember in high school was that I thought it was overly wordy, boring, and pedantic. There was an entire chapter about a turtle! Why?!

 
Did Not Like
7 months

I thought I'd never finish this book. Steinbeck just isn't my cup of tea, and I might steer clear of his other works.

Reading this book felt like trudging through thick mud, moving at a turtle's pace, with the constant feeling that I'd never reach my destination. While I acknowledge that the author deliberately employed such narration, which indeed perfectly captures the characters' emotions and their profound exhaustion from the journey and the overall life situation they find themselves in, it doesn't change the fact that I also found it incredibly tedious. And it's not a short read.

In essence, I finished it only due to my sheer stubbornness. Several times, I was certain I'd never finish it and was ready to label it as a DNF when I decided to give it one more shot, and this time it worked. Although I'm not entirely convinced it was worth it. All I achieved was reaffirming my belief that this isn't the book for me and that this author writes in a way that doesn't resonate with me. I simply was never genuinely interested in this story.

This was probably my second or third attempt at reading Steinbeck, and at this point, I think I have to stop trying. His works just aren’t for me; I find his writing style very exhausting, and unfortunately, his stories don't connect with me.

 
Loved It
2 years

There are parts of this book that have stuck with me even though I read it many years ago. This is not a feel-good story; in fact, you can experience a deep sense of hopelessness while reading it.

 
Liked It
2 years

It turned out to be a very enjoyable book. When I first heard about the book's premise, I assumed it would be a dull read. Hard labor, honesty, and decency were all emphasized as the Joads struggled to provide for their families.

 
Loved It
2 years

Indisputable status as a timeless masterpiece. A fascinating and emotionally affecting look at the strength and perseverance of the human spirit. Read it!

 
Loved It
2 years

A top tier read. This book got me started on the classics, and I've never looked back.As book endings go, this is one of the greatest I've ever read

 
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About the Author:

John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, California, in 1902, grew up in a fertile agricultural valley, about 25 miles from the Pacific Coast. Both the valley and the coast would serve as settings for some of his best fiction. In 1919…

 
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