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The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

Start date: April 1, 2019

Finish date: May 1, 2019

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Dec 06, 2011 Juergen John Roscher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read_2013

John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. I have loved reading many of his other books with “East of Eden” and “Of Mice and Men” being two of my favorites. When I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of “The Grapes of Wrath”, it was not a difficult decision to listen to one of Steinbeck’s classics.

The book is a about a family, Joads, that is forced to leave their multi-generational family farm in Oklahoma; with a hope of starting over in California during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. I have loved reading many of his other books with “East of Eden” and “Of Mice and Men” being two of my favorites. When I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of “The Grapes of Wrath”, it was not a difficult decision to listen to one of Steinbeck’s classics.

The book is a about a family, Joads, that is forced to leave their multi-generational family farm in Oklahoma; with a hope of starting over in California during the Great Depression. The book describes the family’s trials and tribulations getting to California and then finding that the expected land of milk and honey was really a hell hole were the poor and unfortunate were deprived of an opportunity to provide for themselves without being abused and maltreated. The story depicts the ordeals and at times joys that come through their efforts to find work and stay together as a family.

One of the main themes in this book was the strength that comes through family and friendship. Through the entire book the main focus of the Joads was the family. Though a rough and coarse group, the family was the most important focus shown by the love and service they had for each other through the trials, deaths and disappointments.
Another theme of the story was man’s inhumanity to man that was illustrated throughout the story. The farmers in Oklahoma were kicked off their land when they fell behind in their payments to the banks regardless of their circumstances. The farm owners, police and many of the general population did all that was possible to take advantage of the refugees from the dust bowl and the Great depression by not paying a fair wage and constantly harassing them. I am not a big fan of modern day union efforts but I can see the need for unions in such cases as illustrated in the story.

My only complaint with the book was that the story ended without any answers to the predicaments of the Joad family. What happened next? What happened to Tom, Noah, Rose of Sharon or Al and his fiancé? Today, there would have to be a least a sequel to the story and possibly several more editions. Maybe that is why the story is a classic because there is no resolution of the issues; the reader is left to ponder the fate of the family and the major themes of the book.

I highly recommend this classic to all lovers of great literature. This book is so well written that I felt like I was at the Joad farm, riding on the back of the truck to California, living in the government camp, picking peaches and trying to stop the stream from flooding the itinerant workers boxcars. The characters were interesting and lovable regardless of their faults. I love to read Stienbeck’s books and I think this is his best work.

Other books I’ve read by author
• The Moon is Down
• East of Eden
• Of Mice and Men
• The Red Pony
• The Pearl
• Tortilla Flats
• Cannery Row
...more

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Mar 31, 2008 Alison added it · review of another edition

First read as a one-L, cried when my leftist Corporations professor read a passage of it in class 2L year- the literary expression of what stirs me about Woody Guthrie; I think both represent to me the most successful expressions of political passion in art.

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