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The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

Start date: September 8, 2011

Finish date: September 11, 2011

Discussion: General

Why we're reading this: I've read a lot of Steinbeck, but I was absolutely stunned by this book. Steinbeck makes the pain of the …more
[close] I've read a lot of Steinbeck, but I was absolutely stunned by this book. Steinbeck makes the pain of the farmers understandable and he shows the reader their suffering. I fell in love with this book, and I encourage any of you to read it!

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Jan 10, 2016 Laura added it

This sad, beautiful book about human dignity is still as relevant today as ever—the despair, the sense of loss, the slow disintegration of a way of life as progress mines the livelihood of a population who know no other way of life, but living off the land.

It’s not us, it’s the bank. A bank isn’t like a man. Or an owner with fifty thousand acres, he isn’t like a man either. That’s the monster…We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. The bank isn’t like a man... Yes, but the bank is only made This sad, beautiful book about human dignity is still as relevant today as ever—the despair, the sense of loss, the slow disintegration of a way of life as progress mines the livelihood of a population who know no other way of life, but living off the land.

It’s not us, it’s the bank. A bank isn’t like a man. Or an owner with fifty thousand acres, he isn’t like a man either. That’s the monster…We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. The bank isn’t like a man... Yes, but the bank is only made of men… The bank is something else than men. It happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it. The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it. (p. 33.)

The disparity between the haves and the have nots—it’s back, like it never left.

In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. (p. 349)

Standing here in the year 2016 looking back at the years following the most recent financial collapse, and a long recession, I’ve witnessed enough of the same despair and sentiments. I have felt the sense of loss as I feel uncertain—there is no security. I see how good, hardworking people are being marginalized because they don’t have the “pedigree” to get even an entry level position. Discrimination is not just about skin color, disability, or who you love—it could be your age, your education, if you have children or not, or a perceived conflict of interest—these days, it can be anything that could bring judgement to your door forcing you out into the street or not letting you get afoot in the door.

“What we comin’to? Seems to me we don’t never come to nothin’. Always on the way. Always goin’ and goin’. Why don’t folks think about that? They’s movement now. People moving. We know why, an’ we know how. Movin’ ‘cause they got to. That’s why folks always move. Movin’ ‘cause they want somepin better’n what they got. An’ that’s the on’y way they’ll ever git it…” (p. 127-128)

The Haves have it all—the Have Nots are too many to count these days, some have nothin' left, the greatest county in the world and there are homeless camps tucked in unthinkable places with deplorable conditions. The middle class, once the backbone of our nation, is struggling to not break, they quietly trickle away along with their version of the dream. Our country has been gutted of what once made us great. In spite of good intentions of some, industry and innovation have been set aside for war and more war. Desperation. Migrations. Terrorism. Ideologies blatantly disregarding commonsense, decency, and good will—there are people dying for no good reason.

“…Seems like our life’s over an’ done.”
“No, it ain’t,” Ma smiled. “It ain’t, Pa. An’ that’s one more thing a woman knows. I noticed that. Man, he lives in jerks—baby born an’ a man dies, an’ that’s a jerk—gets a farm an’ loses the farm, an’ that’s a jerk. Woman, it’s all one flow, like a stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it like that. We ain’t gonna die out. People is goin’ on—changin’ a little, maybe, but goin’ right on…Ever’thing we do—seems to me is aimed right at goin’ on . Seems that way to me. Even getting’ hungry—even bein’ sick; some die, but the rest is tougher. Jus’ try to live the day, jus’ the day.” (p. 423)

Shit. I knew things were going to go bad as soon as the dog died.
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Nov 16, 2023 Sharon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, families, literature-classics, favorites

This is such a profound book about a real episode/time in US history, but mostly about one family who endured it somehow. Steinbeck has been lauded over the years for good reason. This is a classic. I enjoyed the book immensely, pausing sometimes to appreciate the writing and all the facets used to tell this story.

The story is about one extended family who lost their small farm during the time of the dust bowl and how they coped and their travels to California. Work was promised for all, but th ...more

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May 15, 2012 pianogal rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2012, historical-fic, sb-book-club

This was a toss up for stars. I thought it was probably 4 stars good, but it was SOOOOO depressing that theme-wise I wanted to give it a 1. So I think 2 is a good compromise. I kept waiting for something to turn around for these folks, but it never did. And then it stopped (thankfully). I've read other Steinbeck and liked it (East of Eden), but this one made me want to slit my wrists.

One happy thought: no matter how bad life gets, at least I'm not breast-feeding a dying, homeless bum in a flood ...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Emily rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I couldn't get past how intensely depressing this book was. It felt like the world was bad and just getting worse and worse and worse the longer it went. Plus, I kept getting the intense feeling of thirst, and then hunger, and then thirst--I mean, the writer is good and certainly conveys the sense of place and events, but golly. ...more

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