50 books to read before you die discussion
This topic is about
The Grapes of Wrath
Book Discussions - 50 Books
>
The Grapes of Wrath
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Lisa
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Apr 09, 2015 07:51AM
April group read
reply
|
flag
This was the first Steinbeck that I read, mostly due to rave reviews from another member. It is a brilliant book, emotionally challenging but well wrought
Well, here's the thread! Thanks, Lisa.
We had to read this in high school, but my language arts teacher didn't like this book so she said we could read it for extra credit. I didnt make it. I think i read like 3 or 4 chapters and that was it. I have not attempted since. I did just recently read East of Eden and even though it took a while, i got through so I might try and attempt this one once again.
When I first joined this group, I had read a couple of Steinbeck's books and liked them, but I hadn't yet read The Grapes of Wrath. I did correct that deficiency. I have become a fan of John Steinbeck. He is perhaps my favorite author. The Grapes of Wrath is among his finest work, and is surely among the greatest American novels. It portrays the grimness of the dust bowl and the great depression and the awful circumstances in which people found themselves. It's not a happy book.
Steinbeck was vilified for it, branded a communist. Of course communist was the dirtiest name they could come up with. I guess he hit a nerve.
Buck wrote: "When I first joined this group, I had read a couple of Steinbeck's books and liked them, but I hadn't yet read The Grapes of Wrath. I did correct that deficiency. I have become a Fan of John Stei..."I re-read this a couple of months ago (hadn't read it since high school), and I remembered from that long-ago time that I loved it but not much else. But after this read, it's moved up to my top ten American novels-right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Actually, they're tied for first place.
I read this a few months ago as part of a buddy read.The book took awhile for me to get into but it was a great story. Of Mice and Men is still my favorite over the two I've read by him, though. I think I'll be a big Steinbeck fan.
Buck wrote: "When I first joined this group, I had read a couple of Steinbeck's books and liked them, but I hadn't yet read The Grapes of Wrath. I did correct that deficiency. I have become a fan of John Stei..."There is an interesting topic about the politics of this book going on right now on Goodreads under book discussion for this book -
Charlotte Allen on the 75th Anniversary of The Grapes of Wrath
The topic starts off with the controversial -
From the December 29, 2014 issue of The Weekly Standard:
As time rolled on, it became clear to everyone except English teachers that Steinbeck had gotten everything wrong in The Grapes of Wrath, perhaps deliberately.
....and a lot took offense and disagreed.
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "Charlotte Allen on the 75th Anniversary of The Grapes of Wrath"Interesting, but I find those kinds of political gotcha discussions distasteful. The discussion quickly degenerated away from The Grapes of Wrath.
It's tempting to put your two cents worth in these kinds of discussion, but I think you have to be a masochist in order to enjoy them. Saying that Steinbeck's "world" didn't exist reminds me of those who don't believe that the Holocaust existed, either. I've never personally seen a death camp, but I don't have to see things in order to believe them. And I knew personally those who did flee the Dust Bowl, and I have no reason to disbelieve them. Has anyone seen the film from Ken Burns about the Dust Bowl? It has amazing video footage that absolutely put a new spin on how I view it.
And, thanks, Erin, for reminding me of this!
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "I read this a few months ago as part of a buddy read.The book took awhile for me to get into but it was a great story. Of Mice and Men is still my favorite over the two I've read by him, though. I think I'll be a big Steinbeck fan. "
I am a big Steinbeck fan.
Of Mice and Men is probably my favorite too, along with The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and Cannery Row, too.
According to my Goodreads tally, I've read 16 Steinbeck works - it's everything my library has. He wrote several more I would like to read.
Buck wrote: "Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "I read this a few months ago as part of a buddy read.The book took awhile for me to get into but it was a great story. Of Mice and Men is still ..."
I was a big fan, too, Buck, but I'd forgotten that I was until this year's re-read of The Grapes of Wrath. I really have to pick up his library of books for home, so I can read them all over again.
I read The Grapes of Wrath a couple of years ago, and then right after watched the old Henry Fonda movie.I'm a little surprised that there has been so little discussion of this novel here, I mean the story itself. And then I thought maybe it's not so surprising. I hardly know what to say about it. I'm sure it's been analyzed to death.
I generally find Steinbeck's writing the most sublime of any author I can think of. But aside from the writing itself, I imagine that The Grapes of Wrath winning of the Pulitzer prize must have had something to do with the times in which it was written.
The movie was fairly true to the book, but they changed the sequence of events, to make it end on a more hopeful note.Henry Fonda's soliloquy, before he lit out on the lam, is one of the high points in the movie for me, but in the book it didn't seem to stand out. It was part of the flow of the story.
I've never seen the movie, Buck. How strange!
I haven't seen the movie either. Actually I haven't watched the movies for most classics - never saw Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, Rebecca, etc. Need to sit down and try them out sometime.
I did see the Of Mice and Men from about 20 years ago? I remember it as being good, but not as good as the book. Which is not unusual, is it...
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "I read this a few months ago as part of a buddy read.The book took awhile for me to get into but it was a great story. Of Mice and Men is still my favorite over the two I've read by him, though. ..."
I've read a few of his books, Mice & Men was my favorite too.
Buck wrote: "I read The Grapes of Wrath a couple of years ago, and then right after watched the old Henry Fonda movie.I'm a little surprised that there has been so little discussion of this novel here, I mean..."
I remember it as relentless. Every time something vaguely positive happened, disaster struck. There was no hope left.
Lisa wrote: "Buck wrote: "I read The Grapes of Wrath a couple of years ago, and then right after watched the old Henry Fonda movie.I'm a little surprised that there has been so little discussion of this novel..."
Relentless? That might be a good description, Lisa, since this really was a picture of people who had lost their world and were not finding a new one. And that makes me wonder: what was next? Did they ever find a world they could belong to?
I thought that was why it ended as it did. There is no further to go. They will wait for death.
Lisa wrote: "I thought that was why it ended as it did. There is no further to go. They will wait for death."But something will turn up! Sorry, Pollyanna just took hold of me...
Always thought Pollyana was too upbeat.Some stories just don't end well.
Lisa wrote: "Always thought Pollyana was too upbeat.Some stories just don't end well."
She was the queen of upbeat, definitely, and had to be the author of "every cloud has a silver lining", etc., and I try not to channel her too often!
But I think Steinbeck ended his story so abruptly, because he was leaving room for us to end their stories. Did they die because we didn't care enough to keep them alive? Or did we find a way for them to make a living? Or...?
Karlyne wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Always thought Pollyana was too upbeat.Some stories just don't end well."
She was the queen of upbeat, definitely, and had to be the author of "every cloud has a silver lining", etc..."
Well we know some people survived the experience, although the death count was high, so hard to say.
During the Depression, life expectancy rose 6.2 years, so deaths actually decreased. Weird.
Maybe it's because people can't afford to eat so much junk...
Karlyne wrote: "During the Depression, life expectancy rose 6.2 years, so deaths actually decreased. Weird."Definitely weird.
Karlyne wrote: "Maybe it's because people can't afford to eat so much junk..."I would have thought malnourishment would have been an issue, however.
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Maybe it's because people can't afford to eat so much junk..."I would have thought malnourishment would have been an issue, however."
I know! It does make sense that malnourishment would have increased deaths, but there were the safety nets of church and family and kind people, and I think that although food was scarce and one-note (beans and corn meal, e.g.), it was enough to sustain life. Not for everyone, of course, but for most.
Antibiotics, like penicillin , had just been discovered.
Buck wrote: "Antibiotics, like penicillin , had just been discovered."I had an uncle who died when he was 5 because there weren't antibiotics around. That would have been, I think, 1935. Such a sad thing; his siblings never got over it.
