The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck Centennial Edition (1902-2002)

Steinbeck's style is smooth, flowing well enough to get readers through a relatively bleak (if not boring) epic about a family's plight to survive under the unfair circumstances of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. It's a perfect view into the events, people, and opinions of the time. While it's been said that this book is a communist/socialist manifesto, as well it may be, Steinbeck...more

Steinbeck's style is smooth, flowing well enough to get readers through a relatively bleak (if not boring) epic about a family's plight to survive under the unfair circumstances of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. It's a perfect view into the events, people, and opinions of the time. While it's been said that this book is a communist/socialist manifesto, as well it may be, Steinbeck masterfully keeps his characters human and flawed, neither canonizing the struggling migrants nor blindly painting the California police as totally evil (though the salesmen may be another matter). His view of the relationship between employer/employee, upper/lower class, and socialism/capitalism is mature and not radical, but Steinbeck still gets his points across effectively. Strong piece of American fiction with a powerful ending and as much symbolism as you can swallow, yes, but masterpiece? Eh... It's been hailed, in my opinion, mostly for its impact and social importance in the time it was written.   hide

People complain about some of the superficial character traits of Rose and the lack of remorse shown by Joad for the murders and deride the novel as a farce. It's a satire and Joad is a superhuman character designed to exemplify a human being doing purely human things. That is his triumph, that he does not attempt to be anything but what he is, and his dire circumstances do not deter him. He...more

People complain about some of the superficial character traits of Rose and the lack of remorse shown by Joad for the murders and deride the novel as a farce. It's a satire and Joad is a superhuman character designed to exemplify a human being doing purely human things. That is his triumph, that he does not attempt to be anything but what he is, and his dire circumstances do not deter him. He puts his life, and the things that he cares about, (his family) before the interests and the needs of others. I don't see what's wrong with that. That means he LIVES instead of divies out his life into equal portions that all those around him can feed on it as they claim to do the same. And fail. I really like the book.   hide

right at the beginning when the women are waiting silently to see if their men will break, and the children stand next to them drawing circles in the dust with their toes waiting to see if the men will break. that was poignant. for months i couldn't get past the first chapter. kept reading every two three weeks. the description of the heat and what it does to the leaves and how the brown on...more

right at the beginning when the women are waiting silently to see if their men will break, and the children stand next to them drawing circles in the dust with their toes waiting to see if the men will break. that was poignant. for months i couldn't get past the first chapter. kept reading every two three weeks. the description of the heat and what it does to the leaves and how the brown on the edges begins to creep in towards the spine...details, observations, all excellent. all these are only the incidentals...but i have my questions. but finally "the ghost of tom joad" by rage against the machine!...i get now.   hide

Bridget, you missed the point. The main character watched so much suffering all around him and was starving himself. Rose a Sharon had a baby! on this road trip to hell and she was starving to death. You ever been a mother and starved? No 7-11's on every corner. Grandma was dead on the back of the truck, my god are we so heartless? The Joads' represent all suffering and when some...more

Bridget, you missed the point. The main character watched so much suffering all around him and was starving himself. Rose a Sharon had a baby! on this road trip to hell and she was starving to death. You ever been a mother and starved? No 7-11's on every corner. Grandma was dead on the back of the truck, my god are we so heartless? The Joads' represent all suffering and when some of the people have Everything and Most of the people have Nothing, the People will Rise Up and Take Everything Back. The Revolution will win out every time.   hide

John Steinbeck is one of Scott's favorites authors, so I had to give it a try. Someone at the bookstore made a point of telling me how much I would love it. It did take a few chapters to get into it, but then it became a page-turner... what is going to happen to the Joads??! At one point it became too depressing and I had to set it aside. Timely reading it right now though I think....more

John Steinbeck is one of Scott's favorites authors, so I had to give it a try. Someone at the bookstore made a point of telling me how much I would love it. It did take a few chapters to get into it, but then it became a page-turner... what is going to happen to the Joads??! At one point it became too depressing and I had to set it aside. Timely reading it right now though I think.

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My favorite quotes: "Grampa throwed a hip out a joint laughing" "Sometimes a fellow got to sift the law" HAHA "Law changes, but 'got tos' go on" "but this tractor does two things, turns the land, and turns us off the land" Change is hard. "the children listening with their souls to words their minds do not understand" love this quote. "I'm as happy as a toad in the spring rain"   hide

Re-reading this classic. Read it when I was a teenager. I have decided to re-read some of the classic that I read when I was younger. It is a wonderful book and can relate to what is happening today to the Great Depression. It is about the powerful and the powerless. Tenant farmers that are driven off the land that they have farmed for generations by the all powerful owners and the banks....more

Re-reading this classic. Read it when I was a teenager. I have decided to re-read some of the classic that I read when I was younger. It is a wonderful book and can relate to what is happening today to the Great Depression. It is about the powerful and the powerless. Tenant farmers that are driven off the land that they have farmed for generations by the all powerful owners and the banks. Enjoying the read and causes me to pause and reflect as history seems to repeat itself.   hide

This book is incredibly hard to read in terms of where it takes your heart, but the important thing to remember is that it tells true tales though using fictional characters. It was an extremely difficult life for those who were caught up in that time and place, and even now there are still those who are suffering and trying their best to rise above it. It is a tribute to the courage of people...more

This book is incredibly hard to read in terms of where it takes your heart, but the important thing to remember is that it tells true tales though using fictional characters. It was an extremely difficult life for those who were caught up in that time and place, and even now there are still those who are suffering and trying their best to rise above it. It is a tribute to the courage of people everywhere who are struggling bravely day after day in what seem to be impossible situations.   hide

This book is why folks get a little apprehensive when you tell them their savings won't be around when they need it; it's also a pretty good reminder of Hoover-style government and what it brought us in the past. One of the greatest books ever; the problem is that most Americans who remember the Depression are dying off and we may be doomed to make dumb-dumb-dumb fiscal...more

This book is why folks get a little apprehensive when you tell them their savings won't be around when they need it; it's also a pretty good reminder of Hoover-style government and what it brought us in the past. One of the greatest books ever; the problem is that most Americans who remember the Depression are dying off and we may be doomed to make dumb-dumb-dumb fiscal mistakes if no one 's around to recall the consequences. It wouldn't be a bad idea for every American to read this one and Sinclair's The Jungle.   hide

Everyone in America should read this book. The issues of migrant labor, the gap between haves and have-nots, and the sketches of human nature are just as current and relevant today as they were in the 30's. Plus Steinbeck was a genius writer - read anything he wrote, including excerpts from a ship's log.