The second Steinbeck book that I've read as an adult, and probably one of the best books I've ever read. I had no idea California was so messed up until I read it. Unlike some modern readers who may complain about the alternating chapters, one dealing with plot and the other with seemingly irrelevant information, I thought that they added a lot to the book and gave it the feeling that there was more to it than just the story of one family. Everyone needs to read this book. The movie's also great, and I can't say that either one is better than the other.

One of my favorite books is East of Eden, I also loved Of Mice & Men. I'd never read Grapes of Wrath for school, like most people, I figured it was about time. Having high hopes, I was a little disappointed. I did not like it nearly as the other Steinbeck's I'd read. But, still the overall work makes an amazing piece of history, fiction and memorable tale. Personally, I think it's highly relevent at this period in time with what our country is going through.

Mainly, this book was a little tough to keep reading on, as the story didn't immediately grip me. I was about half way through before I really got into it. Before I really began to care about the characters and get where this novel was going or what it was trying to convey. Yet there were times when I'd just sit back and slowly read a page and take in the beauty of what was written.

I did give it 4 stars because I think the writing, the story that it tells about the Oklahoma farmers & migrant farmers and the symbolism was phenominal! To me this book tells the story of our history, one that is important to tell and remember. There's a reason it won the Pulitzer.

This edition is a nice way to add The Grapes of Wrath to your collection. The book itself is a must. It's hard to explain how Steinbeck sucks you in with his writing, but the Joad family's journey across the country is a visceral and moving one. Very enjoyable.

Steinbeck was a gifted author and this is his seminal book and Pulitzer Prize winner. The descriptions are lengthy and they take you there, in the moment. Truly an outstanding work of American fiction that all should read.

Yup, I'm one of the freaks who actually likes this book, despite my roommate's information that it is highly melodramaticized. I don't care. I think it's great writing, and I love the interspersing stories that have nothing to do with the plot, and yet are so insightful.

Sorry, but I was actually touched.

I thought The Grapes of Wrath was entertaining, depressing, and inspiring all at once - a little long at times, but still a great read. Basically, it's hard to feel sorry for yourself and easier to feel sympathy for others when you're reading from this book every morning. I hope people continue to read The Grapes of Wrath for a long time; it's a reminder of how lucky we are right now, how quickly things can go wrong, and how important it is to be kind to one another and preserve a sense of community. The beginning drags a little bit, but the rest of the book is worth it. Great book.

The book came in great condition and in a timely manner. It was a pleasure doing business with this seller on Amazon.com

I love this book for a variety of reasons, and I'll share these before offering my criticisms:

1) Wonderful tale of a painful time and place in American history

2) Great characters - and powerful bonding between them. I loved their ability to sacrifice for each other - at great costs.

3) A metaphorically redemptive message: this book shows the strength of human perseverance in the face of awful odds

4) Incredible local color - accents, speech, behavior! John Steinbeck really knew his stuff, and brought it to LIFE! Kudos!

5) Beautiful writing - so many times Steinbeck wrote scenes that sing off the page, transcending the story, the characters, and himself

6) I just love Steinbeck's character of Preacher Casy. He adds such a strong dimension of honesty, emotional courage, and truth-seeking to the book... He's one of my favorite characters in all of literature.

My criticisms:

1) Having previously read this book fifteen years ago, I learned then that the "filler" chapters - the ones NOT about the Joad family - were unnecessary to the story, so I skipped them this time around. This made the book infinitely more readable and enjoyable. I would guess these skippable chapters account for about a third of the book's volume...

2) I found the ending cheesy - didn't like it fifteen years ago, and still don't. I won't go into details (don't want to be a spoiler), but I found it too intellectual and emotionally disconnected to the pulse of the story...
3) Steinbeck uses various of his characters (particularly Preacher Casy) to make all sorts of philosophical comments on life, but never does he state the obvious, much less come near it with a ten-foot pole: DON'T HAVE SO MANY KIDS! The whole book is about people trying desperately to feed their children - for whom they cannot provide. To me this leaves the parents - sharecroppers, who, at the best of times, had life REALLY hard - and not just society, responsible. Even ONE little comment to this effect would have been welcomed. Yet has anything changed since the 1930s? Does anyone suggest that starving adults in Darfur not have children? (Or the EMOTIONALLY starving adults right here in the rich USA???)

I just finished reading "The Grapes of Wrath." Steinbeck's simple but poetic prose shows a mastery of subtlety and expertise. The dialog was very believable and realistic. The period in which J. Steinbeck wrote as did Hemingway was the realism movement, which never really strayed too long into what the characters were thinking or feeling. The characters words on the surface is what portrayed who they were and Steinbeck expertly reveals all of them, even down to his tertiary characters, Ruthie and Winfield. Ma Joad and Tom are beautifully realized as was Casey the former preacher.

If I have any quibble with the story, it's some of the chapters, which were a little too polemical and didactic. I felt Steinbeck trying too hard to drive his personal beliefs down my throat about "The Man versus the corporation and big business." Overall however, I still came away with great admiration for what he tried to accomplish with this story, considering we had just come out of the Depression only about five or six years later followed by the destructive Dust Bowls, created by man.

I now understand why this novel is considered in such high esteem by so many experts and admirers of fiction. "The Grapes of Wrath" is truly one of the great American novels!

Amid the desperation of the 1930s Dust Bowl, drought and changing agricultural practices force a family of Oklahoma sharecroppers to leave their home and join the great migration to California. Piling their broken-down Hudson with the few possessions they can carry, the Joad family sets off for what they believe will be a paradise of bountiful fruit and plentiful work. When they arrive, enduring one hardship after another along the way, the California they find is not at all the one they imagined.

Though a work of fiction, "The Grapes of Wrath" is a painfully real story of what can happen when profit is placed over concern for one's fellow human beings. Like the Mexican migrant workers of today, the Joads flee desperate circumstances in search of a better future, only to find exploitation at the hands of wealthy farm owners and resentment on the part of the people already settled there. Enticed by handbills telling of the need for workers, the Joads discover that the farm owners are merely flooding the market so the starved migrants will fight for the lowest wages. There are constant attempts to keep the migrants in a state of helpless docility: their cardboard Hoovervilles are periodically burned (under the guise of "public sanitation") to keep them from settling down, and any attempt to assert their rights can result in being blacklisted as a "Communist." Meanwhile, they watch with simmering anger as perfectly good fruit is thrown away in order to keep prices up. The locals have little but fearful hostility for the people they derogatorily label "Okies," whom they view as less than human.

Despite their unending hardships, the Joad family pushes on with dogged perseverance, never losing their dignity. Even when the reader is tempted to lose hope, the Joads find the strength within themselves to push on.

One of the strengths of the novel is its characters, who are simultaneously flawed and admirable. The protagonist, Tom, is on parole after unintentionally killing a man in a fight. He can only make the journey by breaking his parole and must not be discovered, which creates an undercurrent of tension. When Pa's status as the head of the family is weakened by his inability to support the clan, Ma emerges as the family's indestructible backbone and one of the strongest characters. Along for the journey is Reverend Casy, the reluctant preacher and a kind of Christ figure, whose philosophical ruminations provide much of the book's social commentary.

It is ultimately the pregnant young Rose of Sharon who most embodies the story of loss, resilience, and renewal. Throughout the novel, she is an immature and emotionally fragile girl who seems defeated by the dashing of her dreams: her teenage husband, Connie, runs away, and her baby will be born into unbearable poverty. However, at the end she shows a tender heroism, and her actions in the book's final scene are powerful and unforgettable.

This is a deeply moving book. You will grieve for the Joad family's tragedies, all the more because these tragedies are largely the result of human folly and greed. But you will also dream along with them, and find hope in their resilience and will to survive.

I only actually have to read this book as a Summer Reading assignment for my AP English class. I'm not a really a big fan of books that have this genre but when I reached halfway through the book, I started loving it. I find the feelings portrayed in this novel clear enough for me to understand it with the help of vague dialogue of the characters. A message is there and though you need to read more to understand what they're saying, the reality is always present.

As a former resident of California, I was often shocked on how the locals treated the Mexicans. After working all day, some were paid virtually nothing, and some were actually paid nothing. And because they couldn't complain to the government they were just "out of luck." This book addresses that very issue, if only dealing with the white "oakies." The point of this novel makes about migrant workers is just as valid today as it was 80 whatever years ago.
Steinbecks writing is occasionally criticized, but I cannot figure out why. Steinbeck takes a quasi-journalistic approach to his writing, flawlessly fusing fiction and reporting throughout the writing. This is a book that is simultaneously interesting and informative. Its like a newspaper thats also entertaining. The writing is very fluid, and despite the novels length (my edition was over 600 pgs) its actually not a boring, slow read. The characters are well developed and interesting, if in some cases a tad unbelievable.
A great novel. The only people that probably object are middle and upper class conservatives that can't accept that anyone should be able to speak out against those less fortunate than themselves

One of the greatest American novels written. Period. I read it about three years ago and whenever I see this book in stores the feelings and images I had while reading Grapes come flooding back to me. Read this book! You may, like me, be slightly disappointed with the ending, but you will not be disappointed that you took the time to read Grapes of Wrath.

Wonderfully written...powerfully gripping...100% the best of Steinbeck. I have only recently started reading the "classics" and this was the best by far. After finishing "The Grapes of Wrath," "Of Mice and Men" and now reading "East of Eden," I have to say that Steinbeck is arguably the best American lit writer ever published.

I read Grapes of Wrath in my late teens, and just didn't get what all of the fanfare was about. I liked the characters, but I didn't fully appreciate what Steinbeck was trying to do.

Flash forward a few decades -- I picked it up again a couple of weeks ago, and read it in two sittings. I was completely captivated. Not only did the Joads come to life, but their circumstances, their defeats and their successes, resonated with realism. Rather than being relegated to the dusty "classics" shelf, this book is more relevant today. One can easily replace the Joads with immigrant farm workers in our current society, and get a glimpse of exactly how things don't change. Steinbeck nailed human frailty and bigotry, as well as the largess of the human spirit.

Read this book. Even if you walk away thinking, "What a bunch of lefty crud!" it will be worth your while. The story is heart-warming (and sometimes heartrending), and very real.

Lin Bentolila, a dear friend, gave me this book for my birthday 08 and I finally finished it and also saw the DVD movie version. Both gave me a rare view into a time in America that I knew little about. Published in 1939, the Grapes of Wrath is about the brutal and sad time people had to live... shall we say struggle through... and for the lucky some... survive during those days.

I learned that back then people entered into agricultural agreements where they did not own the land but were allowed by the owners to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced, and as times got really bad because of the lack of water, the "dust" storms and the inability to produce, they could no longer afford to pay the agreed share and were therefore, run from their land... even though they had worked it for over 70 years seeing many family generations come and go on the land which they called home...

How incredibly sad... simply horrible... The story centers on a family with the last name of Joads and it is so hopeless at times that I felt the pain and sorrow of these characters daring to hope for a better life.

Desperate times, children left without food and without care because parents earned miserable wages and had to go to find whatever work was available. Labor contracts were not respected, conditions were oppressive, and the spark of an attempt to correct the situation was seen as a crime and punished as such.

The emotions are deep and while the family undergoes many trials and desperate moments, they continue to have pride, human dignity, and the willingness to share whatever little they had. The road trip that takes them from their home in Oklahoma to California is at times exasperating because we suffer right along with these characters. The scenes at a road side diner where they buy bread... only able to pay for a 10 cent loaf is heart rendering and it is with a certain sense of trepidation that we realize that times in America today are again desperate for many. Never learning the great lessons from the past, we seem to repeat history over and over again, and between the housing market fiasco, the home foreclosures and the price of gas, let's hope we do not see Americans brought to another period of depression.

This is a must read and must see, while it is depressive, at times shocking, it poses fundamental questions of humanity. How can we live our lives in peace witnessing those who have so much and yet others not being able to eat? How do we ensure that our social systems protect our people from ever having to endure such harsh living conditions? At what point do we stop being human if we stand by and do nothing to change and bring opportunity and the right to work and earn a living to every person willing to work to make a living?

This book will make you look around with open eyes. I highly recommend reading this book, even if you hated it in high school. A person cannot appreciate hardship if you are a young adult that has everything you need, and a lot of times whatever you want. As an adult, I was able to absorb much more of the true meaning of this book. The Grapes of Wrath will change your way of thinking about what is truly important in life.

If you haven't read The Grapes of Wrath, do yourself a huge favor and read it!!! Since it's that good, I can't think of any more words to describe it...

I read this book in high school and did not pick it up again until I was 50. What a difference a few years makes! This book is about hope while facing incredible challenges. If there is hope, there is life. When the voices of the suffering come together, they simmer, begin to boil and rise up (hence, the wrath of the migrant workers). It is about finding strength in different sources (a mother surfacing as the leader of her family). It is about families circling the wagons and holding onto to each other because often that was all they had. This story has been told many times in the course of history of laborers and is the backbone of the unions. Chapter 29 says it all. Very moving. A must read over and over again.

Detractors of this novel will tell you that The Grapes of Wrath is melodramatic, contrived, and relentlessly preachy - and I can't argue with them. The Grapes of Wrath is overwrought and about as subtle as a hand grenade, but it is also a powerfully affecting novel. I challenge even the most cynical reader not to be moved (at least a little) by the tragic story of the Joad family.

The novel is often described as a `sweeping epic' (which means it is longer than the average book). It is undeniably a classic and well worth reading, but is not without its flaws. The novel is compelling and I found myself having trouble putting it down as I neared the final chapters, however it does get bogged down in spots and some of the dialogue is repetitive. Steinbeck is unquestionably one of the most important writers of the 20th century, but (and let's be honest here) his prose is largely unremarkable (certainly when compared to Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby").

And then there are the politics...

Personally, I don't have a problem with an author having a strong point of view and expressing it in a novel. Yes, Steinbeck portrays a complex issue as if it were clear-cut. He portrays the migrants as good and noble (the men-folk may behave badly at times; drinkin', brawlin', and womanizin' but they are inherently good). Meanwhile, the banks and the land owners are evil personified. There is no middle ground in The Grapes of Wrath.

Despite what some reviewers would have you believe, The Grapes of Wrath is not a communist manifesto. It does however, question how a country so plentiful can allow so many to starve and suffer and Steinbeck doesn't hesitate to point his finger at those he feels are to blame. Reality is considerably more complex. The plight of the dustbowl farmers was inevitable as the economy changed and small family farms became unsustainable.

Steinbeck's narrative alternates between the Joad family's story (the even numbered chapters), and a series of expository chapters (the odd numbered chapters) that provide a broader perspective of the migrant experience. These expository chapters are the most politically charged and blatantly biased of the novel, but they also feature some of the best writing.

My review sounds mixed because I have mixed feelings about the novel. It is bold, but contrived, compelling, yet melodramatic, powerful, but preachy. All in all though its strengths outweigh its shortcomings. The Grapes of Wrath is well worth reading, just don't set your expectations too high. This isn't one of the best novels ever written, in fact, it isn't even Steinbeck's best.

Detractors of this novel will tell you that The Grapes of Wrath is melodramatic, contrived, and relentlessly preachy - and I can't argue with them. The Grapes of Wrath is overwrought and about as subtle as a hand grenade, but it is also a powerfully affecting novel. I challenge even the most cynical reader not to be moved (at least a little) by the tragic story of the Joad family.

The novel is often described as a `sweeping epic' (which means it is longer than the average book). It is undeniably a classic and well worth reading, but is not without its flaws. The novel is compelling and I found myself having trouble putting it down as I neared the final chapters, however it does get bogged down in spots and some of the dialogue is repetitive. Steinbeck is unquestionably one of the most important writers of the 20th century, but (and let's be honest here) his prose is largely unremarkable (certainly when compared to Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby").

And then there are the politics...

Personally, I don't have a problem with an author having a strong point of view and expressing it in a novel. Yes, Steinbeck portrays a complex issue as if it were clear-cut. He portrays the migrants as good and noble (the men-folk may behave badly at times; drinkin', brawlin', and womanizin' but they are inherently good). Meanwhile, the banks and the land owners are evil personified. There is no middle ground in The Grapes of Wrath.

Despite what some reviewers would have you believe, The Grapes of Wrath is not a communist manifesto. It does however, question how a country so plentiful can allow so many to starve and suffer and Steinbeck doesn't hesitate to point his finger at those he feels are to blame. Reality is considerably more complex. The plight of the dustbowl farmers was inevitable as the economy changed and small family farms became unsustainable.

Steinbeck's narrative alternates between the Joad family's story (the even numbered chapters), and a series of expository chapters (the odd numbered chapters) that provide a broader perspective of the migrant experience. These expository chapters are the most politically charged and blatantly biased of the novel, but they also feature some of the best writing.

My review sounds mixed because I have mixed feelings about the novel. It is bold, but contrived, compelling, yet melodramatic, powerful, but preachy. All in all though its strengths outweigh its shortcomings. The Grapes of Wrath is well worth reading, just don't set your expectations too high. This isn't one of the best novels ever written, in fact, it isn't even Steinbeck's best.

I'm reading this right now for college and I have to say this is one of the most boring books I've ever read. First thing Steinbeck describes too much in this book. Every chapter he spends pages describing the scenery. It gets boring and repetitive. The character development is also poor. I don't understand how this is a "classic." I think because it's old people consider old books classics. Well I don't think it is. I hated "Catcher In The Rye" but compared to "The Grapes of Wrath" it's a classic! If you want boring characters and boring description, read "The Grapes of Wrath." I'm only reading this cause I want an A in the course, but I really want to get it over with. Yes... it's that bad!

An incredible tale of the aftermath of the Great Depression coupled with factory farming.

Definitely in the top quarter of books I've read, my only complaint was in the ending - I'm not saying it should be different, it fits the story very well, but darn it I wanted to see a little more happiness in the end for a family that had struggled so.

One of the top American novels ever.

For me, this is the great american novel, worthy of being read again and again.

I should have known that a book you can buy togehter with Cliff's Notes is going to be boring. I read "East of Eden" and thought it was great. I was hopeful that "Grapes of Wrath" would be just as good. No luck. It's dull as heck. I don't see how this is thought by many to be Steinbeck's best.

The next time somebody asks me what the Great American Novel is, I'm pointing them right here. I love Steinbeck and have for ten or so years since I first read East of Eden (still my favourite by him), and I purposely avoided Grapes because I felt there was no way it could possibly live up to the hype that it always gets. Guess what! It does more than live up to it - it surpassed my wildest expectations!!!

perfect conditions. the item is extremely good. fast shiping. everyone should buy from this seller.

Dylan Baker performs masterfully. He does all of the voices. This is a reading worthy of Steinbeck's masterpiece, and just as good as John Ford's movie version.

I first read this in high school- 40 some years ago- and I am still deeply moved by its power. Steinbeck never wrote highly polished prose and he liked plebian themes. It's easy to dismiss him, particularly if you think great novels must be word perfect or concern renowned people and events. In my second reading, Steinbeck's politics and philosophy came through more insistantly than I was aware of as a teenager.

The 1930s federal government was as inept as present day FEMA. The police were as facistic as the Nazis. The banks and rich landowners were as greedy and grasping as Enron execs. The moralistic religious were as closed minded as Fallwell. The public was as whipped up over "Reds" as it is today over "terrorists". The heros are the Joads and other Oakies who have unlimited reserves of ambition, industry and resourcefulness, but by novel's end are reduced to questionable survival. You know they don't deserve their fate: people that eager to work, that loving and generous, that willing to improve the world should not end up destitute, hunted and starving.

Since my first reading I have traveled the length of Route 66 and actually lived in some of the spots wherein the fictional Joads picked peaches. I've encountered numerous Oakies who made the trek and are proud of it. (By now, even the kids of the '30s are gray and choose to remember the best of times.) However, the hard times and nastiness in Grapes of Wrath is not a fabrication. Steinbeck researched the migrant camps extensively and came away with plenty of evidence and strong opinions. He chose to take the lowest point in his American history and expose its faults. In so doing, he also consecrated its common people. The novel also hints at themes that are currently more in vogue: agricultural ecology, the wisdom and strength of women, the need for new economics. America deserves a great novel for every era- this one nailed the dirty thirties.

I have read many books in my time, and this not one of them. I have "picked" this book out of the library countless times and have never read it. Despite this, I feel that this book should be counted among the greatest books of our time. While I personally deplore Mr.Steinbeck and his mop people, this book is so wonderful that I can overlook my feelings and say "Whozaa!" and "Hallelujah". Anyone who looks at the pictures in this book and is not brought to tears is truly without feeling. My only issue with this marvelous piece of literature is that it is not longer. I could look at pictures forever.

What you're looking at is one of those slightly oversized paperbacks. It's quite handsomely done, and the print is largish and easy to read.

On the down side, the text merely consists of the text itself: there are no footnotes or a glossary to help you with extinct terms and stuff, but there is a longish prefatory essay by Robert DeMott (with suggestions for further reading) that is quite an able piece of writing.

I liked East of Eden better, although, The Grapes of Wrath is Great History. But, I was under the impression that the Oakies came West in Horse Drawn Buggies because I thought that it had taken place earlier. Of course, I knew that there was a DUST BOWL. But, I didn't realize that the farmers were Sharecroppers that the BANKS had abandoned, so that the Land could be cultivated by MODERN TRACTORS. I thought that the LAND itself had gone BAD. But, that's not True. The farmers in Oklahoma were displaced by AUTOMATION. In fact, the tractors knocked their houses over because they didn't OWN the land.


But, it took place less than 100 years ago, so that's Shocking because I thought that the country had a lot more ON THE BALL. In fact, it gave me a Stomach Ache because none of the characters demonstrated (or manifested) the slightest CONTROL over their own Destiny. They followed their Noses. They were just like Lemmings. And the only people that Successfully ESCAPED were Single Men who didn't have any Family to worry about or worry about them (e.g., Connie, Casey, and Tom etc). But, Tom's ma gave him seven bucks so he could escape to Los Angeles because he was on Parole (in Oklahoma) and he had Killed somebody else (a Posse member) that had killed Casey, The preacher and Union Leader, right before his very Eyes (in California). But, Families couldn't ESCAPE. They were Stuck in a RUT. Just like a BLACK HOLE.


The FOOD (?) that they Ate was JUNK: nothing but Lard, bacon fat, pork fat, and absolutely NO VEGETABLES (except for an onion once). They ate Fried Dough (which's nothing but flour fried in lard) everyday. And Meat (Hamburger, Bacon, Pork, and Salt Pork). NO EGGS. Bread and Potatoes occasionally. Some Fruit that they Picked at work. They had Coffee with some sugar. Biscuits with pork gravy was their main faire. I'd barf!!! They lived on GREASE that they should've Thrown AWAY. Therefore, they probably suffered from LEARNED HELPLESSNESS as well as chronic MALNUTRITION because they worked just for FOOD which was practically GARBAGE.

But, the government Camp (in California) had HOT water and Toilets, so they were clean for the First Time in their entire lives, but they had to leave there soon because they ran out of money, even though they managed to survive the RIOT that the Sheriff had instigated at the Dance. In fact, Tom, nipped it at the bud. Too bad the government Camp didn't attempt to provide everyone with FREE FOOD. Perhaps, some of the Women could've cultivated some of that Excess Land to grow Vegetables for everyone in the Camp. That's what I would've suggested.

If I had to live like that, I'd probably MOVE BACK TO EUROPE.

Oddly, I first read John Steinbeck's classic tale of the 1930's depression, Grapes of Wrath, as a result of listening to Woody Guthrie's also classic Dustbowl Ballads. In that album Woody sings/narrates the trials and tribulations of the Joad family as they get the hell out of drought-stricken Oklahoma and headed for the land of milk and honey in California. After listening to that rendition I wanted to get the full story and Steinbeck did not fail me. His tightly-woven story stands as a very strong exposition of the plight of rural America as they tried to make sense of a vengeful God, unrelenting Nature and the down-side of the American dream. For those who have seem Walker Evans's and other photographers pictures of the Okies, Arkies, etc. of the period this is the story behind those forlorn, if stoic, faces.

The story line is actually very simple. The land in Oklahoma was played out, the banks nevertheless were pressing for payment or threatening foreclosure and for the Joads, as for others, time had run out. In classic American tradition they pulled up stakes and headed west to get a new start. With great hopes and no few illusions they set out as a family for the sunny and plentiful California of their dreams. Their struggle along the way is a modern day version of the struggles of the old Westward heading wagon trains-including the causalities. But, that is not the least of it. Apparently they had not read Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis that the frontier was gone- the land was taken. The bulk of the story centers of what happened when they get to the golden land-and it is not pretty. Day labor, work camps, strike action, murder, and mayhem-you know, California, the real California of the day. Not the Chamber of Commerce version. In short, as Woody sang, no hope if you aint got the do re mi.

Grapes of Wrath was made into a starkly beautiful film starring a young Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. On a day when you are not depressed it is a film you want to see, if only for the photography. So here is the list. Listen to Woody sing the tale. Watch Henry Fonda to act it out. And by all means read Steinbeck. He had an ear for the 1930's struggle of the Okies and their ilk as they hit California. What happened to those people later and their influence on California culture and those who didn't make it are chronicled by others like Howard Fast and Nelson Algren. But for this period your man is Steinbeck.

When was the last time you read The Grapes of Wrath? I myself had not picked it up since I first read it, more than thirty years ago. I remembered the bare outlines of the plot, including the famous last scene, but little more. This time, I was struck by the force of many scenes: the brutality of the tractors that tear through the homes of tenant farmers, the plain rendering of the little café on the road to California, the small luxuries at the government camp in California. The characterization of Ma Joad as she struggles to feed her family is unforgettable. Most of all, I admired Steinbeck's handling of tone. The novel interweaves chapters of more general socio-economic observation into the story of the Joads. These chapters are angry ones, but Steinbeck does not permit his anger to warp his story. A lesser writer might have sentimentalized the Joads, but Steinbeck never does it, and that's what makes this a novel you should pick up once again.

As much a political manifesto as the simple story of a family forced to leave their family farm and seek a new life in California, the Grapes of Wrath is a masterpiece of American literature. Set in the American West at the start of the mass migration to the West Coast, the story follows the Joad family from the foreclosure of their farm through the long road trip along Route 66 and finally to their lives as migrant workers in a land overflowing with workers. Their lives and hardships are vividly painted in Steinbeck's outstanding prose.

Steinbeck alternates styles each chapter. Every other chapter details the story of the Joads. In the remaining chapters Steinbeck uses a repetitive, haphazard, ungrammatical, absolutely brilliant style to sketch a scene from the life of a migrant family, ostensibly the Joads. In these chapters, he conveys scenes such as the high-paced action of a used car lot, the bitterness of a family receiving foreclosure notice, or the back breaking work of cotton picking with such clarity and color that the words of the book seem to fall away leaving the reader with a tangible world in which voices are shouting or the breeze is tossing the cotton tufts into the air. In my own reading, I've seen many authors try to mimic this unstructured, repetitive style, but never done as well as this.

The story is rich with symbolism and emotion. While there are some spots where Steinbeck seems to be working too hard, the book as a whole is a wonderful read. You will come away a little more educated about that era in America's history, a little more sympathetic to the plight of migrant workers, and maybe even a little more left-leaning in your political views. Regardless of what you intend to get out of it, the Grapes of Wrath is absolutely recommended for anyone of the maturity to understand the deep themes that run through the story.

this is the greatest book of Steinbeck.
don't buy paperback edition, the paper is ugly.

this is the greatest book of Steinbeck.
don't buy paperback edition, the paper is ugly.

This has to be the most important book ever written by an American author. It leads our souls, spirits and minds through the eye of the needle, created my life's complexity, into the heart of humanity. I have lived in Oklahoma as well as California and the very drama, in one form or another, is still playing out in the modern world as it did during the Dust Bowl. I would also highly recommend another book that addresses life in a similar manner. It's Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Cherokee author Jerry Ellis. The book was nominated for a Pulitzer and chronicles the author's 900 mile walk from Oklahoma to Alabama along the infamous Trail of Tears.

I think that everyone should read this book. It is very deserving of all of its praise. It probably was not my favorite Steinbeck, but is definately a true classic. While I sometimes find Steinbeck a bit too descriptive and wordy, he definately tells a beautiful story.

When I was a kid Steinbeck was one of my favorite authors. His observations always touched a nerve with me, and his characters always came alive, as the cliché goes. His stories were simple enough, the masterpiece Grapes of Wrath included, that the story enthralled me at the time, even if the politics somewhat escaped me.

As most know, GOW is the story of undeserved poverty come to rest on an undeserving family. On the injustice of a capitalistic and bureaucratic society and the probable indifference of a not so loving God. Whether you reach Steinbeck's conclusions, and I personally don't, you can't escape how real the stories are themselves, how well told and entertaining and even humorous the most pointless and melancholic of human events can be.

I remember as a high school kid being most disturbed by the government's attempt to battle the depression in the government's anti-common-sense way. With people literally starving to death the government, at the same time they gave handouts, were pouring kerosene on oranges and even shooting illegal "harvesters". It is hard to fathom today, the starvation I mean, not the logic twists of bureaucracy.

There is a little something for everyone, for those who hate big business especially, but the government is not portrayed as much of a savior, either. If you need a happy ending this is not the book for you, but if you want one of the great American epics and a gritty slice of American history, this is a must read.

Although it is a little slow going at the start, once you have met all the chraracters, and the main story starts, it is actually painful to put down. John Steinbecks vivid writnig keeps you engrossed in the story, and gives the reader a clear mental picture. Having also read Of Mice and Men, I expected to get that mental picture and to be severely moved by the story. All my expectations were met. He also has a writing style that lets one get close to the characters. He has a way of making the reader really care about them. He makes the reader feel as if they are actually there, feeling what the characters feel. Although The Grapes of Wrath left me feeling quite sad and angry, I was thankful for having read it. It was very well written and an influential story. It had a positive impact on me. I feel very thankful for what I have, for everything the characters knew and cared about was taken away, without question or concern. I would really enjoy reading John Steinbeck's other works.

I have to admit that I probably never would have read this book if it hadn't been a reading assignment from one of my first American Literature classes. But since taking that class I have always been very grateful that I was assigned this reading assignment as it has been life altering. Steinbeck is probably my favorite of all of the classical american literature writers. He speaks the voice of the common man and ultimately shows that humanity and dignity are not limited by social class.

I know, you read this book in high school. and you can't remember a thing about it.
I reread this book after 30 years. Now I apprecite John Steinbeck and this story. John Steinbeck is pure story telling genius.
I must warn you it is not a quick read but it is all worth it.
this great classic is wasted on the young.

What else can be said about a classic. It brings today's reader back to the 1930's. This is truly a timeless classic. Steinbeck undoubtly defines the era, a people, and the hardships that occurred.

"Bobby, I'm tellin' ya, if'n ya read'at book it'll only make ya mad," Pa said, one eyebrow raised higher than the other.

"But, Pa, it's 'bout us and our fambly, ain't it?" Bobby asked, rubbing his ear.

"It ain't 'bout our fambly in name, but it is 'bout people from Oklahoma, people like us. But they's things in'at book shouldn't nobody read 'bout. Made your uncle Dale madder'n hell when he saw the movie."

"Why'd he get so mad?"

"'Cause, he took it personal. It's a sad story 'bout people hopin' for somethin' they don't have, and how they suffer starvation and destitution whilst lookin' to find it, and the very people who could'a helped'em out, beat'em and burned'em outa their tents. Some of'em even got killed."

"You mean like when Granpa and Granma moved out to Salinas from Tulsa?" Bobby had heard his folks talk about his grandparents when they thought he was asleep.

Pa sat quietly, thinking about how his parents had disappeared that cold winter in Salinas when he had been orphaned. The microwave dinged, telling him his coffee was hot, and it jogged his mind back to the conversation. "I wish't you wouldn't read it 'cause it sheds a bad light on us Okies."

"Pa, how'll I ever know 'bout this stuff if I don't read 'bout it?"

Pa watched Bobby walk out into the yard and sit against the bottom of the old madrona. The sun was setting low on the Pacific and the red-orange light shown across his face while light bouncing off the opened book in his lap shown across his eyes.

I found that I had this book because it was required for an English class. I remember I could not find it when it was time to turn it in and my parents had to pay the school for the lost book! Then it turned up years later and I decided to re-read and I am so glad I did. I think I lacked the maturity in high school to appreciate the story but as an adult I can really appreciate it. The character development in the first part of the book is kind of long, but so worth it. You begin to love the Joad family as you do your own and you feel so slighted for them as they move from one work camp to another and are exploited over and over again by greedy landowners and employers. You feel their hunger and their pain of loss many times. I'm pretty sure this book is fiction, but the story is very real and is true for many families that tried to survive during the great depression. This is one of the best books I have ever read and I'm sure I would like to read more John Steinbeck

A sampling of Steinbeck's stunning similes from the searchable Similepedia directory:

His bony hand dug its way like a squirrel into his overall pocket, brought out a black, bitten plug of tobacco.

The tractors came over the roads and into the fields, great crawlers moving like insects, having the incredible strength of insects.

From her position as healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess.

Cars limping along 66 like wounded things, panting and struggling.

I hear `em an' feel `em; an' they're beating their wings like a bird in a attic.

I was literally blown away by this writing. I assumed, prematurely, that a 'classic' would be a dull read; however, Steinbeck's descriptive and emotionally charged dialogue is compelling and engaging. A must!

I thnk this book is horrible. I would never reccomend reading it to anyone. After every chapter that has somethin to do with the actual story, there is a meaningless chapter full of garbage that has nothin to do with the story. It ruins the flow and i think he wrote it poorly. I mean there was a chapter about a turtle crossing a road. No book is good when it has a chapter aboyut a turtle crossin the road. I started skippin th random chapters so i could actually get the book. It took me over a month to read it because it was so horrible. Anybody who says this book is good obviously doesnt no what a good book is caus ethis book [...]/blew.

A towering masterpiece. Realistic and poetic at the same time, angry and compassionate, and still amazingly relevant after two-thirds of a century. This brings the Depression more real than anything I have read, and yet it is far from being a depressing book. One of Steinbeck's themes is how when people are cast out and cast down, their basic humanity draws them together into a big family governed by the laws of simple goodness and compassion. Perhaps this is a sentimental view, but it is attained one agonizing step at a time. Against this he sets the impersonal forces of big business, a pitiless economy, besieged communities hiding behind a corrupt police force, and the indifferent hand of nature, portrayed in short interleaved chapters that can be lyrical or bitter, passionate or cynically understated.

These short anonymous sections are absolutely necessary to the scale of the book, but some of them have a set-piece quality that at times seems somewhat dated. Not so Steinbeck's treatment of the main narrative, especially his portrayal of individuals: Tom Joad, prison-hardened and wiser than his years, Casy the preacher who loses his faith to arrive at stronger truths, and Ma Joad who holds the family together. These are people totally of their time and place, and yet timeless, a testament to the almost unquenchable power of the human spirit. And nothing is more moving than the way the novel ends: with a simple act of kindness by one broken human being to another, that in Steinbeck's hands becomes a sacrament of grace, bringing tears to the eyes and hope to the soul.

[PS. I first tried to read THE GRAPES OF WRATH four decades ago, in England in my mid-twenties, but gave up. I found it impossible to follow the dialect, I utterly lacked the knowledge of American history in the Depression era, and I dare say I lacked the life experience to appreciate the book's moral strength. For the second and third of these reasons, at least, I thus find it strange that the novel is so often assigned at the high-school level. After living in the USA now for 35 years, it means so much more to me. This is not because of history or language, but because the issues which made the book relevant in 1939 are still present in American life today, in its politics, its corporate culture, some aspects of its religion... but also in the enduring human spirit which Steinbeck so powerfully celebrates.]