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eraserharris's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
rustedtrains's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Like all Steinbeck novels, the technical skill cannot be questioned - it is wonderful in that sense. His descriptive ability is second to none, no one is arguing otherwise - at least not to me. However, given that Steinbeck took the notes for this book from Sanora Babb’s Whose Names Are Unknown, it changes the whole tone for me from that of an earnest attempt at portraying an issue he cares a lot about - which, I am sure, given the foreword that he did, to an extent, care! - to something a little… I don’t know. The fact that he never once mentions her even before he dies is upsetting. He used her lived experience to write this book because he felt the ends justified the means of getting it out there, and sure. To some extent I agree. But didn’t she deserve a chance to do that, too, in her own words first? It just doesn’t feel right, and takes away from the whole experience for me. I plan on reading her book as well, because I’ve heard comparatively The Grapes of Wrath reads rather stale because of the lack of having lived it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Police brutality
Minor: Racial slurs
capnhist's review
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
everyatom's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The way that the Grapes of Wrath moves as a story is unlike anything else I remember reading. The story makes the reader feel the abrupt pain of losing the family members that walk off, leave, or die . It never feels whole or complete or like those characters' endings were justified. Because they weren't. And the folks they left behind weren't able to get closure or process the absence of their loved ones. I mourned not only the characters as well as how their family was deprived of proper mourning .
I felt the big swell of the message. Where the Joads' story and painsgot continually harsher, slimmer, and harder to comprehend the message of the book becomes stronger and more epic in scope. The chapters between the story of the Joads' were so important to help the reader get that scope and to see the place of the Joads in the larger, unfair system.
I'll be thinking of this book for years. Can almost guarantee. Just sits deeply in me and feels magnificent in scope, message, and pain.
I felt the big swell of the message. Where the Joads' story and pains
I'll be thinking of this book for years. Can almost guarantee. Just sits deeply in me and feels magnificent in scope, message, and pain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
An unnamed dog is hit in the road and dies in the first part of the bookkristiniad's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Animal death, Murder, Child death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
readerette's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is pretty immersive, and despite the heavy use of phonically-spelled dialogue, it was a smooth read. It was easy to feel empathy for the families who had to do what they could to escape the Dust Bowl.
The ending really threw me. I get perhaps an allegory of giving life to something dying but not dead yet, and a continuation of the book theme of these traveling families sharing what they had even when they truly had nothing by most measures, but the specifics are activating my sense of wrongness, for sure. Perhaps mostly because I wonder if a non-male author would have chosen the same action to convey the intended message.
Much too long. Every other chapter is more about broader societal conditions or other families besides the Joads, and I skimmed most of that without feeling like I missed much. People who like lots of detail will probably enjoy reading more closely. I definitely gathered some interesting context from the "extra" chapters, but I didn't need as much as there was.
This story has aged less poorly than other classics I've read, though it's also not that old. Period-typical racism and sexism, including use of the n-word and mention of domestic abuse.
The ending really threw me. I get perhaps an allegory of giving life to something dying but not dead yet, and a continuation of the book theme of these traveling families sharing what they had even when they truly had nothing by most measures, but the specifics are activating my sense of wrongness, for sure. Perhaps mostly because I wonder if a non-male author would have chosen the same action to convey the intended message.
Much too long. Every other chapter is more about broader societal conditions or other families besides the Joads, and I skimmed most of that without feeling like I missed much. People who like lots of detail will probably enjoy reading more closely. I definitely gathered some interesting context from the "extra" chapters, but I didn't need as much as there was.
This story has aged less poorly than other classics I've read, though it's also not that old. Period-typical racism and sexism, including use of the n-word and mention of domestic abuse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Violence, Racial slurs, and Sexism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Murder, Terminal illness, and Alcohol
paguroidea's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
gewrgia_lightwood's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
One of the best books I’ve ever come across
Beautiful writing, brilliant story. Touching, hard, raw.
It deals with a very real problem, a problem as relevant now as ever. The consequences of capitalism, of greed, of money as a ruler are spread thought out this book.
If there is one thing to take away from this book is that solidarity and kindness will always be the weapon of the people. It’s at the darkest times, the people come closer, the people speak up, the people rise up.
Μόνο ο λαός σώζει τον λαό.
Beautiful writing, brilliant story. Touching, hard, raw.
It deals with a very real problem, a problem as relevant now as ever. The consequences of capitalism, of greed, of money as a ruler are spread thought out this book.
If there is one thing to take away from this book is that solidarity and kindness will always be the weapon of the people. It’s at the darkest times, the people come closer, the people speak up, the people rise up.
Μόνο ο λαός σώζει τον λαό.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Animal death, Xenophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, and Colonisation
kaitoro_walker13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
Minor: Racial slurs, Child death, and Miscarriage
arszania's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Animal cruelty, and Animal death