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thatokiebird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For the most part, I didn't particularly like any of the characters in the book. They're all flawed and make poor decisions, and interact with each other in ways where you feel a bit bad for the opposite character. And yet, these facts didn't take away from the book like I would expect. It made it almost more believable in a way. Because you don't necessarily have to like a person to empathize with their situation and hope for a better outcome for them.
Reading The Grapes of Wrath was actually a bit of a relief for me - I haven't liked the majority of the classic novels I've read in the last year and I was beginning to fear I simply don't like that genre any more. But I did enjoy this one, and will certainly continue reading John Steinbeck's other books.
Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child death, Murder, and Miscarriage
loveislandkentuky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I think this is the best classic I've ever read. I have not read a lot of Steinbeck but I'm starting to think maybe I should. Going into it, I had no expectations for what the book would be like except that I had gotten a good recommendation, so you can imagine my surprise when it turns out to be the most anti-capitalist book I've ever read.
Throughout the book, Steinbeck portrays heavy anti-capitalist, anti-cop, anti-big-owner, ideas and it was very interesting to read about. When the book was released originally, it was met with great backlash due to this but I think no matter if you loved it or hated it, it really gets you thinking and questioning your own beliefs, which I believe is above all, the mark of great literature.
Although it is an old book, the ideas are not too dated (besides of course use of the n-word as well as some misogynistic family value ideas) and the language is still very easy to understand. Steinbeck's work remarkably stood the test of time.
I think he has an interesting portrayal of characters as well as just enough plot so that his ideologies do not take over the book completely. I really enjoyed his in-between chapters, where Steinbeck would enter an entirely different point of view and discuss happenings of the time. It added great context to what was happening at the time as well as what you could expect from the chapter. It was like every chapter had its own little prologue which I really liked.
This is not to say that the book was perfect, there were some questionable points, but overall the book was very enjoyable for me, and I really did like it a lot. It's a long read, but I would definitely say it was worth it.
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Racial slurs
giuliana_ferrari's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Child death
annapox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Animal death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Domestic abuse
noshelf_control's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Murder, and Police brutality