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elissa_t's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is my second Steinbeck book and I’m starting my third tomorrow. I will not lie, this book is thick and I was super intimidated by it, but the sorry captivated me and the themes are still very relevant in 2025. I like how the chapters were broken up by small chapters that described tbe scenes, the mood of people and the economics of the time. That helped illustrate the story even more so, along with the characters and dialogue. As someone who lives in California who’s grandparents immigrated here like tbe Joads, I had an extra layer of empathy and understanding. And also sadness. The shear magnitude of how poor, desolate, distraught, worried and lost these characters are made me very emotional. The ending was also perfect. Sad. But perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
zltrail's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
dani_07's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
I was forced to read this book for AP Lang and I hated it. My teacher totally dragged it out for 3 months and we did stupid assignments relating to the novel which made me hate it more. I thought the book was boring and I did not like the ending. Give me one good reason why Rose of Sharon bre$t feeding a man was the perfect ending to an already dreadful book. You can't, because there is no good reason. Although it may play into the theme of unity it was totally weird. There had to be a better way to showcase the theme and wrap up the book. Besides the ending being weird I also hated it because I like a book with a happy ending, or at least some hope, and Steinbeck left me with nothing but disappointment and sadness. I did appreciate the biblical allusion and some of the themes, but ultimately it was weird, pointless, and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
chemwhiz95's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstenadf's review against another edition
challenging
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
One of the most powerful and confronting books that I have read. After I finished reading the book, the characters stayed close to my thoughts for years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
emileeandherbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.0
BAHAHAHAHA that ending!!!!!!!!!!! I could probably go on about how the ending has a deeper meaning, but instead you get my raw reaction haha.
Anyway. Screw the 1%! Eat the rich!
Anyway pt. 2. I found this book to be very slow and often times very boring, but when it was good it was really good - and it got me thinking about rich vs. poor, which I’m always thinking about.
I think the whole message is that we can all choose to be kind, have humanity, and become ‘one’ (hi, communism!!❤️). If we all chose to take care of one another, there wouldn’t be these massive economic gaps that are crippling for the lesser end. I noticed that both rich vs. poor during this book would break ‘societal rules’ / the law but if crime was done by a starving, impoverished person who had trial after trial, I felt it was justified; like stealing or even violent reactions sometimes (how could you not get violent/angry when you’re literally dying alongside your family?) Whereas the rich would shoot people off their property, attack them in the night or call the cops on them. Which is DISGUSTING behavior. Completely uncalled for. I don’t know if what I’m trying to say here makes sense.
America clearly has an issue with poverty and always has. Which is extremely disheartening. I don’t want to give up though because no matter what, I can help someone somehow. Once we give up, it really will crumble. WE ARE THE MANY! STAND TOGETHER 4EVER!
Lastly, these migrants had it ROUGH! If you want a real, painful look into the Dust Bowl years then read on! If you want a happy book then seriously, go find another read. 9/10 times something bad is happening.
Anyway. Screw the 1%! Eat the rich!
Anyway pt. 2. I found this book to be very slow and often times very boring, but when it was good it was really good - and it got me thinking about rich vs. poor, which I’m always thinking about.
I think the whole message is that we can all choose to be kind, have humanity, and become ‘one’ (hi, communism!!❤️). If we all chose to take care of one another, there wouldn’t be these massive economic gaps that are crippling for the lesser end. I noticed that both rich vs. poor during this book would break ‘societal rules’ / the law but if crime was done by a starving, impoverished person who had trial after trial, I felt it was justified; like stealing or even violent reactions sometimes (how could you not get violent/angry when you’re literally dying alongside your family?) Whereas the rich would shoot people off their property, attack them in the night or call the cops on them. Which is DISGUSTING behavior. Completely uncalled for. I don’t know if what I’m trying to say here makes sense.
America clearly has an issue with poverty and always has. Which is extremely disheartening. I don’t want to give up though because no matter what, I can help someone somehow. Once we give up, it really will crumble. WE ARE THE MANY! STAND TOGETHER 4EVER!
Lastly, these migrants had it ROUGH! If you want a real, painful look into the Dust Bowl years then read on! If you want a happy book then seriously, go find another read. 9/10 times something bad is happening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death and Racial slurs
zeynepsiir's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Not my favorite Steinbeck, but still a very good read. It’s one of the saddest books out there for me, and it made me cry in the end. The Joad family is now in my heart forever.
Çeviriyi ne kadar sevdiğimden emin değilim, bazı seçimler rastgele gibi geldi (Rose of Sharon vs. Rozaşarn)
Çeviriyi ne kadar sevdiğimden emin değilim, bazı seçimler rastgele gibi geldi (Rose of Sharon vs. Rozaşarn)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death and Death
paddyj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- 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
I read this many many years ago, but wanted to read it again because many of the plot elements have circled around again in America, namely poverty, migrants searching for a better life, hostility and xenophobia, and a monied class all to eager to exploit them.
GoW is approx 80 years old and it remains current and valuable if for no other reason to show how far we have come and what we are in danger of going back to.
The Joad family is forced off their farm by the banks, they travel to California with the promise of work, but find their new home unwelcoming to the extreme.
1930s America has no social safety nets: no unemployment, no social security, no welfare of any sort, no minimum wage, and no labor unions. You worked or you starved. And the owners exploited this desperation, by paying as little as they could.
It's really an astounding indictment of America, and doubly astounding that there are some who wish to go back there.
Tom Joad gets all the praise, but Ma Joad is the really driving force here. With absolutely nothing - and I mean nothing - she always looked for ways to help people in need.
GoW is approx 80 years old and it remains current and valuable if for no other reason to show how far we have come and what we are in danger of going back to.
The Joad family is forced off their farm by the banks, they travel to California with the promise of work, but find their new home unwelcoming to the extreme.
1930s America has no social safety nets: no unemployment, no social security, no welfare of any sort, no minimum wage, and no labor unions. You worked or you starved. And the owners exploited this desperation, by paying as little as they could.
It's really an astounding indictment of America, and doubly astounding that there are some who wish to go back there.
Tom Joad gets all the praise, but Ma Joad is the really driving force here. With absolutely nothing - and I mean nothing - she always looked for ways to help people in need.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder
soupyyy's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Death
megantyler's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs