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signeskov's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage
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, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Terminal illness, Murder, and Alcohol
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: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, and Colonisation
larseneiii's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
....why the fuck did it end like that....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Genocide, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.75
I bought The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck because I enjoyed reading Of Mice and Men in high school.
Blurb:
In this novel, Steinbeck alternates between macro and micro views of history. The bulk of the book follows the Joad family as they are forced out of their farmland by corporate landowners during the manmade environmental crisis known as the Dust Bowl. They pile their large family and most important worldly possessions into a sedan-turned-pickup truck and make the arduous drive from Oklahoma to California in search of work. In the alternating shorter chapters, Steinbeck outlines the migration of sharecroppers and other poor farmers from regions affected by the Dust Bowl to California, where they struggled due to low wages, inhumane business practices, and hostile locals. These chapters frame the story of the Joads as part of a larger historical movement.
Review:
There is no getting around the fact that The Grapes of Wrath is a slow-paced read, description-heavy, and full of small details. However, this appears to be intentional—any boredom or frustration the reader feels helps them empathize with the main characters, who must tediously travel halfway across the country in an old, rickety sedan-turned-pickup truck that could break down at any moment. Herein lies the genius of The Grapes of Wrath: Steinbeck writes his narrative and characters so realistically that I actually felt as though I was along for the ride with the Joads as they drove to California and searched desperately for work. Every character in this novel feels like a real human being, and Steinbeck avoids falling into the common trap of depicting lower-class characters as either monstrous or angelic. I rooted for the Joads every step of the way: their victories were my victories, their defeats my defeats. Their dialogue is full of wisdom: if I were a person who annotated my books, I would have highlighted and starred several phrases per page.
The realistic portrayal of the migrants and their travails as well as the intelligent, brilliantly written social commentary transforms this book into a powerful anti-capitalist work. I have never read a book that so effectively made me despise capitalism and the American police institution. Steinbeck achieves this without appearing preachy or sacrificing the realism of his story. The Grapes of Wrath absolutely deserves its status as a Pulitzer Prize winner and American masterpiece.
Sidenote:
The Grapes of Wrath contains several instances of sexism and racism (including the occasional use of the n-word). The racism is restricted to a handful of off-hand remarks made by the characters, while the sexism shows up more frequently. However, these instances serve mainly to accurately reflect the attitudes of the people it follows, and I personally did not get the feeling that the author was championing such views. The story itself contains several strong, capable, well-written female characters and the book’s overall message champions human dignity. However, every reader will have their own interpretation of these aspects of the book, and it is important to keep in mind if you are sensitive to these topics in literature.
The Grapes of Wrath contains several instances of sexism and racism (including the occasional use of the n-word). The racism is restricted to a handful of off-hand remarks made by the characters, while the sexism shows up more frequently. However, these instances serve mainly to accurately reflect the attitudes of the people it follows, and I personally did not get the feeling that the author was championing such views. The story itself contains several strong, capable, well-written female characters and the book’s overall message champions human dignity. However, every reader will have their own interpretation of these aspects of the book, and it is important to keep in mind if you are sensitive to these topics in literature.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like The Grapes of Wrath if:
· You have enjoyed other works by Steinbeck (if you have not read any of his other work, I recommend starting out with a short story or novella by him first to see if you like his writing style)
· You are a fan of the artistic movement known as realism and/or you enjoy stories that realistically portray the lives of everyday, working-class people
· You want to learn more about the human side of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl
· You are interested in anti-capitalist and anti-police literature
· You have experienced displacement from your home due to environmental, political, or social factors
You might not like The Grapes of Wrath if:
· You dislike description-heavy, slow-paced books where “nothing happens” for pages on end
· You dislike stories with ambiguous/open endings
· You want to read a cheerful story
A Similar Book:
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (1906). Similarities between The Jungle and The Grapes of Wrath include:
· Stories that follow migrant working-class families who attempt to build a life for themselves in a harsh, cruel capitalist system
· Pro-socialist messages
· Realistic depictions of working conditions in American history
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Classism, and Deportation
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Car accident
mvtthewyng's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Vomit
annapox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- 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
The story was good. The writing was so detailed as to become boring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
amehlia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
“How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past?”
I picked up Steinbeck’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, in a Waterstones in Surrey several years ago and just a few minutes after purchasing had the ending spoiled for me immediately. I didn’t pick it up to read for a long time, but I am so glad I did.
This novel is brilliant and heart-wrenching, it carries you on an immense journey through Dust Bowl America during the Great Depression, beautifully and tragically capturing the plight of the migrant labourers in California in both his extended chapters dedicated to the Joad family and also the alternate shorter chapters that do a fantastic job of contextualising their situation and setting the wider scene. Steinbeck does a fantastic job of hooking you in and committing the reader to the Joads and their story. It took me a long time to finish because I didn’t want the story to be over
The slow pace of this book meant it took a couple of chapters to get me hooked, but when it did I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’m not sure what to do with myself now that I’ve finished it. Any book that has this sort of effect on a reader is, in my opinion, an epic novel. It makes for a bold social commentary not just in its own time, but is relevant today with negative attitudes towards migrants, and natural disasters and conflict displacing many more families that will undertake a journey similar to that of the Joads.
Overall, one of my new all-time favourites although I don’t think this will become a re-read. I’m not sure I can put myself through it again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Religious bigotry