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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
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
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
heddasch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Death of parent
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
aristarcodisamo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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: Violence and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Blood, Dementia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
khgp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Grief, and Deportation
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, and Colonisation
wilde_read's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
The best literature often has a slow build up. Steinbeck informs us right away within the third chapter about the turtle used as a symbol for the pace and tone of his work. I took my time, stumbled over the Southern dialogue, and made it to the end. I haven't seen the film version with Henry Fonda, (again), yet. There is no way that film version can portray many of the details that are in the written words, it wouldn't have been allowed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Alcoholism and Miscarriage
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
sundayfever's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
This read much faster than I expected given how long it is. Interesting and made me reflect. The core issues around class, poverty and respect for the land are still issues today, despite the age of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Racial slurs