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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
alex2teeuw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's a good novel. A very good novel. The prose is accessible and lucid, and the story is timeless: one which documents the real atrocities of the Great Depression and the tumultuous everyday politics of 1930s America, whist incorporating prophetic biblical references. A radical spirit permeates the novel. Unsurprising, then, that the Grapes of Wrath is admired by the working class - the marginalised are the focus, "the greedy bastards" are vilified for their crimes which are "beyond denunciation". And it is unsurprising that the novel continues to be read today as poverty persists in spite of being in a world of plenty. The accessible prose, the relatable characters, the crime, the hope, and the fears make the Grapes of Wrath loved (and loathed by those who wrongly write it off as rudimentary...).
Steinbeck did his best - as he had hoped - "to rip a reader's nerves to rags". I find it difficult to imagine anything besides. For someone like myself who had not read much leftist literature, the Grapes of Wrath helped me develop class consciousness and a consideration for those who are marginalised. Really - how could anyone who's read the Grapes of Wrath conclude that we live in a just society, a functioning society, a successful society that works for everyone? It changed me.
Also, chapters 5 and 25 are hands-down the best pages of literature ever written. They're beautifully written - analogous to Marx's capital. I feel immense sadness and simultaneous happiness when I read them. I feel the anger.
Also, also, it should not be ignored that there is quite widespread agreement that Steinbeck used (or even plagiarised) some ideas for the Grapes of Wrath from Sanora Babb's 'Whose Names Are Unknown'. It would be worth reading both novels.
Steinbeck did his best - as he had hoped - "to rip a reader's nerves to rags". I find it difficult to imagine anything besides. For someone like myself who had not read much leftist literature, the Grapes of Wrath helped me develop class consciousness and a consideration for those who are marginalised. Really - how could anyone who's read the Grapes of Wrath conclude that we live in a just society, a functioning society, a successful society that works for everyone? It changed me.
Also, chapters 5 and 25 are hands-down the best pages of literature ever written. They're beautifully written - analogous to Marx's capital. I feel immense sadness and simultaneous happiness when I read them. I feel the anger.
Also, also, it should not be ignored that there is quite widespread agreement that Steinbeck used (or even plagiarised) some ideas for the Grapes of Wrath from Sanora Babb's 'Whose Names Are Unknown'. It would be worth reading both novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Murder
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
calamityin's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping
grantsharpies's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
avsdhpn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
thatokiebird's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
The Grapes of Wrath is the story of the Joad family wrapped in tragedy, and most importantly to note is the story of this fictional family is actually the real-life history of unimaginably numerous families in the 1930's America. This is the third book of John Steinbeck's I have read, and I enjoyed this one just as well. All of his books seem to be full of heartbreak and little joy, and yet his writing is just so good. There's nothing flowery about it. No hidden intentions that must be interpreted by the reader. Just straight-forward storytelling with a mix of character and plot moving the story right along. And yet the pace is slow, and the dialogue can occasionally go round and round and be repetitive. But honestly, that can be quite accurate and true to life.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
lowkeymarie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Almost DNF'd this one a few times in the first couple hundred pages but I'm glad I stuck it out. Such a moving story with memorable characters and themes that are still infuriatingly relevant today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Child death
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
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