A review by bettydraper
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

dark reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

the last time i read a steinbeck novel i was in 9th grade english. nearly seven years later, i finally decided to pick up the grapes of wrath and boy did i forget how moving steinbeck's works are. it definitely took me a bit to get into the book, but once the story picked up for me i could not stop thinking about it. i was doubtful about his choice to alternate between the joad storyline and society at large but it really hammered in how the experiences of the joad family couldn't be credited to bad luck - everyone at the time (at least farmers and low-income families) was suffering. it's horrifying to think that this book is accurate and that actual, living people had to live in such awful conditions. the worst part? not much has changed!
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