A review by giuliana_ferrari
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

The Grapes of Wraith is defined as "one of the Great American Novels". As someone that was not born nor doesn't live in the United States, considering this read as a 5.0 truly gives away how amazing this book is. There is so much to reflect on: the symbolic motifs of human struggle, the way life goes on even when hope seems to have been all but gone, the development of a family that evolves into a unit as fractured and chaotic as the environment around them. It's a story of love, pain, family and exploitation. It's a clear criticism of how the system of the "greatest country of the world" is broken, and it was written 80 years ago! The way the struggles of a family unravels into the landscape of grief, hard work, and the fight for survival of thousands of individuals is truly astonishing. Steinbeck bounces back from a closer perspective on the Joads to a general read on the current scenario of 'Dust Bowl' migrants during the Great Depression, weaving thoughts, commentary, and warnings into the narrative. Truly one of those books that you feel sad that you won't ever have again the experience of reading it for the first time.
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