Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by ste3ve_b1rd
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
5.0
I finished this book in November 2012 and so unfortunately some of my relevant first impressions have faded away. The novel starts slowly but eventually gathers steam and in doing so becomes a page-turner. "The Grapes of Wrath" is one of those books that I could not wait to get back to once I'd put it down. It is an age old story that shows how history repeats itself in the way that mankind takes advantage of its fellow humans. Throughout the ages and once again in this tale, wars have been started / are started over property. And here in GOW -- the Okies are driven off their land by ruthless profiteers. All manner of guises of moral superiority come into play so that this exploitation can take place -- via crooked cops, "Commie" haters, greedy bankers and just "the plain old ignorant".
I had always loved the film version of "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) before reading this novel, upon which that film is based. However, the movie pales in comparison to the book. While the film effectively samples and highlights many of the novel's main themes and events -- The deeper resonance, desolation and even horror experienced by the Joad clan and the rest of the Okies, as Steinbeck portrayed them, is diminished in the movie. While the film ends on a lighter, more hopeful note (a sugar-coated ending as is often necessitated by Hollywood) -- The question of the Joad family's survival remains in the balance at the end of the book. One doesn't know whether the Joads are at the end of their rope, whether more struggles await them, and / or whether they'll even survive those struggles.
That being said -- Even at the end of the novel, by way of Steinbeck's poignant imagery, there is a sliver of hope, a silver lining -- That tells the reader this: No matter how little we think we have to give, we will always have something more to offer, should we choose to dig deep down -- The resources will be there. It is this kind of thinking that helps the Joad clan to survive throughout the entire saga. "The Grapes of Wrath" confronts the harsh, bitter reality of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression -- Wherein dreams are deferred and sacrifices become a way of everyday life.
I had always loved the film version of "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) before reading this novel, upon which that film is based. However, the movie pales in comparison to the book. While the film effectively samples and highlights many of the novel's main themes and events -- The deeper resonance, desolation and even horror experienced by the Joad clan and the rest of the Okies, as Steinbeck portrayed them, is diminished in the movie. While the film ends on a lighter, more hopeful note (a sugar-coated ending as is often necessitated by Hollywood) -- The question of the Joad family's survival remains in the balance at the end of the book. One doesn't know whether the Joads are at the end of their rope, whether more struggles await them, and / or whether they'll even survive those struggles.
That being said -- Even at the end of the novel, by way of Steinbeck's poignant imagery, there is a sliver of hope, a silver lining -- That tells the reader this: No matter how little we think we have to give, we will always have something more to offer, should we choose to dig deep down -- The resources will be there. It is this kind of thinking that helps the Joad clan to survive throughout the entire saga. "The Grapes of Wrath" confronts the harsh, bitter reality of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression -- Wherein dreams are deferred and sacrifices become a way of everyday life.