throwback682 's review for:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

5.0

challenging dark inspiring reflective sad

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

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In some ways I wish I’d read this book much earlier in life but on the other hand I think I got more out of it reading it in 2025. 

It’s hard to say what my favorite part is, as I loved the characters, the plot, and the lessons, but I think probably the best thing for me was the sort of lyrical passages between the plot advancing portions. They really brought you deeper into the setting and made you feel almost like a character in the story. They heightened the emotion and were just beautiful even when they were sad. 

This book was definitely depressing as shit but in some ways I think it’s hopeful. It shows the resilience of poor folks and what we can do if we stick together. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Police brutality, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Murder, Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit

One of the CW would be a spoiler in my opinion so I’m putting it here instead

stillbirth

Keep in mind the book was written and is set in the 1930s for context/cultural norms. It’s hard to say if there’s sexual violence really…. There are some times that the men are talking about women they’ve slept with that are definitely questionable, and there’s one scene where a man is assaulting a woman (not necessarily sexually, idk?) and she’s fighting him off but then they both start laughing. There’s also talk of a man beating his wife etc. but it doesn’t actually happen Indigenous and Black folks are both casually referred to as slurs a handful of times This is a book about poverty in the Great Depression. There is a lot of hunger, sickness, and exploitation.