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A review by nincrony1
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Phew. Devastated.
I knew next to nothing about The Grapes of Wrath outside of its setting, the family were called the Joads and the novel’s storied place in the annals of classic literature. I just wasn’t prepared for it be so unrelentingly sad. There are glimmers of hope throughout but Steinbeck pulls no punches and I can imagine reading this in the late 30s/early 40s must have been akin to a radical text. Its almost Biblical ending deeply unnerved me. The book’s ability, through its language and colloquial dialect, to firmly places us in this unforgiving world is staggering. The way the novel’s tone changes (the interlude chapters greatly help with this but I can imagine beleaguered students studying the book in schools skipping these), the goal to reach California morphing into a new kind of nightmare, and the Joad’s unrelenting belief in a better tomorrow despite everything makes it all the harder to bear. I can’t say I always enjoyed actively reading the book but it’s hard to argue what a monumental achievement it still is.
I knew next to nothing about The Grapes of Wrath outside of its setting, the family were called the Joads and the novel’s storied place in the annals of classic literature. I just wasn’t prepared for it be so unrelentingly sad. There are glimmers of hope throughout but Steinbeck pulls no punches and I can imagine reading this in the late 30s/early 40s must have been akin to a radical text. Its almost Biblical ending deeply unnerved me. The book’s ability, through its language and colloquial dialect, to firmly places us in this unforgiving world is staggering. The way the novel’s tone changes (the interlude chapters greatly help with this but I can imagine beleaguered students studying the book in schools skipping these), the goal to reach California morphing into a new kind of nightmare, and the Joad’s unrelenting belief in a better tomorrow despite everything makes it all the harder to bear. I can’t say I always enjoyed actively reading the book but it’s hard to argue what a monumental achievement it still is.