The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized--and sometimes outraged--millions of readers. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read A Penguin Classic First published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads--driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man's fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman's stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck's powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics. This Penguin Classics edition contains an introduction and notes by Steinbeck scholar Robert Demott. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Community Reviews
I wouldn’t often refer to a book as a masterpiece, but I really feel like this one falls under that category. It was recommended to me by a friend after we read The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah with our book club. Having grown up in the U.K., my American history is a little limited and I was interested to learn more. The Grapes of Wrath certainly provides this!
Set in America in the 1930s, this novel explores the Dust Bowl conditions endured by those who lived on and farmed the land during that time period. It goes on to portray the harsh fates of the thousands who left to seek a new lives on the West Coast.
Equally, however, this is a book about the people of the time. Steinbeck provides his readers with insights into how people thought then, their opinions on many current matters, their morals and beliefs, and how they approached and coped with the extreme circumstances. We observe each set of circumstances though the eyes of farmers, preachers, convicts, used-car salesmen, roadside diner proprietors, cotton farmers, bankers and even their children.
The format is also really effective. Some chapters follow the Joed family and their own experiences of travelling West. Other chapters speak generically of what life was like for those labelled “Oakies” as they lost their land and moved West looking for work, but also what impact this had on those living in the places being flooded with immigrants. This format does a marvelous job of setting the scene and offering multiple points of view. It also cleverly shows the passing of time from one chapter to the next.
The Grapes of Wrath is not a light read. In fact, it is sobering in a very fundamental way. I think this is because, for the most part, it is based on real life. These things actually happened to thousands of real people. For me, it was all the little details in Steinbeck's writing that were heartbreaking, like a family talking through which of their possessions they would have room to pack to take with them, and listening to them discussing their dreams of how much better their lives would be once they got to California while knowing, for the history I did know, that this was not going to be the case.
I wondered how Steinbeck would wrap up his great novel and he did not disappoint. The ending was
rather unexpected, but very fitting and poetic.
I listened to the audiobook which is read excellently by Dylan Baker. His voice is so relaxing to listen to and his accents were fantastic. I also loved the harmonica riffs in between chapters which really helped to set the mood.
Set in America in the 1930s, this novel explores the Dust Bowl conditions endured by those who lived on and farmed the land during that time period. It goes on to portray the harsh fates of the thousands who left to seek a new lives on the West Coast.
Equally, however, this is a book about the people of the time. Steinbeck provides his readers with insights into how people thought then, their opinions on many current matters, their morals and beliefs, and how they approached and coped with the extreme circumstances. We observe each set of circumstances though the eyes of farmers, preachers, convicts, used-car salesmen, roadside diner proprietors, cotton farmers, bankers and even their children.
The format is also really effective. Some chapters follow the Joed family and their own experiences of travelling West. Other chapters speak generically of what life was like for those labelled “Oakies” as they lost their land and moved West looking for work, but also what impact this had on those living in the places being flooded with immigrants. This format does a marvelous job of setting the scene and offering multiple points of view. It also cleverly shows the passing of time from one chapter to the next.
The Grapes of Wrath is not a light read. In fact, it is sobering in a very fundamental way. I think this is because, for the most part, it is based on real life. These things actually happened to thousands of real people. For me, it was all the little details in Steinbeck's writing that were heartbreaking, like a family talking through which of their possessions they would have room to pack to take with them, and listening to them discussing their dreams of how much better their lives would be once they got to California while knowing, for the history I did know, that this was not going to be the case.
I wondered how Steinbeck would wrap up his great novel and he did not disappoint. The ending was
rather unexpected, but very fitting and poetic.
I listened to the audiobook which is read excellently by Dylan Baker. His voice is so relaxing to listen to and his accents were fantastic. I also loved the harmonica riffs in between chapters which really helped to set the mood.
Listened to the audio book. Got a little long-winded at times, but moved along enough to keep my Interest.
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