The Grapes of Wrath

I was forced to read this in school, and didn't find it very engaging or exciting. It has historical value, but it wasn't fun to read. I remember the ending being anti-climactic even though someone died...

I like the first 20 chapters over the last 10, however, I really liked the ending. That ending is a gut punch.
Now I understand why Lady Bird and mom were crying in that film.
I also understand why other people despise this book, as Steinbeck wrote in a very messy way.

I just didn't get it. I thought it was unbearable in its dull, neverending descriptions of the most boring elements of peoples' lives. Maybe I should try again. I have a beautiful vintage copy.

Very good but hard to read. Deserves all the fuss.

What a powerful book. The particulars of the Joad family are vivid and heart rending, but Steinbeck really shines in the intermittent chapters that paint the broader picture of the period.

I don't know how I haven't read this book before now. But I'm so glad to be reading it now. It was a little eerie at times – we are (again) seeing the unhealthy concentration of wealth and the poor suffering from our knowing ignorance of the needs of the earth.

The Grapes of Wrath follows the Joad family who were Oklahoma sharecroppers forced to migrate west during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. After the bank seizes their drought-stricken farm, the Joad family, head to California in search of work and a better life. Along the way, they encounter hardship and exploitation, and meet other families making the same journey. This is a five star book, in my opinion. The hardships, heartbreak and misery contained within should make you not want to read it; but it is so well done that the exact opposite happens. With themes of hardship, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit I don’t see how one could not read this book and be changed by it. There but for the grace of God go I comes to mind.

Crazy comfy idk why

A classic for a reason! Lived up to the hype and then some

A classic I actually like. This was an Audible listen

found the prose a little stale but with some great moments

chapter 25 will stick with me for years

loved the themes and portrayals, a lot to unpack

4.75⭐️

Key takeaways:

- I often remind myself how fortunate I am to be alive at this time in history. I've never been more grateful than I am as I finish this book. I can't imagine watching my family starve to death, knowing that no matter what I do, I can't fix it. It's heartbreaking knowing that there are many people in this position around the globe even now.
- This book wasn't intended to teach any financial lessons, but it was a good reminder to be cautious with money, even in the good times. It is easy to forget that hard times will likely come again.
- Be kind. You don't know what others are going through. In most cases, if you are better off than someone, luck played a big role in your circumstances.

waoh......

Fantastic! Review to come...

Incredible story of a family trying to survive during the Great Depression that is strangely relevant even today. Loved the characters (especially Má and Tom) and the colloquial language.

4.5 stars.

I first read this book back in high school and remembered absolutely loving it. The second time around, I found some of the story, particularly the ending to be overly melodramatic. However, I don't want to take away from John Steinbeck's amazing ear for language and the attitude of a lot of folks who lived during the Depression.

Longer of you to come.

She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously.

This books shows that the only thing more cruel than humans is nature. I wonder if that's why it's called human nature? This is historical fiction about people who flood to California for a better life because the Dust Bowl has ravaged southern America. They then realize California is no sanctuary and must battle police brutality, a corrupted farmers alliance, disease, starvation and nature itself. I loved Steinbeck's writing style but it's like the ending just came out of nowhere. He could've written at least 50 more pages but I guess he just didn't know what to write and just left it at that.

This was an exceptional experience. I really enjoyed it. I am glad I read this as an adult. It was a depressing read set during the great depression and, as such, was about as poignant as it gets. Steinbeck is a master. Once again, I am glad to have had more from him to explore.

4.25 stars/5 .
The main things that I've appreciated in the book-1. the family bonding, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the Joad family members had a close connection with each of them esp Ma, her support of Rosahran and Tom during the hard times,2. the characterisation- most of the characters were not one dimensional and layered and even Rose who wasn't that noteworthy, her kindness and bravery during the last scene of the book were pretty commendable, Casy wasn't a very strict religious ex-preacher, he has his disagreements with his almighty3. The end was pretty anti-climatic but I guess Steinbeck wanted to end it realistically without too much sadness or unnatural happiness, the migrant workers' condition is still unknown and hard, Tom probably following Casey's path and maybe he's going to die, Noah, Connie had no mention at last(although I hate him still).....

I do not know what I can say that hasn't already been said. Steinbeck captures humanity in this story, he captures the fight for a dignified life, he questions America as it is, and points all throughout to an answer hidden in all of our hearts and minds.

I read up to chapter 11, then read reviews and summaries of the book before reading the ending and moving this to my ???did not finish??? shelf.

(Note: I had to create a ???did not finish??? shelf just for this book. I am not the sort to perpetually start reading books only to toss them aside unfinished.)

I could see what the author was doing and appreciated that he accomplished his goal so well but I just have no interest in spending more hours of my life continuing to read the rest of the book.

The descriptive scenes of the environment are beautifully cinematic in their composition and there is a description of an iron man on an iron monster (a tractor driven by a man who has become little more than a replaceable cog in a wheel) that is so stunningly written that I dog-eared the page so I could easily find it again.

Aside from those two things of note, however, the book has no redeeming qualities. Not every story needs to have a happy ending or to be uplifting or positive or hopeful to be a good one (this one has none of those qualities), but when it is also not in the least bit enjoyable to read, I have a hard time justifying spending time I can never regain on continuing to read it.

Not one of the characters introduced thus far is at all likable or endearing. Their dialogue is so excessively riddled with profanity that I counted over 80 occurrances before I stopped numbering them (and remember, I only read chapters 1-10). The ending is not at all satisfying and is actually quite strange; perhaps even a little disturbing.

All in all, this was just not the book for me. There are others that I think far more worthy of the descriptors commonly bestowed upon masterful works, and I could not be happier (or more relieved) to put this book away knowing I shall never finish it so I can move on to another (much better) classic.

Painful and gut-wrenching prose. It will hit you like a punch which requires more than a few moments to catch your breath. Steinback weaves the story with prose that makes you want to complete it as fast as you can and savour it for a little longer.

P.S. The end hit me the hardest and was duly addressed with a meltdown.

Classicone che prima o poi si deve leggere, probabilmente presente in moltissime librerie, forse più americane che nostre, visto che Steinbeck è considerato un Manzoni statunitense che viene letto a scuol: “Furore” è quello che per noi sono “I promessi sposi”. E diciamo che sebbene la storia sia completamente diversa, ambientata in epoche distantissime tra loro e con temi completamente dissimili, il polpettone è servito per entrambi.

Steinbeck sa scrivere, su questo non ci piove, ci sono una paio di capitolo inziali (quelli quasi slegati dalla storia narrata) che sarebbero da incorniciare e appendere come sfondi in una libreria... anche i personaggi sono caratterizzati come meglio non si potrebbe chiedere ad un autore di un romanzo; solo che personalmente i componenti della famiglia Joad, in fuga dalla misera dei campi durante la depressione americana del ‘29 e che si troveranno in una miseria e disperazione ancora più grande, non li ho sopportati da subito e più proseguivo con la lettura più diventavano ai miei occhi indisponenti, ignoranti, incomprensibili nel loro modo di pensare e di essere.

La resa quasi giornalistica dei fatti, sebbene romanzata, mi ha ricordato molto per esempio “A sangue freddo” di Capote, solo che qui mi ha annoiato all'inverosimile e invece di sentirmi solidale con la disperazione dei protagonisti mi ha reso ancora più avulso nella storia, per non parlare poi del finale: ho praticamente portato avanti la storia per capire solamente come sarebbe finita, per poi non essere soddisfatto nemmeno in quello.

Interpreto sempre come una mia mancanza personale quando leggo un classico e non riesco a farmelo piacere, sebbene accada di rado, perchè penso sempre che sia io quello che sbaglia, che non ha le basi per capirlo, ma questo libro mi ha veramente deluso, annoiato e in molti tratto infastidito E non ho voglia neanche di stare qui ad analizzarne il perchè. Voglio solo cambiare pagina e alla svelta. La seconda stella è data da quei due capitolo iniziali e dal fatto di essere venuto a conoscenza in una vicenda americana di cui avevo solo sentito parlare e a me la storia è sempre piaciuta.

Di più proprio non riesco, ora qualcosa di veramente leggero per mandare giù questo polpettone.