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Summary: Grapes of Wrath: A Book Review by Leah Wilson
Review: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are the values upon which our country was founded. Yet history has shown that this has not been the case for many people living in the United States. Americans have been restricted from these rights because of unalterable circumstances such as race, sex, religion, or in the case of Grapes of Wrath, because of economic status. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck takes place during the 1930's, a time of nation wide economic hardship. Many books have been written about the great depression but this book is unique in its focus on another great tragedy effecting the country at the same time. The great dust bowl caused the migration of thousands of people from the Midwest US to the state of California in search of a better life for their families. This book addresses the hardships suffered by those families. This book is very effective in portraying these struggles both generally and personally. Steinbeck chose to alternate chapters between general descriptions of the country's struggles and the story of one specific family by the name of Joad. The general descriptions display the widespread difficulties people everywhere were suffering by describing the people as a general, family unit, "And the man, the leader of the family, leaned from the car. Can we pull in here an sleep?" (Steinbeck, p268) These chapters addressing the "big picture" were followed by chapters that brought the issue to life by displaying the struggles of the Joad family. This alternation of big picture, small picture story telling resulted in a well-rounded image of a time period in American history. So much can be gained from this book it is a definite asset to anyone's reading list. Not only is it a great chronicle of history, it is a story about the American dream, and the quality of life. The length of the book shouldn't provide an obstacle for a reader seeing as how it is neither exceptionally long nor short and it maintains a good amount of excitement and adventure throughout the novel. The only thing that may be distracting to some readers is the periodic breakaway from the main story line. However, if one can see this as a valuable literary device instead of an obstacle, it will actually provide a greater understanding of the time period. The Grapes of Wrath provides a great insight into a period of history. By reading the book, the reader is left with greater understanding and empathy for those who lived during the dust bowl of 1930. The bravery and strength that is demonstrated by the Joad family is both phenomenal and inspiring. It is a good example for people today who are suffering through difficult times. When these people where faced with hardship, they did not roll over and die. They picked up their lives and their families and they set out determined to find a way to protect and provide for themselves. At a time when everyday people in our country are turning to drugs, gangs, or crime as solutions to their problems, a great lesson can be learned from these families: The world is not perfect but that is no excuse to give up on life. And life was the picture John Steinbeck was trying to relay in his book. A raw, honest look at life during a time of great hardship and trial. The Joad family was an excellent portrayal of a typical family from the Midwest in search of the better life they had been promised elsewhere. Steinbeck characterized the family through dialogue that depicts both the diction and accent of a typical Midwest family in the 1930's, " 'You jus' goin wes'?' 'Jus' on our way.' 'You ain't never been in California?'" (278). Choosing to maintain the dialogue in this natural state adds to the authenticity of the novel and creates a better picture for the reader.
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Summary: Really about the Depression
Review: I thought the Grapes of Wrath was a good book because it talked about the time of the great depression. It gave a second hand look.
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Summary: didn't finish. Too long
Review: i don't know, am I missing something? GRAPES of wrath? I am an avid wine-drinker and I figured it would have some vineyards in it or something grape-related. Nobody drinks wine or eats grapes because there is no grapes to eat. Not even raisins. Just dust. and when they move to california - only THE GRAPE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD (! ), they don't go to any vineyards. They just sit around with a bunch of other people looking for jobs. So I don't understand the grape symbolism. And some friends of mine from high school kept talking about a turtle. Whatever. Yeah a turtle shows up for about a page or two - big deal! Why didn't he call it Turtle of Wrath! Back to comic books for me!
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Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: This is a monumental work on the midwesteners' migration to California during the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression. Steinbeck very movingly depicts the plight and the steadfastness of the displaced. Man versus Nature and Man's inhumanity to Man have never been better discussed. Extremely well-written, I enjoyed every word of the book even though this is the third time I've read it. Ma Joad becomes the de facto head of the "fambly" and her spirit is indomitable. The cruelty of "the haves" to "the have-nots" stabs one in the heart. Reading this work will leave one a better and more humble person. It will also remind one of hard times and the distinct possibilty such times could come again. Will our will to survive be as great as the "Okies?" I doubt it.This edition has fairly large print which makes it very easy on the eyes. I heartily recommend this towering work of Steinbeck's to young and old alike. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: grapes of wrath
Review: This book demonstrated the cruelty that we, as human beings, can demonstrate on one another. But, it also shows the perseverance of a strong family to maintain the family life. Steinbeck brought out the reality of life in this book that we can still find going on today. This book could easily be held up as a major reason for the downfall of the human race.
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Summary: The Grapes of Wrath
Review: The first thing that came to mind when I read Steinbeck's classic The Grapes of Wrath was its parallel to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle - the downward spiral of a migrant family who find themselves in a struggle to subsist in abject poverty. (Fortunately, where Sinclair rams Socialism down our throats in The Jungle, Steinbeck merely offers us a spoonful here.) Steinbeck provides wonderful development for each character in this story; though none of them could be called bright, each figure possesses a unique depth and personality. Tom Joad is the angst-ridden main character who has just been released from serving a long prison sentence. Ma is the family matriarch who provides strength and optimism even in the worst times. Jim Clancy is the fallen preacher who joins the Joad's on their sojourn. (Clancy is certainly the novel's most over-analyzed character - he has been likened to a metaphor for Jesus Christ, but I just didn't see it.) This now classic tale takes place during 1930's, and is about a family of Oklahoma Dustbowl farmers who, like countless others, migrate to California after losing their farm. But they don't give up without a fight, leaving only when the bulldozers come to raze their home. Packing up all of their possessions in the family jalopy, they make their way across a Depression Era America that has little pity on "ignorant Okies". Along the way they meet other Okies fleeing back home from California after finding only starvation in the so-called promised land. (One of the most heart wrenching figures in the novel is the Okie who is returning after helplessly watching his child die of starvation). But, just like the Rudkis family in The Jungle, the Joad's are sure that, with some hard work, things will be different for them. Though the family does find work picking fruit, it is not the Garden of Eden they'd hoped it would be. Even the children must endure twelve hour days of backbreaking work in the hot sun under the cruel eye of their supervisors at their slave-labor-like work camps. They are forced to live in infested wooden shacks called "company housing", and to buy their food at the "company store" whose prices are exorbitant and which comes out of their already paltry pay. The most horrifically ironic part is that while their meals usually consist of gruel "with bacon grease for strength", they dare not eat the fruit they pick for fear of swift and severe punishment. Forced to flee the camp after Tom assaults a would-be rapist, the family is all but lost. The final scene is heart wrenching and unforgettable - and proves Ma's claim that the poor are the ones who can be counted when somebody is in need. The Grapes of Wrath is considered one of this century's greatest literary masterpieces, and with good reason. Its many layers are deeply thought-provoking - and provides insightful social commentary which could address many issues we deal with even today. Read it!
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Summary: I loved it
Review: I hadn't picked up a novel in about ten years. I gave a paperback version to my husband for Christmas a couple years ago, because I knew it was one of his favorites. I had seen the movie but not read the book. He said the book was a lot better and even had a different ending. I was intrigued. I loved the descriptive nature of the book. I need that to stay interested in books. I need to feel as if I am a member of the group in the story. It was one tragedy after another and you just wished there would be a pot of gold at the end of their rainbow. But you knew if there was one, you would be disappointed. At first I was disappointed in the way the story ended. When I told this to my husband he said, that was the best part. They gave and gave all they could. The only thing they had left to give was life and so they did. After he said that it made me appreciate the story even more so I read it again.I don't understand people who find the book boring. Many of us have at some time or another been discriminated against whether it be financial, racial or because of our gender and that can make us relate to the Joad's almost 70 years later.
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Summary: "And the smell of rot filled the country." -- chapter 25
Review: Although I have reviewed dozens of books, this is the first time I have felt speechless. It is not because I do not have anything to say, rather, it is because the book is so deep and complex and evokes so many feelings that I do not even know where to begin. I guess I'll begin by saying Steinbeck's ability to illustrate a book with just words is phenomenal. The imagery in The Grapes of Wrath is so enjoyable. Steinbeck describes every detail perfectly. You will actually be able to feel the hunger pangs, sense the heat of the desert sun on the back of your neck, and feel the hurt of death and loss. It is truly incredible. I really enjoyed all of the characters. I felt they were all well developed and had distinct personalities. Ma was tough, but always on the brink of being broken. She was like a teeter-totter - the slightest weight would send her to a breakdown. Tom was sensible and always under control. The two little ones, Ruthie and Winfield, were cute. I liked how they always repeated what they heard the adults say --- even if it didn't make sense! My favorite character though, was Casey the preacher. He really had a lot of insight to life. I liked they way he was always "thinking". For me, the only downfall of the book was trying to understand and endure the sandwiched descriptive chapters where no one in particular was speaking. These are the chapters in which other reviewers complain that Steinbeck should have used quotation marks. I really struggled with these. I know they were there for a purpose and housed a lot of symbolism; I guess that's why I was so frustrated. I wanted to experience those chapters the way Steinbeck had intended, but I found it very difficult. The good thing is that these odd chapters are very short (only a few pages) and they fall every other one. The "meat" of the book, (the long chapters) is where you'll get your enjoyment. Because of this, I am only going to give the book 4 stars; however, this is even a struggle for me, because in a way, I really feel the book deserves 5.
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Summary: It is okay.
Review: I read this book because I heard it was the best ever written by Steinbeck. However, I found it less that satisfactory. Steinbeck did bring attention to the horrible way "okies" were treated and that they were just people that needed to live. But the booked didn't strike me has terrific. I found that Steinbeck seemed limited by his writing due to the subject of the novel.
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Summary: best book i've read
Review: I don't know if I can adequately express how wonderful I think this book is. Steinbeck writes with incredibly vivid imagery and passion in all his books but this is his best and affected me the most. Grapes absolutely should be required reading, not only because it is Steinbeck or excellent literature but because it is a powerful story of human nature, social conscience, prejudice and classism. This book opened my eyes to the plight of yet one more minority group, migrant farm workers. I cannot drive by fields filled with people picking our fruits and vegetables without thinking of this book and the lives of these folks. Thank God for people like Cesar Chavez and the union he created to help. But I digress.... This is a heart-wrenching, sad story of a family's search for relief from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and a better life in California. The better life doesn't come by the end of the book but the reader is left a more compassionate person. Quite an accomplishment. Thank you Mr. Steinbeck.
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