The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck Centennial Edition (1902-2002)

Rating:
Summary: good, bad, dramatic, and long..
Review: i read this book for school. i am not saying that i was forced, i'm saying it was required. this novel was one of the most depressing books i have ever read. but it is the most beautiful book i have read. it taught me how people treated the families that were affected by the depression, and how cruel and mean they were treated! they were people, yet treated like animals, dogs were fed better. it's disgusting and revolting that our country was like that! sometimes we still are, and it teaches you about life! i, for one, needed to read it on tape, i could not read it from the back. i feel sorry for the people that cannot accept the truth, even if it is told with fictious characters. it's beautiful that someone had the curage to write about what had happened in our country, people seem to want to forget that. just my thought...

Rating:
Summary: American Classic
Review: Well, I hate to disappoint anybody, but I was forced to read this book over the summer for my LA class. But here's the suprise: I liked the book. Just because you have to read it doesn't mean you can't like it. This book was very well written, but sometimes it ran a little slow and the interchapters got a little confusing. But if you get time to read it, it'd definately worth it. John Steinbeck was one of the greatest writers of this century and this is one of his greatest books.

Rating:
Summary: A must for your mind's catalog of literature...
Review: The Grapes of Wrath is a book to be treasured...Steinbeck's weaving of storyline with the historical background of the dust bowl era served as an education for me. Just when you thought you were getting tired of all the additional background information, though, the plot kicks in to high gear. Following the life of the Joads was both emotional and suspenseful. The scenes were so vivid to me that I still can picture certain scenes in this book years after I finished it. One thing I found particularly intriguing about this book is the ending. You can read it all you want before you start the book, but understanding doesn't come until you've read the whole thing. I'm a huge Jack Kerouac fan, but I have to bow to Steinbeck, who showed me that spontaneous prose existed in a professional form before Kerouac and the Beats.

Rating:
Summary: Boring?
Review: As I look over the reviews of the classic works of literature, I am appalled by how often I see the word boring being used. I guess it's because great books don't come with big screens, speakers and a joy stick. Welcome to the Millenium.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: although I am a student, I was not required to read this book over the summer. It was very long, but I couldn't put it down. A truly great American classic.

Rating:
Summary: Mesmorized!!!
Review: I've never been so mesmorized by reading fictional prose as I was when I got to the last page of this amazing book. If I hadn't of been sitting down when I read the ending, it might have knocked me down. How affecting can literature be? This book sets a high standard.

Rating:
Summary: The Grapes of Wrath
Review: I was forced to read this book for many honors class, over the summer. Overall, the book really wasn't that bad. It showed the reader how people out West lived their life during the depression. However, this book was a slow read. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to read this book. Even though it wasn't that bad of a book, I probably would not have read it on my own.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The Grapes of Wrath was an excellent book and I recommend it toanyone that doesn't HAVE TO read it (i.e. high school students).This book is meant to be read slowly with close attention paid to the picture that Steinbeck is painting. He really was able to make me feel the pain and suffering the Joad family endured while at the same time lifting my spirits with his depictions of the kindness they showed anyone they encountered that needed help. Plot twists with character surprises - no. That's not what this book is about. If you've experienced a bit of life's peaks and valleys you'll appreciate this book that much more. Steinbeck takes you back to a time when family was everything and daily life was stripped down to the bare essentials for survival; food, water and shelter.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Read one of the modern authors and then read this book. Only then will you appreciate Steinbeck's artisty in writing this masterpiece. The descriptions and character developmenbt puts all other recent books to shame.

Rating:
Summary: A very enjoyable and worthwhile book to read
Review: I read this book the Summer after eigth grade. No, it wasn't assigned. I really enjoyed the book. It tells about the struggle of family during the depression, and the ultimate dehuminization of each member of the family. It's a moving story about an important part of history that text books often don't touch upon. It kept my attention the entire time, and 600 pages wasn't too long for a story like this one. If you are the kind of person that doesn't read books unless they have pictures in them, I have to say this book is not for you.