Book Review: The Grapes of Wrath

The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but the kerosene is sprayed. And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quicklime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putre- fying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.

 

I haven't been writing with my week on. But, now, it's my week off and time for an update.  Especially on our reading.  We couldn't not have reading updates.  That would be tragic.  However, I am almost done with books that I finished before the New Year, and then we can start taking care of the backlog over here.


I love John Steinbeck.  Oh, how I love John Steinbeck. One of my three favorite books of all time (East of Eden) is written by John Steinbeck. However did I miss Grapes of Wrath?  Because the thing is massive, that's why. But not in a bad way.  This was a beautiful book in so many ways, and I do not regret reading it one bit. 

I think one thing that I enjoy about Steinbeck is how he has such reality in his so unreal stories.  Many characters in his books (Grapes of Wrath less than usual) are very caricature-like.  However, through these unreal characters, he answers very real and tangible human questions.  The ending is one of those hauntingly gorgeous endings that will stay with your forever, as Rose-of-Sharon is the only member of the family whose actions actually amount to anything, as improbable as that would seem.

Grapes of Wrath  is also one of those stories that details an important, forgotten aspect of the American experience, and should be counted as one of the great novels of American literature.

True, it is not very accessible, but is worth the investment.

Five stars for Grapes of Wrath.

Comments

Amy R said…
I like Steinbeck, too. But you knew that already. I enjoyed your updated "about" bio. It is well written.
January 21, 2015 at 4:58 AM
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