The Grapes of Wrath
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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Readers say *The Grapes of Wrath* is a powerful, vividly written novel depicting 1930s America, blending poetic, biblical, and colloquial prose. They ...
As I am reading, I keep asking myself why I've never read TGOF before now? I'm enjoying this book immensely. I thought I was not a Steinbeck fan and maybe I'm still not, but his writing in this book is mesmerizing.
I remember trying to read this when I was younger and finding it too boring. I can see why it would not appeal much to a teenager. But I am very glad I came back to it. Steinbeck does an expert job at illustrating a great historical movement (of thousands of people from Oklahoma to California) and economic condition (the exploitation of workers and the poor by employers and the rich) without sacrificing the core necessity of an engaging journey of character and emotion. He does this primarily through the alternation of plot chapters with 'intercalanary' (in between things) chapters that explain the history but in very vivid, biblical, evocative, and poetic prose - sometimes like a parable or allegory, sometimes laced with colloquial diction. And then the story chapters, focused on the 12 Joad family members (like the 12 tribes of israel), demonstrating the life of the individual within that larger historical moment, journeying in search of the Promised Land. They even have a preacher named Jim Casey - i.e. J.C. = Jesus Christ - who rejects religion in favor of belief. The biblical parallels are all over the place in the text.
Of course, the novel was banned and demonized for its explicitly political stances - especially being in favor of "communist" ideas like human dignity, mercy, charity, self-government, and love for your neighbor. The novel itself even demonstrates the way that accusations of communism as a smear are used to scare people away from looking out for their own interests. People still do that. Just turn on Fox News.
And it shows the way that an economic system built on greed and self-interest naturally leads to the monopolization of resources, choking out the little guy, and forcing everyone to act against everyone else, dehumanizing people, demonizing them, and destroying how we see each other and how we act towards each other. (And sure enough formal religion is recruited to play right into that system.) And people have no security, no belonging, no dignity. And again this still happens. Look at the prevalence of gig work. Look at the rising cost of rent and home ownership. Look at stagnant wages for most of the last 40 years. Look at the steady accumulation of power in fewer and fewer hands, both economically and politically.
So all of these issues are super, super relevant.
Plus if you read this book, you will understand the Springsteen / Rage Against the Machine song "The Ghost of Tom Joad". Which is pretty good.
Help your neighbor. Join a Union. Break up the monopolies. Fight the power.
Of course, the novel was banned and demonized for its explicitly political stances - especially being in favor of "communist" ideas like human dignity, mercy, charity, self-government, and love for your neighbor. The novel itself even demonstrates the way that accusations of communism as a smear are used to scare people away from looking out for their own interests. People still do that. Just turn on Fox News.
And it shows the way that an economic system built on greed and self-interest naturally leads to the monopolization of resources, choking out the little guy, and forcing everyone to act against everyone else, dehumanizing people, demonizing them, and destroying how we see each other and how we act towards each other. (And sure enough formal religion is recruited to play right into that system.) And people have no security, no belonging, no dignity. And again this still happens. Look at the prevalence of gig work. Look at the rising cost of rent and home ownership. Look at stagnant wages for most of the last 40 years. Look at the steady accumulation of power in fewer and fewer hands, both economically and politically.
So all of these issues are super, super relevant.
Plus if you read this book, you will understand the Springsteen / Rage Against the Machine song "The Ghost of Tom Joad". Which is pretty good.
Help your neighbor. Join a Union. Break up the monopolies. Fight the power.
His use of imagery is amazing, you almost feel like you can see it. I thought it was interesting that he used Rose of Sharon's pregnancy to "keep time". Had it not been for that, it would have seemed that the story covered years rather than months.
A hard read, the author brings to life the desperate struggle of the the Joad family. A harrowing story and a good insight into a period of American history of which I knew little about. The author goes to great lengths to describe vistas, social circumstance and the intricacies of family life for farmers and country citizens of this period. American citizens treated like outcasts/ immigrants in their own country, truly shocking levels of discrimination.
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