"...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."
-from the novel
I selected this novel when someone in our group suggested we should include a classic in this year's list. I thought I had read it years ago but I soon realized I probably had not. I didn't realize the length of the book (464 pages) and I barely was able to finish before the Page Turners met. Whew! I had gotten some negative feedback about the selection of the book so I wasn't very enthused about reading it. As it turned out, I really appreciated the beautiful writing and compelling story. It is easy to see how this classic book is known as a Great American Novel and earned Steinbeck a Pulitzer and contributed to his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
The story is set during the Great Depression in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and begins with the Joad family loading a truck with family and belongings to move to California. They have been forced from their land and livelihood by drought and bank eviction. The Joad family consists of Ma, Pa, Grandpa, Granma, Uncle John, Noah, Tom (just paroled from prison), Al, Rose of Sharon and her husband Connie, Ruthie and Winfield. It is almost impossible to imagine all those people and their belongings loaded on a truck! The family has seen fliers indicating there are jobs aplenty in California so they have high hopes for the future.
I cannot begin to relate the obstacles the Joads face as they make their way west! Car troubles, mean authorities, deaths, people who would try to cheat them out of the little money they had and deplorable camps called Hoovervilles which are barely livable.
It is surprising how some of the problems facing the Joads are relatable to people today, particularly immigrants. It was easy to feel empathy for this family but at the same time, I found their determination, resilience, compassion and loyalty so admirable. I am rating The Grapes of Wrath a 4. The author's style is outstanding---realistic dialogue, detailed characterizations and descriptive passages interspersed with the continuing plot that are quite lyrical in nature.
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Twelve Page Turners met to discuss The Grapes of Wrath. The group's average rating is 4.2, with most participants voting 5's and 4's. A few had read it in their youth and did not remember it fondly and so did not reread it. One of our members said the older she has gotten the more she understands and appreciates the book. Several of us agreed. Some of the comments we heard were: "masterful writing," "depressing," "a clash of classes," "poetic," "hopeful." It was interesting that some found it depressing and others hopeful. We all agreed that many people today, minorities and immigrants, could identify with the Joads.
One member said, "I read it many years ago and could not bring myself to read it again. All I can remember is that they were poor and down-trodden at the beginning of the book. And at the end of the book they were still poor and down-trodden. What is a book for but to lift you up? This one, not so much!!"
What do YOU think about that statement? I had a literature professor once who said good literature should teach lessons about life. The Grapes of Wrath certainly qualifies as good literature even though I must agree it is NOT FUN to read!
A few in our group had seen the film based on this novel, some multiple times. Our discussion really makes me want to see the movie! (photos below)
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