The Grapes of Wrath; Steinbeck Challenge Wrap-Up
87. John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
In 1930s America, the Great Depression is in full swing, and people are migrating by hundreds of thousands out West to look for work. Despite rich crops and plenty of food, people are living in extreme poverty, and even starving, due to low wages and high prices. This novel follows the Joad family, Oklahoma sharecroppers who have just lost their farm. Having heard rumors about plentiful work in California, they decide to pack up and head West. However, after a long and painful journey, they discover that work is just as hard to find in California as it was in Oklahoma. Hardship after hardship follows them, but Ma Joad ceaselessly struggles to keep her family together.
I finally finished this book after repeatedly being distracted with lighter reads. Now that I’m done, though, I can recognize the merits of this book. Steinbeck does an excellent job of portraying the plight of an ordinary family during the Depression, and each chapter about the Joads alternates with a chapter about society as a whole during that time. The characters are very well drawn, particularly Ma Joad, who is the heart of the family. The book’s ending is somewhat anticlimactic, as there’s no clear resolution of what happens to the Joads - but based on the events of the novel, you know it’s not going to be good. Overall, I do think this book is worth reading, even though it’s heavy and depressing. I definitely prefer East of Eden, though!
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Reading this book means that I have also completed the More Steinbeck Mini-Challenge.
Participants were asked to read at least one book by Steinbeck between January 1, 2010 and December 14, 2011. I don't plan on reading anything else by Steinbeck this year, so this is it for me! I think he's a good writer, but he's just not my taste.