Set during the great Depression the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, hardship, agricultural changes and bank closure forcing them out of work. The Joads set out for California seeking jobs and a future. They represent 1000s of people suffering the same fate. The book orbits around two points: land and family.
The writing style takes us on a front seat ride through the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and the struggles of people during the time. The prose has a tone of passion, anger, sadness and desperation. Its themes: ecological catastrophe, financial collapse, poverty and discrimination.
I found “The grapes of Wrath” to be an immensely frustrating read even with all the high praise this novel has received through the years I just couldn’t get into it and labored through its 464 pages. I fast lost interest has it became more and more difficult to read with each passing chapter. The pacing is so slow it seemed that I was stuck in a Dust Bowl suffocating....The mid-Western State 1930s raw dialectical jargon I am not familiar with was a strong factor. The lyrical chapters, the journalistic language and the lengthy narrative going nowhere and saying little simply were a turn off. The cacophony of imagery and voices the same. But again all these attributes are what most loved about this story.
Having said this:
Mr. Steinbeck does illustrate skillfully the widening gulf between the haves and have-nots, his sympathies towards the desperate are obvious. He gave us an important lesson on perspective and a starting point for discussion on social issues still relevant today. Whether you like it or not this story will resonate and stay in your mind long after the closing page.
Although this novel wasn’t for me, I have no doubt “The Grapes of Wrath” deserves all the honors it received.
Originally published in 1939, this classic novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and in 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for his achievements.
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