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Reading a good piece of literature is a precious thing. The Grapes of Wrath displayed the dignity and humanity capable of us all, and made a compelling argument for simple altruism, and a shifting prespective of our political priorites. The book goes to the heart of how we treat each other. Violence, communication, family, money, abandonment, property, and hope are all displayed with the deft touch of classic story teller.
It's the story of the Joad family as they make their way from Oklahoma to California during the dust bowl. Tom Joad has just been released from Prison and he meets up with an old friend, an ex-preacher who has lost his spirit. Through faith, each other, and the kindess of strangers, Steinbeck shows through the Joads the rigors and rewards of being a migrant labor. He uses simple language to describe deeply human people. He chronicles so many varied caring poor people that I can't easily think of a richer tapestry of deeply diverse humanity displayed in 498 pages.
As a classic storyteller, he has great technique, keeping this moderated adept reader charmed and impressed. The characters were all consistently deep and dynamic showing subtle and thoughtful change throughout the book.
The themes he touched on are eternal. I felt like I'd had this thoughts and conversations.
I do have my complaints. I have my gripes. The biggest one is that he did not quite flesh out the owners as well as he could have. I think it would have rounded out the story. But I took so many notes on this story as I read it, but overall, it is a lovely commentary and a compelling exploration into the human condition.
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I completely agree. I loved The Grapes of Wrath. In fact, I love everything Steinbeck has ever written. He addresses issues in most of his novels that we as a society no longer openly talk about very often, and he does it with an unflinching love of absolute truth. He is so good at weaving good and bad into unforgetable characters and making you love them, or at least understand them.
edit: NOT agreeing about the wishing to be Bobby Brady comment...
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Oooh, I love that book. Every time I read it I find something else to admire about Steinbeck. I love how he uses seemingly simple language to communicate such complex themes. I think what I love best about it though is how much he seems to truly care for the Joads. It makes loving them youself that much easier.
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