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A review of The Grapes Of Wrath

by John Steinbeck

The story of a poor Oklahoma farm family moving to California during the '30s

Reviewed by: Paul A. Paterson
About Paul A. Paterson

The Grapes Of Wrath Just released from prison, Tom Joad returns to the family farm in Oklahoma to find it ravaged by the '30s dustbowl and threatened by bankers and bill collectors. Facing eviction, his family decides to make the long trek from the decimation of the mid-west to the promise of jobs and help in California. Accompanied by his parents, sister and younger brother, Tom carries the weight of his family's future on his shoulders as the rickety pick up truck in which the family has loaded its few belongings rattles its way across the prairies and over the mountains.

Considered one of the great works of American literature, The Grapes Of Wrath alternates between telling the Joads' specific story and relating the trials and experiences of the millions of poor Americans driven from the lives they knew by the deadly combination of economic and environment disaster. A few of the people the Joads encounter along the highway are helpful, but most are indifferent and a significant few take advantage of the family. When they finally arrive, the Joads find life doesn't get much better, and the crisis comes to a climax with tragic results.

Always poignant and at times gut-wrenching, this book is a tremendous look at a time of great change in America and its effect on the most vulnerable. Steinbeck manages to relate in brilliant fashion the pain and suffering associated with the death of a way of life. He weaves his tale slowly, gradually increasing the pressure on the Joad family and shining a light into areas of society many would prefer to remain dark. It's why this book has become a classic.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Grapes Of Wrath

Copyright © by Paul A. Paterson, 2002

Reviewed by Paul A. Paterson:
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