The Grapes of Wrath

12 posts / 0 new

Sun, 2012-10-14 18:42

The Grapes of Wrath

Having just finished Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, I am in awe of this writer. He’s always been one of my favourites, but as I understand it he truly wanted to capture the spirit of the times with this book and let the world know what went on in the 1930’s when up to 300,000 people from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Kansas were all uprooted from their homes and the land their families had worked for generations and headed West on Route 66 in search of work.

All these people wanted was work, but they were treated like vagrants and pariahs, called Okies (a name equivalent to a Pikey), burned out of their camps by the locals, and if they didn’t work they didn’t eat. Simple as that.

I wanted a happy ending. I wanted Tom and Al to open a car repair garage with accommodation for the family in the back, but it wasn’t to be. Instead we lost our hero, Tom Joad, with just a few chapters to go, and when the end came it shook me. I’m not easily shocked, but the idea of the mother of a stillborn baby breast-feeding a dying man was unexpected.

Who else but Steinbeck would dare take the hero out of the story with 10% of the book still to go?

Sun, 2012-10-14 19:01

scratch

Yep; you got it, it's good.

Sun, 2012-10-14 22:09

Parson Thru

Leaves a lasting effect. As intended.

Parson Thru

Mon, 2012-10-15 01:16

MistakenMagic

It's on my reading list for this year's module 'American Fiction'. Actually just bought the book, ready to read after I've finished Keith Douglas' 'Alamein to Zem Zem'... I, er, guess I know how the book ends now but I'm not too disappointed ;-)

Mon, 2012-10-15 07:06

Parson Thru

Don't worry MM , there's so much more to get your teeth onto. I have to admit I forgot the ending.

Parson Thru

Mon, 2012-10-15 09:52

karl_wiggins

Actually I watched the film yesterday. I'd pictured Henry Fonda as Tom Joad and he was good in that role, but the film was disappointing in that a) it was a bit dated (obviously), b) it jumped around a little, swapping plot scenes, c) it had a 'kind of' happy ending thus missing the whole point of the story and d) it’s just not possible to do credit to a book of that magnitude in 1½ hours. I’d like to see a modern version, as I would Bagdad Café, another Route 66 film that I found surprisingly enjoyable.

Mon, 2012-10-15 10:15

scratch

Have a watch of "Of Mice and Men" the one with John Malcovich you won't be disappointed.

Mon, 2012-10-15 10:29

karl_wiggins

You're right, my boy's studying that at school and hating it, so we got it out for him to watch. Great characterisation ..... but he still hated it. Teenagers, eh?

Mon, 2012-10-15 11:01

scratch

Sorry Karl, I think that we had this conversation somewhere else a while ago! :D

Mon, 2012-10-15 11:56

#10

karl_wiggins

We did, didn't we. I think I'm suffering from Alzeimers. :-) (Joking aside, it's only because I've just finished the book)

Mon, 2012-10-15 21:08

#11

MaliciousMudkip

It's my own fault for reading to the end of that and spoiling it for myself, really, haha

Mon, 2012-10-15 21:13

#12

scratch

Regardless, it's worth reading a thousand times.