The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized—and sometimes outraged—millions of readers.First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads—driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of … promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.
This Centennial edition, specially designed to commemorate one hundred years of Steinbeck, features french flaps and deckle-edged pages.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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This should be read by all. Not only is it classic literature, but it is a look into humanity.
Hard to read, in the best way.
Read it first in high school, and have re-read it maybe 4 times. Each time, it seems a little different.
Not only have I read this book several times, I have also taught it to advanced English Language Learners at the best school in Quanzhou, Fujian, PRC. It’s an excellent and enduring depiction of an environmental disaster and the upending of a family and Steinbeck’s prose is simple yet piercing and also proves an excellent means of teaching critical vocabulary and grammar.
What else can you say about John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath other than it’s the most fantastic book ever? Such insight into the depression and how families lived and survived that time. Stunning characters and beautiful writing!
The Grapes of Wrath is my all-time favorite book. It portrays the heartbreak and tragedy of the Dust Bowl, a topic I’ve researched and have a sociological interest in. Steinbeck’s method of writing the book — inserting general chapters between narrative chapters made the story far more than a narrative about the Joad family.
Arguably the Great American Novel, but not my favorite Steinbeck work. “East of Eden” surpasses it but is not of comparable scope. Another high school-aged reader must.
Realistic, gritty, amazing….
One of the best books that I have read over the years.I read this coming out of high school and it changed my appreciation of the people who endured this period of history and the workers who endure even today.
Steinbeck always gets to the heart of every issue. Here he takes the reader on a journey of hunger and hardship during the dust bowl days. A book that is haunting and a book that everyone should read at least once.
The turtle!
This book is a classic for lots of reasons. One of my all-time favorites
Read as a teenager, it ranks along with the other novels of John Steinbeck as a classic, must read. His writing, characters, description of world events combined with his characters’ lives leave the reader in thrall of his tremendous talents.
The one book I would recommend to any younger generation who wants to know what the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were like. Haven’t read a history on the era that gives a sense of life in that time as well as this novel does. A masterpiece of writing also.
Who has not read this book yet!!!! The depression era was felt in this book, can’t even imagine surviving this.
My favorite book of all time!
tHIS IS MY PERSONAL NUMBER ONE CHOICE. jUST READ THE LAST TWO PAGES AND IT WILL CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF WRITING.
One of the world’s great books.
A masterpiece
Like probably many people, I read this in high school. It’s a good enough story, but what makes it amazing is the way John Steinbeck tells it. His attention to detail, the way he carefully brings a scene alive, it’s the work of a master craftsman. One who finally found a story strong enough to dig his teeth into. A major influence of the way I approach my writing, and a true innovator in the field.