Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.
Reviews
I read it many years ago and, though my memory isn't what it used to be, I can still remember the characters and what they had to go through in the Great Depression. The last page is still as heartbreaking as ever.
This is the definitive novel of the Great Depression which resonates with conditions today: bankers making money from 'sub-prime' mortgages (although they weren't called that in the 30s), the plight of immigrants and how they are both exploited and reviled.
Our reading group discussed this last month and were unanimous in saying it was the most moving and wonderful book we had ever read!
I first read this years ago when at college, but I've returned to it time and again. It paints a stark and moving picture of a family caught up in the depression.
