A book everyone should read - Rated 
This book is so massive - its influence can be seen through artists such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine, etc. - and that is just music!
A simple story based around one family moving out to California to escape the Dust Bowl of the 1930's mid-West America. What they found in the beautiful country was abuse, harassment, exploitation and starvation. Faced every day with harsh decisions, there is nowhere to turn for help but within the family and those like them. There is a realization that to fight the rich landowners, and the authorities who support them, the immigrants must organize themselves. Any attempts to do so in the book are cruelly suppressed and fail, but the hope, the only hope, is left hanging...
Ironic then that this 'idealism' originated in America and continue to inspired so many there in the heart of the world's largest capitalist economy.
But the political themes of workers rights, justice and immigration are not the only rich aspects exposed by the story...What happens when we are faced with changing circumstances? How important are the roles of women in leading and protecting the family? How much of our position and identity come from where we live, what we own, what we do? All of these issues are still are relevant today and will be tomorrow.
I guess it is a bad idea to force people to read books, but this certainly is a book everyone should read!
Compulsive Reading !! - Rated
Steinbeck has the gift of being able to describe his characters in immense detail without instilling boredom in the reader. You can actually "see" the character he describes.....this book is a work of art.
Gruelling but good - Rated 
Grapes of Wrath is a gruelling story of the plight of the Joad family. It certainly makes you think about how badly treated these people were in what was suppossed to be a civilized country. There's certainly no happy ending. In fact I found the story petered out rather than came to a satisfactory conclusion.
At times the prose is beautiful and the characters are developed well throughout the story. I found the social commentary chapters a bit strange and didn't feel they added that much. 100 pages too many perhaps.
I know it's regarded as a classic but I can't rate it more than 3 stars because overall I didn't love it.
Okay - Rated
This book details the story of the Joad family and their travelling to the West in search of jobs. I did like this book, but it isn't one of my favourites. I can see why it is a classic, but personally there are many other books I prefer.
Fantastic, compelling... - Rated
There are not enough superlatives in the English language to praise this book. But to heap praise on it would miss the point. Steinbeck does what he does best: create characters that are so real you could reach out and touch them on the page, characters that you empathise with all the way. A fantastic, compelling read that left me spell-bound. I now feel i have gained a greater understanding into the Californian migrant situation of the time, and i also feel i understand with greater depth than ever before Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad" album. A novel that will evoke opinions and prompt thoughts, you will never be the same once you've read it - you'll be a wiser person for it.
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