Grapes of wrath

[B.A.M.]

Im reading this book in my english class and i think it is horrible. First of the guy who wrote it is an obvious communist. Also some of the chapters are disturbing and pointless. Or it could be just me cuz i like fanticy/action/science fition books like Green Rider and Eragon

[Head knight of Ni]

I feel the same way about green eggs and ham.

[cphilip]

Steinbeck eh? Yea its left leaning but in the times somewhat true. Prewar Americana suffering.

Yes. Its depressing. Its a real portrayal of the dust bowl days and a heart tugging story of the plight of tenant farmers and seasonal farm workers. It's a view into the then existing horrid conditions of the downtrodden rednecks out of Oklahoma trying to survive and get to California to find work. Along the way they are manipulated and worked in almost slave labor condition of indenture. It's a fairly true portrail of the times to some extent. Very harsh. Very disturbing. It is indeed a precursor for fair labor laws of migrant workers though.

You should stop and watch the movie. I think its all in Black and White. Maybe you will then have a better appreciation of the work. And the story.

Here is a description of the film version

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) is director John Ford's most famous black and white epic drama - the classic adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1940 Pulitzer Prize-winning, widely-read 1939 novel. [The sentimental film is much more closely related to Ford's social protest dramas, The Informer (1935) and How Green Was My Valley (1941) than to his magisterial Westerns.] It was remarkable that Ford, a staunch and conservative Republican Party member, made this film - the most popular left-leaning, socialistic-themed film of pre-World War II.


Another blurb on the book:

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/grapes.html

I do watch that movie from time to time. Always disturbs me. Powerfull film and book once you get into it. Stick it out. Watch the film. Ford does it very well.

[B.A.M.]

i can agree it is a powerful piece of wrightin but its just not the kind i like as ive already stated

[Chris42050]

YOu think the book is disturbing so far. Wait till you get to the last page.

[cphilip]

i can agree it is a powerful piece of wrightin but its just not the kind i like as ive already stated

I understand. But its important to realize the struggle that so mirrored Communist leanings in many other countries and drove other countries to try and adopt it as a solution. So you realize there was suffering and pain that caused people to chose that method to try and relieve it. Errantly thinking it could work. And at the time this country had a lot of Communist leanings. And fortunately did not chose that road to solution as it turns out. As we have seen since, it cannot work with the greed of man in any perfect form. Eventualy we chose the path of law and litigation to solve it. But there would be no wonder that people were looking for a drastic solution if they had to live like that. Plus it portrays the moral, or lack thereof, the people of the time and place. And how rough it was in the dust bowl days post depression. A combination of history and tradgedy and toughness of a people that survived. Many of them are your Grandfathers today... Still living. You need to know what they went through.

Do me a favor. Go watch the movie first. Then decide.

[i_baked_cookies]

Im reading this book in my english class and i think it is horrible. First of the guy who wrote it is an obvious communist. Also some of the chapters are disturbing and pointless. Or it could be just me cuz i like fanticy/action/science fition books like Green Rider and Eragon

how could you say that? either you dont realize the true and deep meaning of the book, or books that actually have importance dont appeal to you.

I agree with Cphil completely, except for the movie isnt near as powerful as the book. the book will leave an effect on you that only a few other books can match. the movie is powerful for its time (a long time ago), but it lacks that certain something that makes you say "wow".

[WenULiVeUdiE]

Whatever you do, do not act in the play " Grapes of Wrath". Horribly boring. You dont exactly get the meaning of it, but you sort of get what everything " was like". Good book though.

[frop]

how could you say that? either you dont realize the true and deep meaning of the book, or books that actually have importance dont appeal to you.

I agree with Cphil completely, except for the movie isnt near as powerful as the book. the book will leave an effect on you that only a few other books can match. the movie is powerful for its time (a long time ago), but it lacks that certain something that makes you say "wow".

many of the movies i watch make me sit back when it's over & say 'wow'. i tend to gravitate to the better war movies (not just pure action flicks) & 'strange' movies like Requiem for a Dream. With the war movies, I am often truly horrified. Call me gullible, I just put myself THERE & imagine what i would feel.

[B.A.M.]

I was saying it doesnt appeal to me
ANd my Great grandpa came from poland and my other i think from lithawania. I was read the book "escape from warsaw" which kinda tells the stort for all the immigrants here

[cphilip]

I was saying it doesnt appeal to me
ANd my Great grandpa came from poland and my other i think from lithawania. I was read the book "escape from warsaw" which kinda tells the stort for all the immigrants here

I realize that. But it doesn't tell you the story of what happened to them "after" they got here.

The reason I am recomending the Movie is that it is visualy stimulating and well enough done that it might get you more interested in reading the book.

[SCpoloRicker]

Erm... I wonder if Cphil is really recommending the movie because its "more powerful" or if he just realizes its a better shot at getting the material into the youngster's mind...

But whatever, I read 3-4 books at a time, and I'll admit I had a rough time working through Steinbeck for school... I think we put a little too much emphasis on "important" novels in primary education, which may lead to a lack of interest in continuing to read. For example, my mom is a high school bio teacher, and she made her kids read Jurassic Park. She would give genetics lectures during class, and use the fun novel for an educational purpose.

Not knocking the classics, but encouraging the "just watch the movie" approach is at best a duct-tape solution.

[B.A.M.]

I realize that. But it doesn't tell you the story of what happened to them "after" they got here.

The reason I am recomending the Movie is that it is visualy stimulating and well enough done that it might get you more interested in reading the book.

Ok i'll do that once im on vaca.