Product Description

Forced from their home, the Joad family is lured to California to find work; instead they find disillusionment, exploitation, and hunger.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #824 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-08
• Released on: 2002-01-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From Library Journal
Journey with the Joads for 21 hours in this first unabridged version of Steinbeck's classic. Controversial, even shocking, when it was written, the work continues to be so even today. The keen listener can hear why, because it poses fundamental questions about justice, the ownership and stewardship of the land, the role of government, power, and the very foundations of capitalist society. As history, this brings the Dust Bowl years to life in a most memorable way. Steinbeck (Travels with Charley, Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/94) is a master storyteller and manages to engage the listener's sympathy with this epic story. Reader Dylan Baker, who gives each character a distinctive voice, draws the listener in. His female characters, especially the minor ones and Rose of Sharon, don't seem as authentic as his wonderful evocation of the fictional Tom, Ma, and Pa. But his voice is easy to listen to, and he is faithful to the characters' backgrounds and the plains region. The music that ends each individual tape is perfect for the story. This program is a well-produced, affordable, and worthwhile addition for any library with a serious audiobook collection.?Nancy Paul, Brandon P.L., WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in l940, this famous protest novel is a natural for audio. The story is told almost entirely in the country vernacular of the destitute workers of the 1930's--some 300,000 strong--who had been driven from their farms and were pouring into California to face hunger, squalor and humiliation. (An inept narrator, reading their dialogue, could easily have made them sound like the Beverly Hillbillies.) Instead, Dylan Baker's sensitive interpretation has given them the dignity--even the nobility--that Steinbeck intended. He has also avoided another serious pitfall: overdramatizing some of Steinbeck's speeches in the last half of the book, avoiding what the Joads called "a preacher voice." The listener is hardly aware of occasional lapses into sentimental prose as Steinbeck delivers his many impassioned sermons against the selfishness and greed of the rich. Altogether, this is an outstanding performance; John Steinbeck would have relished it. J.C. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award Winner. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. Set during the Great Depression, it traces the migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family to California and their subsequent hardships as migrant farm workers. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940. The work did much to publicize the injustices of migrant labor. The narrative, interrupted by prose-poem interludes, chronicles the struggles of the Joad family's life on a failing Oklahoma farm, their difficult journey to California, and their disillusionment once they arrive there and fall prey to a parasitic economic system. The insularity of the Joads--Ma's obsession with family togetherness, son Tom's self-centeredness, and daughter Rose of Sharon's materialism--ultimately gives way to a sense of universal community. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Customer Reviews

[Good] required reading
Yup, I'm one of the freaks who actually likes this book, despite my roommate's information that it is highly melodramaticized. I don't care. I think it's great writing, and I love the interspersing stories that have nothing to do with the plot, and yet are so insightful.

Sorry, but I was actually touched.

Classic for Good Reason
I thought The Grapes of Wrath was entertaining, depressing, and inspiring all at once - a little long at times, but still a great read. Basically, it's hard to feel sorry for yourself and easier to feel sympathy for others when you're reading from this book every morning. I hope people continue to read The Grapes of Wrath for a long time; it's a reminder of how lucky we are right now, how quickly things can go wrong, and how important it is to be kind to one another and preserve a sense of community. The beginning drags a little bit, but the rest of the book is worth it. Great book.

The Grapes of Wrath
The book came in great condition and in a timely manner. It was a pleasure doing business with this seller on Amazon.com