The Grapes of Wrath cover art

The Grapes of Wrath

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

$14.95/mo. after 30-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Try for $0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for $37.26

Buy Now for $37.26

About this listen

 John Steinbeck's powerful evocation of the suffering and hardship caused by the Great Depression, and a panoramic vision of the struggle for the American Dream, The Grapes of Wrath includes a critical introduction by Robert DeMott in Penguin Modern Classics. 'I've done my damndest to rip a reader's nerves to rags, I don't want him satisfied.' Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic The Grapes of Wrath remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of Dust Bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of Tom Joad and his 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. Adapted into a celebrated film directed by John Ford, and starring Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath is an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit. John Steinbeck (1902-68), winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. During the Second World War Steinbeck served as a war correspondent, with his collected dispatches published as Once There Was a War (1958); in 1945 he was awarded the Norwegian Cross of Freedom for his novel The Moon is Down (1942), a portrayal of Resistance efforts in northern Europe. His best-known works include the epics The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952), and his tragic novella Of Mice and Men (1937). John Steinbeck's complete works are published in Penguin Modern Classics. If you liked The Grapes of Wrath, you might enjoy East of Eden, also available in Penguin Classics. 'A novelist who is also a true poet' Sunday Times Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Heartfelt Dream Tearjerking Health War Mental Health High School Rage

What the critics say

"It is Steinbeck's best novel, i.e., his toughest and tenderest, his roughest written and most mellifluous, his most realistic and, in its ending, his most melodramatic, his angriest and most idyllic. It is great in the way that Unlce Tom's Cabin was great. One of the most impassioned and exciting books of the year." —Time

"One comes away moved, indignant, protesting, pitying. A fiery document of protest and compassion, as a story that had to be told, as a book that must be read." —Louis Kronenberger, The Nation
All stars
Most Relevant
such an amazing story with relevant lessons. its a humbling reflection on past a collapse. I find myself drawing parallels to modern times. I really like the poetic nature of the short setup chapters. Steinbeck brings to life the perrels of this one family and the dynamic struggle of life during their terrible subijgation of capitalist progression.

Amazing read masterfully written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Absolutely brilliant. I always enjoy John Steinbeck’s books, but especially liked this one. I think perhaps it was the pace, not rushing onto the next thing, but moving slowly from moment to moment, painting the scene with his words. Complex characters, beautifully revealed. Poignant. Great narration.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It’s no wonder this is an American classic. Beautifully written with the perfect narrator. Loved every minute of this heartfelt story. The bonds of family and friends

Wonderful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wonderfully written and read. Intriguing and heart wrenching. Vividly captures the sheer brutality and inhumanity of capitalist greed.

Brought me to tears

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I probably had high expectations for this book considering i had just read The East Of Eden, my first book by John Steinbeck.,,,,,it ,became one of my favorites
Grapes of Wrath was relatively slower and a longer read. All the time i was hoping there will be a climax where
the anger of the people portrayed to have lost everything in the book was going to lead to a revolt of some sort which would in turn lead to change etc for the greater good of all ..... so for me, i would say it was not my best.

Great performance,..... but No Climax...?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews