Forse, a tratti, troppo insistito; forse, a tratti, troppo celebrativo, ma è indubbio che lo sguardo di Steinbeck sia riuscito a cogliere, nella sua interezza, nelle sue contraddizioni, il dramma di chi deve emigrare per lavorare e sopravvivere e, in queste pagine, a racchiudere dolore e speranze di chi vive in stato di perenne incertezza. Ne escono figure tragiche, pronte all'aiuto reciproco, che vivono alla giornata una vita priva di prospettive e che, seppur con un pizzico di nostalgia, guardano sempre avanti senza mai voltarsi indietro. Nel romanzo si fa cenno anche dei primi tentativi di organizzazione sindacale e degli scioperi trattati con più dovizia di particolari nel romanzo "La battaglia".

This is a great book. Very well written and important.

I hated it.

تام: مادر، گوش کن، یه چیزی توی زندون یاد گرفتم که می خوام بهت بگم:
آدم هیچ وقت نباید به روزی که آزاد می شه فکر کنه. این آدمو دیوونه می کنه. باید به فکر امروز بود و بعد فردا. این کاریه که آدمای کارکشته می کنن. تازه واردها سرشونو می کوبن به دیوار و هی می پرسن "چقدر دیگه باید بمونیم؟"
چرا به روزی که هنوز نیومده فکر می کنی؟

Intanto dico che è un romanzo straordinario, è già un classico e se ancora non lo si può definire tale per una distanza temporale troppo esigua di certo è destinato a diventarlo perché riunisce in sé i requisiti che del classico sono prerogativa: una storia universale, senza tempo, che ci parla attraverso frammenti di storie individuali.

La scrittura di Steinbeck è una scrittura potente con una capacità di librarsi sempre ad altezze da uccello rapace, dosando i diversi registri richiesti a seconda del momento narrativo delle vicende: perciò Steinbeck usa una sintassi elementare povera di vocaboli, priva di congiuntivi quando deve riprodurre i discorsi dei poveri emigranti; un linguaggio che diventa ricco di immagini quando descrive la natura o semplici banali oggetti del vivere quotidiano a cui Steinbeck dà vita, animandoli (un esempio su tutti in uno dei capitoli iniziali sono le pagine dedicate al trattore, quel mostro ruggente e metallico che va a sostituirsi a braccia umane fatte di sangue, muscoli e sudore dei contadini) e di nuovo la sua prosa si trasforma, diventa arringa precisa e tagliente se deve denunciare gli squilibri sociali di un’economia agricola in profonda trasformazione e contraddizione.

Questi sono gli elementi oggettivi, poi c’è la drammaticità della vicenda che attinge alla storia di un paese: una epopea da ciclo dei vinti americani, l’altra faccia dell’America, contraltare dell’America del Jazz, dei vari Fitzgerald Hemingway nel loro aspetto più lascivo e godereccio.

Non da ultimo un accenno ai personaggi sui quali, nella classifica personale, troneggia la madre Ma’ alla cui efficace autorevolezza il capofamiglia Pa’ si è arreso come un cagnetto con il cappottino.
Ma’ donna colonnella dalla dolcezza e fermezza granitica che tiene salde le redini della famiglia nonostante le avversità che si abbattono senza soluzione di continuità, e poi Tom, il figlio maggiore, che incarna l’uomo che fatica a dominare le sue impetuosità caratteriali quando si tratta di difendere un ideale di giustizia umana, Tom che sul finire del romanzo di trasforma in una entità quasi spirituale, nume che ci sarà sempre in tutti posti…dappertutto: dove ci sarà qualcuno che lotta per dare da mangiare a chi ha fame, dove ci sarà uno sbirro che picchia qualcuno, negli urli dei ribelli, nelle risate dei bambini quando hanno fame e sanno che la minestra è pronta… lui sarà lì, sempre

Riguardo la pagina finale…, chi lo legge o lo ha letto può comprendere, una scena così toccante, apparentemente irriverente, ma così pregna di solidarietà umana mi ha lasciato pietrificata dalla commozione.

Whenever I revisit a classic I'm struck by how much more I get out of it now than I did when I was 24 or 19 or, God forbid, 15. Giving a book like the Grapes of Wrath to a 15 year old serves largely to put them off fine literature for the rest of their lives. The depth of understanding and compassion for the human condition as communicated by a book like this is simply unfathomable to those who haven't lived much life yet, but after you've gotten a healthy dose of living, it comes across like fine music to a trained ear. My heart doesn't bleed for the Joads today as it might have 25 years ago. Yes, it's grim and unfair, but it's no longer shocking or disturbing, and I can see now that Steinbeck didn't intend sensationalism to be the main point. What he's about is revealing the human dignity, the innate goodness and unbreakable pride of these people, and by extension the American people in general, something that still resonates today, especially with reference to the working classes. When the Joads and their kind decline government hand outs, requesting instead the simple opportunity to work hard and be rewarded commensurate with their labor (even if it means a grueling cross-country journey to a place they don't know) one can hear today's white working poors' exasperated disdain for government, insisting that they simply be allowed to keep more of their pay and not be held back in their efforts by nit-picking legalities and cultural trivialities that disapprove of their lifestyles. Sadly, most such people will never read the Grapes of Wrath. Worse yet, many liberal lawmakers won't read it again after high school and won't glean from it an essential understanding about the pride and perseverance of the American working class which the far right is playing like a fiddle much to the detriment of the entire nation. A book like the Grapes of Wrath should be required reading - for every American over 30.

Holy shit

n  n    Book Reviewn  n
3 out of 5 stars to The Grapes of Wrath, written in 1939 by John Steinbeck. I might have an unpopular opinion when it comes to this book, as it was fine but nothing fantastic for me. I admit, I read this in middle school, nearly 25 years ago, and never went back to read it again. I tend not to like books about awful things as the main plot. I don't mind when bad things happen, or circumstances change, but when the entire book is about the pain and suffering of a family, it doesn't usually rise to the top of my TBR. I might consider giving this one another chance, but you have some major convincing to do. I like Steinbeck, too, so it's not so much an issue with the author as it is with the topic. The writing is strong. The imagery is good. The characters are well drawn. The setting is very detailed. But when it comes to the plight of a family against the hardships all around them, it's a difficult read. Part of my issue may have been a connection with the story. While I certainly don't have a real-life connection with my favorite books (mysteries, thrillers...), you need to have an understanding and recognition between what's happening and how you live. Coming from the northeast, in a major metropolitan city, 50+ years after these times, it doesn't start off as something I'm familiar with. I usually don't read things about this time period or space for those reasons. If the characters called to me, I might have liked it more. Don't get me wrong... it's a good book. And it's got a place in the world of classics. And it helped highlight a lot of wrongs that people weren't aware of. And maybe because I learned those lessons from other books and other places, this one just didn't seem all that top notch to me. That said, it's Steinbeck, so there is something of value here. No one can tell reality like he can.

n  n    About Men  n
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.

It took me years to get to it and then I found the opening slow and almost gave up. But I'm so glad I kept on. Once I got going, I couldn't quit reading.

The Grapes of Wrath is a classic for a reason. The writing is careful and beautiful. The story of the Joad family, persevering in the face of unremitting hardship, is extremely moving. Tom Joad is a hero for all time. And the social critiques seems as valid today as they were in the heart of the Depression.

Forced off their land by the banks and drought and big farmers, the Joads head to California where they hear there's work. Thousands of others are doing the same. And when they get to California, they face hatred, prejudice, poverty and homelessness. But despite everything, and with Ma Joad as a source of strength, the Joads keep their human decency and kindness.

This book would be unbearably depressing if it weren't for the warmth of the people and the beauty of the writing. Inside all the tragedy is a seed of hope: that human beings won't take inhuman treatment forever and that many (though not all) will hold on to the spark of human warmth that help them maintain their humanity and connections with others.

Why I chose to read this book:
1. This book has always intrigued me ever since I was a kid, seeing it on my parents' bookshelf, so I added it to my WTR list about two years ago;
2. I pushed it up that List after reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah a few months ago (I highly recommend her novel for the atmospheric descriptions of the unrelenting dust storms); and,
3. February is "Classics Month" for me!

Note: This book may appeal to readers who have some background knowledge of the Great Depression, specifically of the Dust Bowl and migration of American farmers to California.

Positives:
1. The character-development in this novel is its strong suit! As I traveled along with the Joad family, migrant farmers (Okies) from the Dust Bowl to the Land of Milk and Honey, I cheered for Ma Joad and her no-nonsense attitude and shook my head in frustration over son, Al's one-track mind. I was awestruck by the times they gladly helped out others, even though they had very little of their own to share. Likeable or not, if you were living in close quarters with another family for several months, their personalities would grate on your nerves as well;
2. Such descriptive realism! I could vividly picture every scene and appreciated the authentic dialogue; and,
3. If you prefer <300-page books, then don't read this novel! The first 200 pages focuses on the actual journey from Oklahoma to California, whereas the final 200 pages depicts this family's life in California. Although the plot is slow-going, I savored all the successes and issues they encountered along the way.

Niggles:
1. Although Steinbeck gives a detailed account of a typical migrant's journey to California and the hardships awaiting them there, I wish he wrote a more descriptive setting re: the dust storms these Midwestern families faced; and,
2. What was Steinbeck thinking with that ending? I know that several readers really liked that part, but I have issues when a strong realistic story strays into massive symbolism in the last paragraph! I don't think Steinbeck understands women that well if he thinks any woman would do what Rose of Sharon did! Eww!

¿Puede un claro y explícito maniqueísmo echar por tierra una novela?

Las uvas de la ira es total y absolutamente maniquea. Hay buenos muy buenos y malos muy malos. Los pobres agricultores que son arrojados de sus tierras por la maquinaria capitalista, por un lado, y todos los demás (policía, grandes propietarios, comerciantes aprovechados, fanáticos religiosos), por el otro. Es una novela-tesis: a lo que puede llegar el capitalismo si no se le pone límites, si su desarrollo no tiene que ajustarse a regulación alguna. Todo el libro gira en torno a esa idea. No hay ni una sola referencia al punto de vista del explotador, no hay ningún intento de comprender, solo expone hechos y el punto de vista del explotado. Busca en el lector la complicidad con esta idea y, esta es mi conclusión, eso no le quita ni un ápice de calidad a la obra.

Por supuesto que el maniqueísmo puede ser un lastre en otro tipo de novela. La vida no es en blanco y negro, eso es de cajón, pero tampoco se puede caer en el polo opuesto, en el grisismo de toermundoegüeno. Voy a citar un texto de Alejo Carpentier:

n  "No ha de dejarse intimidar por el sambenito del maniqueísmo... en la crítica se dice que una novela es maniqueísta porque tiene la lucha de los buenos contra los malos. ¿Y qué cosa es la historia toda sino una lucha gigantesca de los buenos contra los malos? ¿Quiénes son los malos? Es una minoría opresora. ¿Quiénes son los buenos por definición? Una gran mayoría oprimida. Toda la vida ha sido así, toda la historia ha sido así. Siempre habrá buenos contra malos. Toda la historia está hecha así, y, si eso es maniqueísmo, es una vasta historia de maniqueísmo."n

Estas novelas-denuncia no pueden ser de otra manera. Aparte de la calidad literaria, que puede o no puede darse independientemente del planteamiento maniqueo o no, estas novelas tienen un objetivo: despertar conciencias o que el pasado no se diluya en una neblina de olvido. Es más, en muchos casos, de no ser así, sería además una falta de respeto a las víctimas. Porque hay casos en los que hay buenos y malos, sin más. La ingenuidad en estos casos sería justamente no ser maniqueo. Hay hechos que no tienen justificación moral, y me da igual que sean perpetrados por esos que son muy amigos de sus amigos y cabezas de familia ejemplares, o que pasaron una niñez bla, bla, bla. Hay veces que es precisamente ese contraste entre las distintas caras de un mismo ser humano el que da más fuerza a la maldad de los personajes, pero hay otras en que todo eso estorba, no tiene un papel en el tema tratado, no viene al caso y no creo que sea un defecto per se.

خوشه‌ های خشم‌ یکی از عجیب ترین تجربه‌های خوندنم بود. صد صفحه ابتدایی به شدت کند، خسته کننده و سخت گذشت. اما داستان از جایی به بعد روند بی نظیری رو طی کرد به شکلی که در صفحه‌ی انتهایی احساس میکردم بعد از مدت‌ها یک شاهکار خوندم.
«جان اشتاین بک» بازتاب بخش مهمی از تاریخ آمریکا و رکود اقتصادی پس از جنگ جهانی اول رو در زندگی خانواده‌ای کشاورز از اهالی ایالت اوکلاهما بیان میکنه. خانواده ای که روزهای سختی رو سپری می کنند تا بتونند جایی برای زندگی کردن و غذایی برای خوردن داشته باشند. به قدری اتفاقات و شخصیت ها شفاف روایت شده بودند که احساس میکردم در کنار خانواده‌ی جود زندگی میکنم و جزئی از اونها شدم و بنظرم این قدرت روایت به شدت کمیاب و فوق العاده است.
صفحه‌ی پایانی کتاب با حادثه ای تمام میشه که قطعا به یاد موندنیه و تا مدت‌ها از ذهنتون بیرون نمیره‌...

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