Play Book Tag discussion

I'm the one person on the planet who didn't read this book in high school. I was absent that day (and many others.)

What an absolutely incredible book. Here's something that happened the other day -I was cooking some food and reading in between, and the timer went off and I had to stop reading. BUT THE WOMEN'S COMMITTEE WAS ON THEIR WAY TO SEE MA to show her how to use the toilets and I couldn't get wait to get back to the book. Which is to say that I was fully invested.

I have actually learned a lot about California history from reading this book, and have new respect for the grit of the poor. It's shocking to me that Americans treated other Americans the way they did in this time, but then I turn on the news and remind myself - it's all times.

There's a lot in this book, and as much have things have changed- very much of this book is relevant today.

I'm so glad I finally read it. Outstanding characters carefully crafted, meticulous research and the deft hand of Steinbeck. It's darn near perfect.

One of my all time favorite books. I didn’t read it in high school, either. I’m glad I read it as an adult, because I appreciate it so much more!
Everything I’ve read by Steinbeck has been fantastic

I think adult reading made me appreciate it far more as well

The amazing though sad thing is how relevant this book still is. People are denied basic housing and food, then criticized for being unclean and unattractive. There are some interspersed chapters about what was going on overall that are very poetic. Steinbeck is perhaps a bit too optimistic about how well poor people would run things if they were in charge and how helpful they would be. But he certainly shows the flaws in the capitalist system. Just today there is an article in the NY Times about whether migrant workers should get access to vaccines.

This is one of the books I hated in high school. I live in California, close to where Steinbeck was from, so we had to read a lot of his stuff and I got tired of it pretty quickly. This is definitely one of those books I've thought about trying again as an adult.

I also did not read in high school, but a few years back. I think I probably appreciated its message more as an adult than I would have at age 16.

I read this book years ago, but still remember it vividly. It's on my favorites list.

I was I think 16 when I read this, one summer when I was on a self-educating kick because I wanted to take the English Acheivement test and Englush Rehents test and score as well as possible. I knew from practice exams tbat I had not read a fraction of the books tested, and I read all the time. This was around 1972. Not sure those standardized tests even exist now. I read a lot that summer, and the 2 books that stood out and I still consider among lifetime greats are David Copperfield and The Grapes of Wrath. That book is still, 50 years later, vivid in my mind. I have not reread it because I don't want to taint that power.

If you have not seen it, the film adaptation by Henry Fonda is brilliant. I think it won him the Academy Award. May even have won best picture.

I'm embarrassed to admit I still haven't read this. The only Steinbecks under my belt are East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, and Travels with Charley. One day I will, though!

It's such a great novel. I have fond memories of going to class the day after we were supposed to finish the book. The controversy was over the ending and our teacher had us choose a side of the room to declare if we liked it or hated it. There were 2 people on the liked it side - me and my friend who hadn't gotten around to reading it so I filled her in. So basically just me.

Mary wrote: "It's such a great novel. I have fond memories of going to class the day after we were supposed to finish the book. The controversy was over the ending and our teacher had us choose a side of the ro..."

😂-Sounds like you and I could be friends Mary, I would have been that one person, with a friend I gave the cliff note version to!