Grapes of Wrath

I continue to be hungry for well written novels and my appetite led me to try John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, which I had never read. It had been recommended to me in the past, but I brushed off the recommendation because the book seemed too heavy. And yes, it is surely not a light book, but is a very worthwhile read about the struggles of the Joad family who are forced to leave their home in Oklahoma because of the Dust Storm. They head off to California, a land that seems full of promise and job opportunities, hoping the migration will solve their troubles. Of course we know things are never so simple, that desperation does not bring prosperity.

You come to really feel for the characters. (I especially worried about Rose of Sharon.) And the prose gives you character description like a whisper, asking the reader to draw her own conclusions, which a lot of contemporary writing has stopped doing. I love how Steinbeck is a master at exhibiting restraint, something I have been trying to learn in my own writing. Overall, The Grapes of Wrath is a beautiful novel, one I am glad I finally got around to reading.