The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

 
Just a warning - This post will contain a few spoilers. I will try to be careful about giving too much away, but if you have not read the book and really don't want to know anything about what happens, you might want to skip this post. The ending is not given away, and neither are any major plot points.

Today's post is about The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, which was the book that our high school American Lit discussion group read last month. This post might be a little different then most of the ones I have read lately, mostly because I think that which such a great book like this one, analyzing the individual parts of the book does not make a lot of sense.

So, here is a brief review of the three things I usually talk about: characters, plot, and writing. The characters are amazing. They are believable, human, and relate-able. The plot was what it was. I think you simply can't judge the plot of a Steinbeck book. For the writing, let's just say that I think Steinbeck is one of the best writers ever. His East of Eden may be my all time favorite book. Enough said on those topics.

The Grapes of Wrath is unique in that it was written in 1939, in the middle of the Great Depression. During our discussion, somebody suggested that perhaps the ending, which is pretty open ended, is a reflection of that. He could not say what had happened to the Joads, because it hadn't happened yet.

One of the things about this kind of historical fiction is that I, the reader, really can't argue with the author. With a lot of books, if I didn't like something that happened, it is because it is not believable, or it doesn't make sense in the flow of events. With this book, there were parts of the story I did not like, or where I wished something had happened differently. But this time, it's not Steinbeck's fault. Maybe what I sometimes disliked was how real it felt. I couldn't argue with what happened to Tom or Casey because it felt like what would have really happened.

This book is full of symbols (though not as many as The Great Gatsby) in its in between "commentary" chapters. The one that stuck out most to me was the turtle near the beginning of the book. That turtle was going to get to where it wanted to go, and it didn't care how long it took. Getting turned over on an embankment was a dissapointment, and it slowed him down by several hours, but all it was was a delay. Even getting picked up by Tom was not the end of the road for him. Eventually, he got away, and kept plodding along. To me, that was the Joad family in a nutshell. Whatever happened, whoever died, they were going to keep plodding along.

That's my review of the Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.

Banned Books: Part One

This post is the first in a series that I published on my old blog back in September 2012. Over the next few weeks, I will be reposting them on here. It has been edited for relevancy.

I have always been intrigued by the idea of banned books. Personally, when ever I hear that a book is banned somewhere, that makes it something of interest. I am always curious why people ban books, and it also makes me sad. Books are meant to be read, not hidden away from interested people. Many of my favorite books are "banned books," and so I wanted to share some of them with you.

Here are the top 15 most commonly challenged books from 2000-2009, according to the ALA. The bold ones I have read. My comments below the title. The links lead to their Amazon.com pages. In the case of a series, it either goes to a box set, or the first book in the series.

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling

This series is wonderful. While the writing may not be the best ever, the story is really amazing. One of my favorites ever.


2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
I began reading this series at the age of eight. Last week I read the newest book. This series is most certainly in my top three.

3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

 4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
 I have not read this book, but it's amazon.com page looks absolutely adorable. 

 5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
I read this book this summer, and really liked it. It is sad, but it feels very, very real. This book really made me stop and think, "What would I have done in that situation? Could I have done what I had to?"

 6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

 7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz

 8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
This series is really a bit weird. I really don't want to know what's going on in Phillip Pullman's head. At the same time, I really did enjoy it.

 9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
I read the first book in this series a LONG time ago. I did not really enjoy it that much, though now I can not remember anything about it.

 10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
I have not read this book yet, though I mean to soon.

 11. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
 Again, I have not read this book, but it looks really good, and I hope to read it soon.

12. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
My mom got this from the library when I was about ten. It is... through.  You can probably guess what it's about. :)

13. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey

14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
A really fun book. Great for the 10-13 age range. I am pretty sure it is banned because of the language, but I honestly did not think it was that bad.

15. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison


 So far, I have read 7/15. Not bad. :) How many have you read?

Do you have any additional thoughts about these books? If so, post them in the comments, and I will add them to this post. I would love to have some thoughts about each book by someone who has read it, if possible.