Harald Klingenberg Klingenberg itibaren Kunjalageri, Karnataka, Hindistan
Yawn. Why are there more people named "Rhys" in terrible fantasy/sci-fi paperbacks than there are in real life?
I am so glad I had to reread this book for my classics group. I last read it when I was a teenager and really did not appreciate it. The writing was so real to the time and place. I was totally exhausted by the time I finished the book. The Joad family's journey to California and all that they encounter and have to deal with, I'm sorry, but it was brutal. At times it was so depressing, I felt weighed down by it all. The whole family was so real to me, I felt like I was travelling along with them. Trust me, I would never have survived!. The Depression was a horrible time and this book never lets you forget that. He never lightens the realities at all. There are 2 positives in the book-the strength of the family and the power of the person who has nothing to help. I loved the way Mr. Steinbeck portrayed Ma and women- Ma was everyone's strength. The worse things got the stronger she became. Women have such strength especially when it comes to protecting their family. The ending was so touching, it brought tears to my eyes. I would love to know what happened to the Joad family- I figure like so many of that time, they persevered.
This was still very good fun, but I just didn't think it was quite as good as the previous ones in terms of character development and plot. The history (U.S. Ohio River to Mississippi) was very interesting, though.
This is a little short book that would be a great gift for anyone at any time. It talks about how to have joy even through hard times. It explains how a scripture in Moses says "Man is nothing" and the footnotes say 'mortality' so "mortality is nothing" compared to the expanse of eternity. It helped me have sanity when my new puppy was driving me crazy!!!