The Grapes of Wrath

By: John Steinbeck, Robert DeMott

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

Length: 21 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

John Steinbeck's powerful evocation of the suffering and hardship caused by the Great Depression, and a panoramic vision of the struggle for the American Dream, The Grapes of Wrath includes a critical introduction by Robert DeMott in Penguin Modern Classics. "I've done my damndest to rip a reader's nerves to rags, I don't want him satisfied".

Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic The Grapes of Wrath remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of Dust Bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of Tom Joad and his family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel west in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires, and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision. Adapted into a celebrated film directed by John Ford, and starring Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath is an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.

John Steinbeck (1902-68), winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the 20th century. During the Second World War Steinbeck served as a war correspondent, with his collected dispatches published as Once There Was a War (1958); in 1945 he was awarded the Norwegian Cross of Freedom for his novel The Moon is Down (1942), a portrayal of Resistance efforts in northern Europe. His best-known works include the epics The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952), and his tragic novella Of Mice and Men (1937). John Steinbeck's complete works are published in Penguin Modern Classics. If you liked The Grapes of Wrath, you might enjoy East of Eden, also available in Penguin Classics.

©1939 John Steinbeck (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

"It is Steinbeck's best novel, i.e., his toughest and tenderest, his roughest written and most mellifluous, his most realistic and, in its ending, his most melodramatic, his angriest and most idyllic. It is great in the way that Unlce Tom's Cabin was great. One of the most impassioned and exciting books of the year." (Time)

"One comes away moved, indignant, protesting, pitying. A fiery document of protest and compassion, as a story that had to be told, as a book that must be read." (Louis Kronenberger, The Nation)

"A novelist who is also a true poet" (Sunday Times)

Dylan Baker is exceptional

Not only is the story poignant, Baker's reading of it is wonderful. He manages a different voice and way of talking for each character and many of them are really funny.

Great performance of a classic

The narrator was one of the best I’ve heard. He truly breathed life into this classic, heart wrenching tale.

Brilliant on many levels

Extremely topical subject matter-incredibly relevant to today’s times
Excellent narration
This is a must-have audiobook

Wow. Just wow.

I had only ever read parts of it in high school, and I am so glad that I read it now. This has got to be one of my top 10 of all time.

Stunning

This is a brilliant story and the narration is flawless. Ma Joad, Tom Joad and Jim Casey embody the best humankind can be in the worst circumstances. Don't miss it

Why add music

This production was exceptional except for the unnecessary addition of harmonic music between the chapters.

Too much harmonica and Fonda

Dylan Baker is an amazing narrator. He brings out the best picture of every character. I couldn’t get over the similarity between Tom Joad’s voice and Henry Fonda’s film character of the same. It bothered me. The harmonica music between chapters and some scenes was something I couldn’t get used to; it was a LOT louder than the narration and I had to adjust the volume each time it was played. The book is a classic and was written poetically, visually and included the pathos of the time period. Baker’s relation of Steinbeck’s works is phenomenal.

4.64 stars

Some believe The Grapes of Wrath to be Steinback's masterpiece, and it did win the Pulitzer Prize. Some believe his masterpiece to be East of Eden. If forced to choose, I'd pick the latter, but both are great books. The narrator of this novel, Dylan Baker, does a great job of portraying the different characters. If you want to look at some hard living back in the old days, this is your book. This family endures a lot.

Overall rating: 4.64 stars

Such strong will

We should be ashamed of how ungrateful and gluttonous we live in this country today! The harmonica is annoying, but truly wonderful writing.

The Best

What made the experience of listening to The Grapes of Wrath the most enjoyable?

This is greatest book I have ever read and I loved the narrator, Dylan Baker for the fabulous accents and narration and I even liked the harmonica bit between chapters. I don't know why others didn't like that part. It fit well with the story and gave a break from the intense drama to catch your breath. Perfect.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tom Joad has a ton of character and sense. He is my favorite but Ma comes in second. I do love Casey though. Hard to choose because I really love them all.

What about Dylan Baker’s performance did you like?

He did a great job with the accents and I didn't notice any flubs at all. It was consistent in tone. I think he read it the way it was intended by the author. There were no unintelligible words at all and there are a lot of words in this book!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No way. It was over twenty hours. Took several days and I couldn't wait to get back to it each day.

Any additional comments?

I want to start it all over again right now from the beginning. I miss the characters I loved it so much. Its a bit strange, but I am not surprised because I know Steinbeck is incredible.