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)

Moving story, excellent performance

An exceptional story about uncommonly hard times and the vicissitudes of human enterprise, resolve, weakness and empathy in changing times. The narration was excellent and the rendition of the several characters by Dylan Baker is exemplary of a great performance.

Look no further

The single greatest American novelist, the single greatest American novel. A "must read" for any audience.

Fantastic classic read by a talented narrator

This book is a classic, rightfully so as Steinback is certainly a great author, but what I am really impressed by is Dylan Baker, the narrator. He assumes several characters throughout the story and is unique and entertaining in each. I will definitely be on the look-out for more of his work, very enjoyable.

Brilliant!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Grapes of Wrath to be better than the print version?

I have read the book and seen the movie. The audio edition is in a whole different category.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Grapes of Wrath?

When the fight was prevented at the government camp.

What does Dylan Baker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The inflection in his voice and his pronunciation of the colloquialisms.

Classic

Great story and outstanding narration, but whoever thought it would be a good idea to blast harmonica music between chapters should not be given creative control over anything ever again.

A Timeless Classic

It has been too long since I read this book. So many of the core ideas around industry, finance, and ethics all still directly apply to the USA.

This recording is so well done. Great voicing and accents on each characters.

Great story!

It's a very interesting book about religion and history. I enjoyed listening to this book. I think it has good content of cultural history.

5 stars all the way

This is the first John Steinbeck novel I have experienced and It won't be my last. His writing is amazingly descriptive and visual, his characters satisfyingly real, I felt as if I were right there through it all.

The story is of an extremely difficult time in US history, the reality of it superbly told. It was narrated and memorably performed by Dylan Baker, someone I would enjoy listening to again.

Great narration of a great book

Fantastic, but be warned: there is obnoxious and unfitting music scattered throughout.

Other than that, I have no problems with this portrayal of a classic.

Can't Imagine a Better Version

What did you love best about The Grapes of Wrath?

The story is more like a meditation and the narrator navigates it beautifully.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tom Jode

Which character – as performed by Dylan Baker – was your favorite?

Tom Jode...because he was so compelling. But I loved his inflection with the priest. And his women's voices were outstanding. Truly remarkable considering the scope of the story and the range of characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"A true American classic." (I've never read this book and I don't consider myself to be overly patriotic, but this story wouldn't be quite the same in any other setting)

Any additional comments?

This was my first experience with an audible "classic", with this story, with this length in audio form, and with this narrator. I truly can't imagine a better experience with this story.