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)

auidble is amazing

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

I love this app,the novel was clear and the voice keep the story interesting and kept me enjoying each chapter.

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

I enjoyed learning about the dust storms in the 1930s

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

I would say Casy

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it made me laugh on some parts but for the most of the novel, I enjoyed learning how people coped with their struggles in that 1930s.

Great narration at 1.25x

The narrator was great adding life and depth to the characters, the book was a little slow so I listened to it at 1.25x speed!

could have done without the harmonica.

get rid of the harmonica. hated the ending. very depressing, hope this was not based on a true story.

amazing and timeless

one of my favorite novels of all time...and always relevant, especially these days. everyone should read

Stunning!

Wonderful story of unbelievable hard times. God Bless the migrants. Completely enlightened, but thought the story would had endef differently than it did.

Good but could be faster

This is a great book but the problem is that the guy reading is to slow for my liking and made this book longer than it should've been.

Amazing!!

This was the first audio book I ever commuted to. Dylan Baker is an incredible reader. He consistently did all character voices male and female. His performance along with the incredible writing are awesome. The characters are so well rounded. I waited all of my life to read this classic. It will remain with me for some time.

Only read this for school

This book wasn’t the worst book I could’ve read for school like when we read Shakespeare it is terrible but anyway this allowed me to do other homework while reading so I could get at least a couple hours of sleep. I have 2 dislikes. 1) when I listen on my laptop the chapters aren’t labeled, sections are and they’re all off by 1 number to the chapter 2) when it’s 2 am and you finish a chapter and a whole harmonica and a half starts playing you want to just cry but I learned to somewhat like it the sound because it meant I finished a chapter and I’m 1 step closer to going to sleep

just...

All around incredible.

Most literary pundits try to utilize the most affluent and eloquent words to capture the essence of their point, and make their narrative breathe.

Steinbach says simple words for simple folk, and his books breathe deeper than anyone's.

Great!

Loved this book. What a great story. I had no idea that this happened in our very own back yard