The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The book follows the Joad family, Oklahoma farmers displaced from their land during the Great Depression. The family, alongside thousands of other "Okies," travel to California in search of work and a better life. Throughout their journey, they face numerous hardships and injustices, yet maintain their humanity through unity and shared sacrifice. The narrative explores themes of man's inhumanity to man, the dignity of wrath, and the power of family and friendship, offering a stark and moving portrayal of the harsh realities of American migrant laborers during the 1930s.
The 16th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 4971
This book was first published in 1939
56 Lists
- score: 153 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 150)
- score: 150 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 150)
- score: 138 -- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) - 1991 (Weight: 138)
- score: 132 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life - 2019 (Weight: 126)
- score: 126 -- 100 Life-Changing Books - 2006 (Weight: 126)
- score: 123 -- 30 Books Every Adult Should Read Before They Die - 2006 (Weight: 114)
- score: 116 -- The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century - 1999 (Weight: 114)
- score: 109 -- Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century - 1999 (Weight: 105)
- score: 108 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - 1996 (Weight: 108)
- score: 108 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 108)
- score: 103 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 99)
- score: 102 -- Best Books Listed for High School Students - 1984 (Weight: 102)
- score: 101 -- The Celebrity Reading List - 2007 (Weight: 96)
- score: 100 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 100 Most Influential Books of the Century - 2000 (Weight: 96)
- score: 95 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 93)
- score: 94 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 90)
- score: 93 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 90)
- score: 93 -- 100 Essential Books - 2009 (Weight: 93)
- score: 93 -- Masterpieces of World Literature - 1991 (Weight: 93)
- score: 90 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Best Books Ever - 2006 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 90)
- score: 87 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 87)
- score: 86 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read - 2004 (Weight: 84)
- score: 85 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- Recommended Books - 2017 (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 84)
- score: 82 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 81)
- score: 82 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 78)
- score: 81 -- The Best Classics - 2006 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 - 2012 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- 100 Best Novels Written in English - 2015 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- Great Books - 2006 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- The Graphic Canon - 2012 (Weight: 81)
- score: 78 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 78)
- score: 78 -- Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) - 2002 (Weight: 78)
- score: 75 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 75)
- score: 71 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 69)
- score: 70 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 69)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 66)
- score: 57 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2015 (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- The Dream of the Great American Novel - 2014 (Weight: 57)
- score: 51 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read - 2015 (Weight: 51)
- score: 48 -- Top 50 Books - 1997 (Weight: 48)
- score: 18 -- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 18)