I know people call this book the great American novel and a Steinbeck masterpiece, but I was bored and had to skim read just to get to the end. I tried reading it many years ago and gave up. I tried it again now because I was determined to read the book before watching the new Netflix series, and I wanted to love it, but just didn’t. 

Of course there are scenes that I loved and some beautifully detailed passages, but overall, I found the book far too long and draggy and many of its characters underdeveloped such that I didn’t much care about them. Too many story arcs competing, too many unnecessary characters, and too preachy. At half length with a tighter story, it’d be a much better book. 

Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, The Pearl, and Tortilla Flats are all so much more powerful and memorable.

Since the Netflix adaptation had to shorten the story quite a bit, I’m curious if they were able to trim the fat and shape the narrative in a less meandering way, giving us a sharper focus of the Trasks and the Hamiltons and life in the Salina’s Valley.

I know others love this book. I’m curious what I’m missing that resonates so much for other readers.  3⭐️