Old Books, New Readers discussion

Guys, I am sorry, I forgot to post here...

This week's reading is about:

Chapters 13-18.

This week, we actually start to get more concrete evidence that when the family gets to California, it won't be all easy money, picking fruit in the shade on beautiful land. They start to meet people who are coming from the west and going back home because the conditions were so bad. They start to hear what it's really like over there. They start to have doubts, but still try to hold on to what they read on the hand bills and besides they're already so close. Might as well push on and see for themselves. They encounter another loss. Things are looking very bleak now.

Michelle wrote: "They encounter another loss. Things are looking very bleak now. "

Oh no, I haven't gotten this far yet but I have strong suspicions as to who it is they loose ...

The story the man headed back East told about his wife and sons absolutely tore at my heart. Steinbeck did a great job of emotionally connecting his audience to his characters. Just like the Joads, I'm hoping that against all odds they make it to California and things get better for them there.

This week's reading got me tearing up. :( I sure hope things get better, now that they are finally in the fruitful area of California. But those two stories of how things really are tell me life is not going to go as they expect.

Hi Guys,

I am curious what others thought about Noah leaving the group and staying at the river? Steinbeck really doesn't develop Noah's character very much and he has no real effect on the plot, so I am guessing that his staying behind has some greater symbolic significance, but I am not sure what it is.

I am only on Chapter 23, so I don't want to google it and end up getting spoilers.

I didn't really feel anything about Noah leaving because as Ian said, his character wasn't developed much. I don't know what the significance is but perhaps it's just to show the family slowly falling apart one by one due to different reasons, starting with grandpa. Ma made a few points about how the family's got to stick together because the people is all they have.

Yeah, I agree, it is part of the family falling apart, and Ma's role is to keep them together.

I'm wondering about Noah too. We really didn't get to know him at all. They are finally in California, but I think we aren't going to see much improvement in their lot. Hope is a strong force, but so is hate and fear.

When Noah left I couldn't remember who he even was in relation to the others, Oh well.....gone.
This story is heading to a bleak ending I think...
You know that baby in utero is starving!

I still haven't finished the book but I really enjoyed participating for the first time! I love having a goal to read some classics. This book, although horribly sad, has been a really enjoyable read.

Yea I am wondering if Noah will pop up again too. I also am having a good time participating even though I'm playing catch up here. I'm hoping to finish tonight or tomorrow because I am sort over the series of depressing books I've been reading lately. Though this one is depressing and I knew it would be, it is a good read and worth the time its taking to read it.

Those in between chapters about American life in general, the banks as monsters, the whole scene at the dinner, still seem to apply today in many ways. I think anyway.