Tuesday 2 October 2012

My Steinbeckian Feelings, Laid Out For You In A Blog Post

Ah, Steinbeck. I'm not sure that I've ever fully expressed my love for Steinbeck here, other than maybe in Top Ten Tuesday posts, and in every single mention I've ever made of this readalong, but I love the dude SO HARD.
Because the thing is, he can be SO funny, and then also really sad, and just kind of, you know, covers the entire range of human emotion, whilst also stringing together amazing sentences AND creating characters that have the perfect mix of good and evil, or that are, in other words, just like real people. I've read a LOT of his books, and I haven't read one that I didn't like- even his book about war was excellent; his Journal of a Novel really gave an insight into how the creative process, or at least his creative process, works; and I can tell you, having read a thousand pages of his letters, that I can't think of anyone I'd rather have received a letter from. Plus, you know, he was kind of dishy
Although it's possible I just think that because I like his books so much. You tell me! (Repeat above gif)

So anyway. Like, I suspect, a lot of people, I oscillate between thinking that East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath is my favourite Steinbeck. All I know is, I've read The Grapes of Wrath a lot more, but that doesn't really mean much. Either way, this is my revelation that I have, indeed, read The Grapes of Wrath before. So obviously my posts about it aren't going to be 'OMG this happened!' but, short explanation, I reviewed East of Eden on here and one post was really not enough to get out all I wanted to say about it, and then when I learned that readalongs were a thing, I thought 'oh heyyyy, that's a good way to talk about The Grapes of Wrath loads!' And I'm taking you all with me!
Possibly above all things, I love his politics. I believe that he's the leftest leftie that I can think of (ok, maybe not that I can think of. But he's pretty left wing-ish) and hopefully these are your politics too, because there's going to be a bit of that in The Grapes of Wrath (and also because otherwise I probably can't talk to you anymore. Sorry). But his politics are really motivated by the way he feels about people, and how unjust the world is, and how he just wants everything to be better and OMG Steinbeck just hold me! And so he is the loveliest lovely.
The End. Except to say, hey, link up your posts below please! And then we can all visit and get our Steinbeck feels out in the open. And I can defend him to anyone who dares besmirch his name!

33 comments:

  1. Shall I join in? We have a fancy copy of The Grapes of Wrath downstairs and I need to read more books by men! I might even manage to finish!
    p.s. What film is the Zooey gif from?

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    1. You most definitely shoul join in! There's a really easy schedule of a hundre or so pages a week, you can do it! (guidelines are good. Gotta love them)

      Ps I don't know! And I want to! I would say it looks like JGLs head, but it's definitely not from 500 Days of Summer, so... I dunno!

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    2. I thought it looked like JGL but it worried me I could recognise his head that easily! Is it from some joke video/song thing? I feel like I've seen it.

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    3. Ooooooh...you just triggered my memory with that, Frances. It was driving me crazy, but it's from a She & Him music video. This one, to be exact: http://youtu.be/rtVh8kVZ_XM

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    4. Megs! You're amaaaze. And now I don't have to half-heartedly search for it like I was going to!

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    5. Well, I basically want to marry that video. AND I enjoy that I can identify JGL by his side head. It must be love!

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    6. JGL in that video is...let's just say I can no longer concentrate on my work today. OR EVER AGAIN.

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  2. Hi,

    I didn't officially sign up but I am participating, hope that is OK! I linked up my post for today :)

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    1. That's absolutely fine! The more the merrier! I shall be along to comment on your post momentarily :)

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  3. Well, while I am not 100% on *all* Steinbeck's books, I do really really love Grapes of Wrath, read it in all of three days back in 2008, and nothing he's written (even EoE) has topped it.

    Having said that, I don't think I can join in the readalong yet. I'm not quite ready to revisit the book. It was so powerful that I'm scared I'll break that impression if I go back too soon!! But I will be following along with youguys as you read!

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    1. Aww, fair enough, I understands! But YAY Steinbeck love! And yeah, we'll be updating every week, so do pop along and tell us we're all wrong/right :)

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  4. I've only read Of Mice of Men, which was kinda blech. So hopefully I enjoy GoW can you know, appreciate such a major author.

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    1. OMG I love Of Mice And Men... But it is a GIANT bummer. I feel like this is a little more... I don't know, hopeful or something? Slightly less bleak. If only because there's a whole family rather than just like 2 people against the world...

      ARGH, so nervous that everyone's going to be like 'WHY ARE YOU MAKING US READ THIS IT'S REALLY SAD!'

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    2. I'm really happy you think it's more hopeful, cos I loved Of Mice and Men AND East of Eden but by the end of both I was like 'OH MY GOD HUMANITY SUCKS AND I'M GOING TO STICK MY HEAD IN THE OVEN'. Which wouldn't have worked anyway since our oven is electric...

      I think I'm being extra weird today, I blame the oddity of reading The Grapes of Wrath alongside How to Succeed at Breastfeeding...

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    3. ...and then I just read your comment further down about EoE being happier than this. And now I'm apprehensive :-p

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    4. Haha, I was going to say that East of Eden is happier! But... Well, I guess it kind of isn't. But there are all those deep conversations in EoE where I'm like 'oooh, this is so interesting' and so not feeling sad, and instead of those in Grapes there's just this burning FURY. Which is totally fun, obvs.

      I love your book co-reading. Very awesome choices :)

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  5. Ah the gifs. OK, I'm getting excited. Slightly excited. I'm still a little nervous because I just started reading it and it is swinging from "OMG did he just say what I think he said?" to "great, everything is awful and I'm going to cry". And that's just in like 50 pages.

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    1. Hahaha, ohhh I so know what you're talking about with the OMG hahahaha! But no, it's totally sad, did I not make that clear? But Steinbeck is trying to make you feel sad and also FURIOUS so that you want to do something about the situation of the Okies! Cause... it's still the 1930s. Obvs.

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    2. so you're saying after reading this I'm going to have the desire to get a time machine and save the dust bowl farmers? Interesting...

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  6. NUMBER 1, can you have a readalong tag so we can find all the related posts easily?

    Number 2, STEINBEEEEEEECK. East of Eden is the only thing I've read that made me love him, but I read Of Mice and Men and The Pearl as an idiot teenager, so maybe I'd revise that opinion now. In any case, SO EXCITEEEEEED.

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    1. 1. No. I don't know how to do that.

      OK, I'll TRY. GOD Alice, you demand so much of me! *Dramatic faint*

      2. EAST OF EDEN IS SO GOOOOOD. Actually, it's probably less sad than this. We probably should have read that instead. DAYYYYMN! The Pearl is sort of lame, but I believe Of Mice And Men to be sort of fantastic, albeit bleak. GRAPES IS THE BEST THOUGH! You BETTER be excited! :)

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    2. Just under 'labels' when you edit/create a post, type something like 'awesome grapes of wrath readalong' or something.

      I needed to read Grapes, so I'm WAY HAPPY we're reading it. Also I have so many Cathy feels in EoE, I think I'd terrify everyone. So this is good.

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    3. *SIGH* OK. Like I don't have anything BETTER to do (I kind of don't)

      Oh maaaaan, Cathy feels. I have so many feels for ALL THE CHARACTERS. ALL OF THEM! And feels for James Dean in the movie, but that's another matter entirely...

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    4. Uh, I entered my blog up there and just reentered it, 'cause it appears to have vanished. Right then.

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    5. That's because it resents you for making me add labels to things...

      Or... I don't know what happened. But I'm sure glad it's up there now!

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  7. I'm kiiiind of curious to see what a leftist leftie looked like in the '30s. Clearly, THIS leftist leftie had a dashing mustache and still makes us swoon...but I mean the politics.

    My friend grew up in central California, and her relatives, apparently, had something to do with the real-life goings-on that go on in Grapes of Wrath. I'm a little confused about their exact connection to each other, but maybe I'll sort that out as I go along. I've been to Cannery Row! So there's that.

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    1. Preeeetty lefty left. Wikipedia says he was in this group of writers that were basically communist, and there's this one book that's all like protesty and communisty (before communism went bad) and so yeah. He's pretty left!

      Hmmm... I think you need to pump your friend for information! Cause that sounds really interesting! I AM SO JEALOUS YOU'VE BEEN TO CANNERY ROW! I so so so badly want to go to Salinas and Monterey and stuff and be all like 'OMG STEINBECK WALKED HERE!' etc. And it all sounds so so beautiful!

      *Steinbeck siiiiiigh*

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  8. I need to figure out how to use gifs. I also need to not be on vacation so I can write up my first post. It will be done up by midnight! (Hopefully). In the meantime, I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts!

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    1. The way to use gifs is, you just put them in a post the same way as a picture! Super simple. But they're still not mandatory, just, you know, super fun! YAY EVERYONE'S POSTS! They're all preeeetty good :)

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  9. Hm, I've only ever read The Pearl (and Grapes, but that was high school and I wasn't a real person yet so it doesn't quite count). I found it to be kind of so-so, but I did like the drawings in my edition.

    I'm so excited! I missed our GIFage in September.

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  10. So many feels! This is going to be good. I read the first 5 pages of Of Mice and Men, like, a month ago, but then I got distracted by RIP and shiny things. Grapes, I think, is an excellent Steinbeck place to start. Such a heavy hitter, this one!

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  11. Your obvious love for this book has me really excited that I will love it too. It's my first read!

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