Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath opens with the return of Tom Joad, the protagonist, to his family in Oklahoma after being paroled from prison. He has served a sentence for manslaughter after killing a man who attacked him with a knife, and he has been released on licence due to his good behaviour as a convict. What he comes back to, however, is the family home and farm that has been abandoned. The downward spiral of failed crops, the Dust Bowl phenomenon, and the economic crash, has resulted in many small farming families like the Joads losing their land to the banks, leading to a mass migration; many of them heading west to California after they are misled into believing that there is plenty of work there for them.
review
The Not so Great Gatsby
I had heard a lot about this book by F. Scott Fitzgerald and was looking forward to reading it, but it proved to be another novel that failed to live up to the hype. The fact is that there is nothing great about Jay Gatsby. I found his character shallow and unconvincing. This is supposed … Continue reading The Not so Great Gatsby
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
It is a curious fact that the book with one of literature's most famous opening lines, "Call me Ishmael!", was not even in print when the author, Herman Melville, died in 1891. It is also a fact that although many people believe that they know the story of Moby Dick, not so many have read … Continue reading Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
I expect that most people have an idea of the story of D'Artangan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis that is actually gleaned from the many film and occasional television adaptations of the novel rather than having read the book
This Gun For Hire (1942)
Perhaps the most interesting observation about this film is that it lacks an obvious hero.
The Grand Review
I hate seeing errors of this nature in my work. I really do try to catch them all before the book goes to print, but, obviously, I am not as successful as I thought I was.
Everything in this book is true
Everything in this book is true. I sincerely wish that it wasn't. Maybe someday it won't be true. I wish I could be alive then.
Avatar (2009) Revisited
I like science fiction and, as with so many other enthusiasts, I was excited by the prospect of watching James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ when it was first released. After seeing it, however, I was haunted by a persistent feeling of déjà vu. The story goes like this: an ex-soldier is recruited by a private firm to … Continue reading Avatar (2009) Revisited
Writing My Seventh Novel – Part Fifteen
Almost there! It is quite a feeling to complete a project like writing a novel. I am not sure if I have captured any of it in my previous fourteen posts. The book is very close to being finished. In many respects this is the most difficult part of any artistic creation no matter what … Continue reading Writing My Seventh Novel – Part Fifteen
Kingdom (Netflix)
I am not a fan of zombies. I have always found them rather limited as a horror staple. I do, however, enjoy Korean movies. I decided to try Kingdom simply because it was set in medieval Korea and included not just the zombie element but also all the court intrigues involved in a power struggle … Continue reading Kingdom (Netflix)
Peter C Whitaker 