Grapes of Wrath, The

noun

1. a novel (1939) by John Steinbeck.

The Grapes of Wrath

1. (1939) A novel by John Steinbeck about the hardships of an American farm family in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Forced off the land, they travel to California to earn a living harvesting fruit.

The title is from “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Example Sentences

After his two previous starts to the novel in late May 1938, Steinbeck began rapidly writing what would become the iconic book about the Dust Bowl: "The Grapes of Wrath."

From Salon

As biographer Jackson Benson observed, “When at last he did get into the writing of the final draft of the 'Grapes of Wrath,' he made it a long sprint, rather than a marathon run, and the strain nearly destroyed him.”

From Salon

On September 3, Steinbeck’s wife Carol came up with the title “The Grapes of Wrath,” an allusion to Revelations 14:19–20 and a verse from “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Julia Ward Howe.

From Salon

Though the reading reports about her book had been extremely positive, Cerf explained to Babb that her publishing contract for "Whose Names Are Unknown" had been canceled — due to the wide success of Steinbeck’s new book, "The Grapes of Wrath."

From Salon

By June 1939, "The Grapes of Wrath" had sold over 200,000 copies, and film rights to the book had been sold for $75,000.

From Salon