Nevertheless, the book has retained its relevance for decades and remains widely discussed and read in schools across the country.
Upon its release, Steinbeck was lambasted for his sympathetic attitude towards the poor, and was even accused of having communist sympathies. The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of a family of impoverished farmers during the Great Depression who lose their livelihood and are forced to trek from Oklahoma to California, looking for work and trying to survive. This realist novel is probably Steinbeck's most famous work it netted him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1940 and is considered by many to be among the most influential American novels. Well, Steinbeck's 115th birthday is as good an occasion as ever to jump in: we'll help you get started with Steinbeck, with these titles available at your local library. Steinbeck is widely considered one of the greatest American novelists who ever lived, but, as with many early 20th-century heavy hitters, readers often don't find an occasion to delve into his work outside of a high school English class. Feburary 27 just so happens to be the birthday of John Steinbeck, the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author whose vivid, imaginative writing brought tales of California to life in several novels and short stories.