Folio Archives 126: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1998/2006

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1998/2006

John Steinbeck won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for his chronicle of a poor Oklahoman tenant farmer family's migration to California during the Great Depression of the 1930s in search of food & work. The family suffers drought, economic hardship and bank foreclosures that force them off their property. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they are trapped in the dust bowl, they set off on the long journey.

The book was also one of the criteria used when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1962. It is one of America’s most famous and treasured books.

The Folio Society edition has an introduction by Studs Terkel and 17 integrated wood-engraved illustrations by Bonnie Christensen. The 473 page book is bound in tan coloured cloth blocked with a red and gilt design, and is housed in a matching plain tan slipcase that measures 24x16.3cm. The endleaves are a plain tan colour.

The Folio Society produced two editions of Grapes of Wrath. My copy is the second edition of 2006, which still bears the 1998 imprint on the title page. The 1998 edition is identical in all respects except for the binding and slipcase which are dark blue instead of tan in colour, with the same cover image.

This review was requested by FSD member Pellias.



































1998 edition


An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.

Beautiful edition. Wish that the new East of Eden were more in this style (it has color illustrations but they are so dull, the woodcuts are more striking).

>2 withawhy99: the woodcuts are more striking

I agree. More appropriate for the subject matter, too.

As with most non-recent Folios, the type is a little too tight for me.

Thank you Sire.

After reading East of Eden, i naturally were curious about Grapes of Wrath in FS publication.

Would it be worth to find it secondhand, or should i wait for a change in an updated uniform were my questions .. then again a book with the context from the great depression should probably not look too flamboyant .. thus the colour of the dirt, and the melancholy atmosphere of the illustrations with style looks spot on

Thank you for providing me the tools to decide, when time comes ..

Another excellent article. Thanks Warwick.

This is The Guardian’s book of the month, https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/aug/06/the-grapes-of-wrath-read..., if others need encouragement to read.
Having the 2006 edition above, I really should make the time to read it, but another book always claims my attention! I know I should, as I have read several of his shorter books, which I really enjoyed.

I purchased a blue copy from eBay to stick on the shelf alongside East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, etc.

>6 CarltonC: Let me give you a little nudge. This book will stay with you always.

So, when you (everyone) see relatively old (2006) FS editions like these do you hunt them down secondhand, or do you await the republishing which will come and hope for something better?

Those wood engravings are gorgeous though. This could be a case of yes please, i`ll take both, cause i don`t know when the second is coming, and i want to read it so much .. kind of scenario

This has the colour of the dirt, and east of eden the colour of the grass .. a good match there

The engravings are clearly the stand outs in this edition

>9 Pellias:
So, when you (everyone) see relatively old (2006) FS editions like these do you hunt them down secondhand, or do you await the republishing which will come and hope for something better?

That word 'better' is so subjective. Personally, I find that I tend to prefer earlier editions, particularly the illustrations, where woodcuts seem to be more common, and generally more evocative. >4 gmacaree: says that the type of these earlier editions tends to be a bit too tight for him - I find more recent editions rather overblown and overlarge (but often mean on illustration). I have several times gone to the second hand market for an older edition in preference to the newer one (latest being Brideshead Revisited).

>9 Pellias: For every old book they reprint there are dozens, hundreds they don't. If you decide to wait, you might end up waiting for years if not forever. Why not buy secondhand? Something you really dislike about the old edition, or just hoping for them to reissue it in a matching binding to EofE? You know Folio ways, the latter might never happen. So if you want to read the book, you know what to do ) Myself, I'll be buying the brown 2006 version

Better sure is subjective, but the chance are always there. I`m just looking for opinions. Thus the use of the little sharp pen. Oh and i like this edition. No, elladan - it is `I` who will buy the brown edition .. east of eden are still swimming around in my head, so i have to fill that void with something

.. with a (very) quick search the brown one seem more seldom

>12 Pellias: No, elladan - it is `I` who will buy the brown edition

Is that so, my dear Sir Pellias? Perhaps we should meet for a little... holmganga? Somewhere halfway between our homes, say, on a little river island in Þingvellir?

I'd say visually both editions look very appealing, but brown is much more suitable to the content.

>12 Pellias:
Do you know what you are? You are what you is
You is what you am
(A cow don't make ham . . . ) You ain't what you're not
So see what you got You are what you is An' that's all it 'tis
A foolish young man

From a middle class fam'ly

Started singin' the blues

Cause he thought it was manly
Now he talks like the Kingfish

("Saffiiiee!")

From Amos 'n Andy
("Holy mack'l dere . . . Holy mack'l dere!")
He thinks that he's got De whole thang down
Do you know what you are? You are what you is
You is what you am
(A cow don't make ham . . . ) You ain't what you're not
So see what you got You are what you is An' that's all it 'tis
He tells you that chitlins

(Chitlins!)

Well, they taste just like candy
From the Nivea Lotion

To de Royal Crown

A foolish young man

Of the Negro Persuasion

Devoted his life

To become a caucasian
He stopped eating pork

He stopped eating greens
He traded his dashiki

("Uhuru!")

For some Jordache Jeans
He learned to play golf

An' he got a good score

Now he says to himself

"I AIN'T NO NIGGER NO MORE . . . HEY! HEY! HEY!"
"I don't understand you . . . "
BWANA MA-COO-BAH
"Would you please speak more clearly . . . " MERCEDES BAINNNNNNNZ

>13 elladan0891: Please note! `It is against LT policy du duel other members to a holmganga`.. and why would i even harm a potential friend, and even so, my beard would make you flight or freeze ..

>14 SF-72: Agreed

>15 drunkenlove: `Meanwhile from deep down the mudpit` .. is there a message somewhere or are you still count`n teeth?