I don’t know where to begin. I almost think that it taking me so long to finish helped me fully indulge in the characters and the story. My heart broke when I read Aron died. It’s almost like a weight lifted off my shoulders when Catherine finally died, her whole spirit always had a dark shadow over the story, just looming in the background which I think is a testament to how wonderful Steinbeck is able to write and flesh out his characters.
I was in tears when Cal first realized he didn’t want to keep being mean. He struggled so hard to walk the line of being good and winning the approval of his father, then often succumbing to his meanness then starting all over again. Steinbeck all the while showing there is a choice to be made and you can still choose to be good. Charles never understood that it seems, but Cal did. Lee was such a delight of a character and really tied the whole story together. I almost wish Sam Hamilton didn’t die so early on in the book but his spirit still clearly lived on in the pages following.
Overall, a very beautifully written book. I can now understand why it’s a classic and I will be dwelling on what i just read for some time.
by cmrizzle