If you read just one book, join state effort

Editorial

June 13, 2002

It's a short reading list -- one book -- but it's just the first of what we hope will become an ever-lengthening syllabus of works shared by the people of California.

John Steinbeck's 1939 novel "The Grapes of Wrath" has been selected as the first title in a statewide reading program inspired by similar -- and successful -- programs around the nation.

Steinbeck's novel, about an Oklahoma family that heads for California to escape the ravages of the 1930s Dust Bowl, is nearly the perfect choice, especially for readers in the valley. It is an epic about dreams meeting harsh realities, and the strength of individuals and families to endure great hardships, sometimes with considerable nobility.

It resonates still for many in the valley, because it is a story that continues with each new wave of immigrants, regardless of their origin. The same prejudices, the same obstacles face each group that faced Steinbeck's fictional Joad family.

Not everyone will agree with the choice. Steinbeck's book aroused such ire among some readers of his day that it was banned in his native Salinas. That's fine. After all, an effort like this would be wasted by a selection that didn't inspire some hard thought. And for those dissatisfied with this first choice, well, there will be others to come.

The idea is simplicity itself. Readers are asked to obtain a copy of "The Grapes of Wrath" and read it -- or reread it -- between now and October. Readers then will get together to discuss and debate the merits of the book, among many other activities.

We like what California first lady Sharon Davis had to say when she introduced the plan recently. She said the payoff from the effort will be immense, because children will see their parents reading and become interested themselves. As for adults, they can "reach back to a time when they read 'The Grapes of Wrath' in high school and they will get a different perspective," said Davis, who plans to reread the book this summer.