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My short and sweet review is that I really enjoyed this book and I felt that it's an "American classic" that lives up to its reputation as such. I went in with higher expectations than normal and wasn't disappointed.
I do feel there was a bit of stereotyping in this book but I would argue that it was overcome by the quality of the writing and the story. And, to speak of Ma Joad as singled out in this thread, there were (and are) real women like her and I thought she was a very good character, and the lead really next to Tom. Anyway, philosophically, I would say that everyone, whether real or fictional, is a stereotype to some degree in some way. Just as there are not really any "new" stories, only variations on ones already told, the character (stereotype) and story (borrowed) are dependent on the quality of the writer.
Now to watch the old film.
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