Review: Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath… by Rick Wartzman

First of all, I'm really grateful to LibraryThing's EarlyReviewers program: if not for you guys, I would've never read this book. Even when I started reading it I kept thinking: I know this great book (Grapes of Wrath) was banned like many others before and after its time, what else is there to know.

Boy, was I wrong! There is so much more. All the historical background, the people, the politics behind this book and its banning.

I loved the way some of the main characters were presented in detail: people instrumental in banning the book like Bill Camp or Stanley Abel or opposed to it, Raymond Henderson or Gretchen Knief. I also loved some of the images created, for example the mention of the American flag in the background of the supervisors meeting when they voted to ban Grapes of Wrath. End the ending was great, ending which if doesn't justify by any means the banning if the book puts everything in a larger perspective.

I am not saying this book is perfect - I would've liked to see more details about Gretchen Knief, the librarian and more about the libraries in that time. However, there is much information that is new to me that I am very happy I've read it.

Thanks again LT guys for sending me this book!

4 out of 5 stars