the portrayal of the great depression in john steinbecks 1939 novel the grapes of wrath The grapes of wrath author: john steinbeck list: modern classic year of publication: 1939 pages: 464 read by students: 0 goodreads: the grapes of wrath blurb first published in 1939, steinbeck's pulitzer prize-winning epic of the great depression chronicles the dust bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one oklahoma farm family, the joads-driven from their homestead and forced.