In Dubious Battle

By: John Steinbeck

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

A riveting novel of labor strife and apocalyptic violence that maps the frontier where the masses become a mobAt once a relentlessly fast-paced, admirably observed novel of social unrest and the story of a young man’s struggle for identity, In Dubious Battle is set in the California apple country, where a strike by migrant workers against rapacious landowners spirals out of control, as principled defiance metamorphoses into blind fanaticism. Caught in the upheaval is Jim Nolan, a once aimless man who finds himself in the course of the strike, briefly becomes its leader, and is ultimately crushed in its service.“Dramatically intense, beautifully written. It is the real thing; it has a vigor of sheer storytelling that may sweep away many prejudices.†—The New Republic

Critic reviews

By the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

"Dramatically intense, beautifully written. It is the real thing; it has a vigor of sheer storytelling that may sweep away many prejudices."
-The New Republic

History lesson

Beautifully written , wonderful characters as usual. A journey back in time.Ending was a little abrupt.

Sad part of our History

This is a historical snapshot of the difficult times in our labor struggles that has not yet been resolved.

Second time listening

The first time I read this book was for college and didn’t read it too deeply. Reading it for a second time, I really appreciated how deep the characters were. I love Steinbeck and have read a dozen of his books, but he could not write women. His men would have so much depth while his women were flat. Lisa in this book might be his absolute worst.

A snapshot of the tragic struggle for justice by the working class

Top tier performance by the reader and another well written Steinbeck story. Good characters, though female characters always lack the depth male characters get.
This is a potent snapshot of the struggle between those who possess wealth and property versus those who work to feed themselves. It’s harsh and sometimes hopeless as we see time and time again how police are always faster to protect property than people’s rights. And also how the scales are always propped in the favor the greedy against the poor.
The summary set forth by audible - that this is a story of defiance turned to “blind fanaticism” - is simply wrong. While there is some obvious darkness in the desperation of the working class to summarize what these characters fight for as blind is just crap. There is a purpose and it is a just one. And this book works to remind us all that it isn’t the strikers, the protestors, or the activists that ‘start all the trouble,’ but instead it is those that seek to profit off the exploitation of the vulnerable.

Excellent performance

I am so glad that I listened to this instead of reading it myself. It was an excellent and gripping performance of a story that is still very relevant today.