I read this because they said it was better than East of Eden. It wasn't. I get what it was trying to do, but I think it was done better in the Grapes of Wrath. Part of me felt a little sympathetic towards the characters, but then they would just make horrible, selfish decisions. I get why (you have nothing, you're not well off, have no education or attention span, and are addicted to alcohol), but it still irritates me.