Why Read: the abstract and unpredictable impact

In high school, John Steinbeck was one of my favorite writers. I read The Grapes of Wrath when I was sixteen or seventeen, and I understood most of it, though certainly not all of it (like the ending). However, I haven't read any Steinbeck in years.

Today on MPR there was a discussion about The Grapes of Wrath, and for some reason, every time they discussed the ending, my eyes started welling up with tears.