Cannery Row

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crowyhead, February 4, 2008 (view all comments by crowyhead)
Did you know that John Steinbeck can be really freaking hilarious? I had no idea. I think my only previous exposure had been The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, neither of which are exactly lighthearted reads. Cannery Row, though, has probably just joined my list of top ten favorite books. It tells the story of the folks, based on individuals Steinbeck actually knew, who live around the canneries of Monterey. At first it feels more like a series of character sketches than anything else -- to name a few: there's Mack and the Boys, good-natured idlers who do just enough work to keep themselves in booze; there's Henri, who fancies himself an artist and is building a boat that he will never finish; Dora Flood, the local madame; Lee Chong, who runs the grocery store and engages in near-constant battles of wits with Mack; and there's Doc, who lives and works at Western Biological Laboratories, and who is nearly universally liked by the other denizens of Cannery Row. It's this warm feeling folks have for Doc that actually drives the plot of the novel, which forms somewhat organically along the way. Since Doc has done so much for everyone, Mack figures, why don't they throw him a party to show their appreciation? The result is hilarious, disasterous, and in the end, just absolutely beautiful.

Honestly, if you think you don't like John Steinbeck, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book off the shelf at your library. Open to a chapter, any chapter, and start reading. If you can get through the chapter without either sitting down to finish the whole book, or running to the check-out counter to take it home, then, well, there might be something wrong with you.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780140177381

Author:

Steinbeck, John

Publisher:

Penguin Books

Location:

New York :

Subject:

Frogs

Subject:

Classics

Subject:

American

Subject:

Novels and novellas

Subject:

Literature

Subject:

Literary

Subject:

Community life

Subject:

Love stories

Subject:

Literature-A to Z

Copyright:

1993

Edition Description:

B-Mass Market

Series Volume:

92-13

Publication Date:

19930231

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Grade Level:

from 12

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Yes

Pages:

208

Dimensions:

7.56x4.24x.55 in. .30 lbs.

Age Level:

from 18