Staff Pick
Cannery Row is a strange, episodic tale about the misadventures of the curious people who live in and around the eponymous town. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loved Steinbeck's other works, or who wants to read more classic novels from U.S. authors. Steinbeck is one of my favorite writers, and I consider Cannery Row to be as indispensable as The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men. Recommended By Nickolas J., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany and Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film
Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers
Committed and
Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen's
Pride and Prejudice, a 'B' for Charlotte Brönte's
Jane Eyre, and a 'C' for Willa Cather's
My Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves.
S is for Steinbeck. Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society. Henry the painter sorts through junk lots for pieces of wood to incorporate into the boat he is building, while the girls from Dora Floods bordello venture out now and then to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Lee Chong stocks his grocery with almost anything a man could want, and Doc, a young marine biologist who ministers to sick puppies and unhappy souls, unexpectedly finds true love. Cannery Row is just a few blocks long, but the story it harbors is suffused with warmth, understanding, and a great fund of human values. First published in 1945, and drawn from Steinbeck's memories of real inhabitants of Monterey, California, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it isboth the loneliness of the individual and the exuberance of community.
Synopsis
Adventures of cannery workers living in the run-down waterfront section of Monterey, California.
Synopsis
Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of
Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society.
Henry the painter sorts through junk lots for pieces of wood to incorporate into the boat he is building, while the girls from Dora Flood’s bordello venture out now and then to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Lee Chong stocks his grocery with almost anything a man could want, and Doc, a young marine biologist who ministers to sick puppies and unhappy souls, unexpectedly finds true love.
Cannery Row is just a few blocks long, but the story it harbors is suffused with warmth, understanding, and a great fund of human values.
First published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is—both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. John Steinbeck draws on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, and interweaves their stories in this world where only the fittest survive—creating what is at once one of his most humorous and poignant works. In Cannery Row, John Steinbeck returns to the setting of Tortilla Flat to create another evocative portrait of life as it is lived by those who unabashedly put the highest value on the intangibles—human warmth, camaraderie, and love.
About the Author
John Steinbeck (19021968) was born in Salinas, California. He worked as a laborer and a journalist, and in 1935, when he published
Tortilla Flat, he achieved popular success and financial security. Steinbeck wrote more than twenty-five novels and won the Nobel Prize in 1962.
Jessica Hische is a letterer, illustrator, typographer, and web designer. She currently serves on the Type Directors Club board of directors, has been named a Forbes Magazine "30 under 30" in art and design as well as an ADC Young Gun and one of Print Magazines "New Visual Artists". She has designed for Wes Anderson, McSweeney's, Tiffany and Co, Penguin Books, and many others. She resides primarily in San Francisco, occasionally in Brooklyn.