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Cannery Row

Book 1 in the series:Cannery Row

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Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is a novel that delves into the lives of the overlooked working-class individuals residing near the fish canneries in Monterey, California. The book presents a series of character studies set in a poor section of Monterey during the Great Depression, focusing on a marine biologist named Doc and his eclectic group of friends, including unemployed men led by Mack, women from a local bordello, a Chinese storekeeper, and various other inhabitants of Cannery Row. Through vivid descriptions and insightful storytelling, Steinbeck portrays the joy and sorrow, hope and despair that lurk beneath the surface of the impoverished characters' lives, creating a beautiful narrative that captures the essence of life amidst hardship.

The writing style of Cannery Row has been praised for its ability to transport readers to the setting of Cannery Row through detailed word portraits of the characters and the environment. Steinbeck's masterful use of language, imagery, and humor brings the community to life, offering a kaleidoscopic view of Monterey in the late thirties and early forties. Despite the seemingly mundane plot, the book is celebrated for its poignant portrayal of genuine characters facing challenges, tender moments, and the formation of a unique neighborhood bound together by kindness and nonjudgmental affection.

Characters:

The characters are diverse and richly developed, each embodying unique flaws and strengths that contribute to the overall community of Cannery Row.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is lyrical and full of vivid imagery, combining humor and deep observations about characters and their environment.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a group of colorful characters in Monterey who attempt to throw a party for their friend, Doc, interspersed with vignettes highlighting camaraderie and life during tough times.

Setting:

The setting captures the essence of Monterey during the Great Depression, combining natural beauty with the struggles of urban life.

Pacing:

The pacing is leisurely, allowing for extensive character exploration through a series of reflective snapshots rather than a fast-paced plot.
Lee Chong’s grocery, while not a model of neatness, was a miracle of supply. It was small and crowded but within its single room a man could find everything he needed or wanted to live and to be happy...

Notes:

The main plot of Cannery Row revolves around the efforts of Mack and his friends to throw a party for Doc, a beloved marine biologist.
The book is structured as a series of vignettes, focusing on various characters and their lives in Monterey, California.
Major themes include camaraderie and contentment, highlighting how the characters support each other during hard times.
Characters like Mack, Doc, Lee Chong (the grocer), and Dora (the madam of the Bear Flag Restaurant) embody the spirit of the community.
The character of Doc is based on Steinbeck's real-life friend Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist.
Despite their rough lives, the characters find joy and connection in small moments, which contrasts with their poverty.
The novel presents a mix of humor and poignant moments, making it both entertaining and insightful.
Steinbeck artfully blends rich imagery and character development, often using simple yet poetic language.
The opening line of the book famously describes Cannery Row as a 'poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.'
The book captures the essence of life during the Great Depression, yet aims to show how happiness can be found in community and friendship.

From The Publisher:

Steinbeck's tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society, dependant on one another for both physical and emotional survival

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. Drawing on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, including longtime friend Ed Ricketts, Steinbeck interweaves the stories of Doc, Dora, Mack and his boys, Lee Chong, and the other characters in this world where only the fittest survive, to create a novel that is at once one of his most humorous and poignant works. In her introduction, Susan Shillinglaw shows how the novel expresses, both in style and theme, much that is essentially Steinbeck: "Scientific detachment, empathy toward the lonely and depressed . . . and, at the darkest level . . . the terror of isolation and nothingness."

Ratings (46)

Incredible (10)
Loved It (16)
Liked It (16)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (2)

Reader Stats (91):

Read It (47)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (35)
Not Interested (8)

3 comment(s)

Loved It
2 weeks

I first read it in 2019 and at that time I only gave it 3 stars. I'm glad I decided to give it another go as I enjoyed it a lot more then I did then. 4 or 4.5 stars can't decide yet. John Steinbeck was very talented with his pen both how he wrote and the characters and flow of the story. Read a few of his works but far from everything. Need to start reading more of his works sooner rather then later.

 
Did Not Like
6 months

confusing

 
It Was OK
7 months

One of the book clubs I belong to chose

Cannery Row for this month. Although I had previously read two Steinbeck novels and was convinced he wasn't the author for me, I decided to give him another chance.

I'm pleasantly surprised by this book. So far, this is the Steinbeck novel that I have enjoyed the most. Perhaps it's because it isn't as depressing as his other works. In this cheerful, humorous, yet reflective style, Steinbeck truly deserves attention. One of the biggest issues I had with his other books was his writing style, which didn't appeal to me at all. However, in this book, it didn't bother me at all. On the contrary, I genuinely appreciated the author's unique humor, which I found very appealing most of the time.

This is a completely different story compared to the ones I've read from Steinbeck so far, although, in a way, it still touches on themes we always find in his books—namely, the lives of workers and farmers, generally poor and uneducated people. In

Cannery Row, Steinbeck presents a truly fascinating picture of this tight-knit little community. I found it much more interesting than in his other books.

The characters are interesting and internally complex. Of course, they are not without numerous flaws, but at the same time, they all try to do good. They are all, in a sense, societal outcasts, living on the margins of normal society, which brings them closer together. It's a very intriguing group. I liked the calmness with which Doc approaches the people around him and their imperfections, and how he can see their true intentions.

I had quite a good time with this book, much better than I expected. Although I still think Steinbeck isn't for me and I probably won't read more of his books, I believe that if you, too, didn't particularly enjoy his other works, you should give

Cannery Row a try because it's a completely different book compared to his others.

 

About the Author:

John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, California, in 1902, grew up in a fertile agricultural valley, about 25 miles from the Pacific Coast. Both the valley and the coast would serve as settings for some of his best fiction. In 1919…

 
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