Cannery Row (Cannery Row #1) by John Steinbeck - Starting December 9th 2019

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Cannery Row is a book without much of a plot. Rather, it is an attempt to capture the feeling and people of a place, the cannery district of Monterey, California, which is populated by a mix of those down on their luck and those who choose for other reasons not to live "up the hill" in the more respectable area of town. The flow of the main plot is frequently interrupted by short vignettes that introduce us to various denizens of the Row, most of whom are not directly connected with the central story. These vignettes are often characterized by direct or indirect reference to extreme violence: suicides, corpses, and the cruelty of the natural world.

The "story" of Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed yet resourceful men who inhabit a converted fish-meal shack on the edge of a vacant lot down on the Row.

Sweet Thursday is the sequel to Cannery Row.

[Laura]

Chapter 8: Gosh, this is a strange book. I really love how the stories of different people tell the whole story of the town. The story is not hard to follow and I remember each of the characters. I have read Of Mice and Men when I was younger and hated it, but Cannery Row is so much better. This is a really well written book and I am enjoying it a lot.

I really like Mack and the boys and Doc. They are really interesting characters.

[Saige]

I agree! I loved seeing how all the quirky characters come together, and it's totally in Steinbeck's style. The storeowner in this one feels a lot like Lee from East of Eden, so reading this one made me feel right at home. I didn't like Mack at first, but he's too sweet and earnest to hate for long

[Laura]

Saige wrote: "I agree! I loved seeing how all the quirky characters come together, and it's totally in Steinbeck's style. The storeowner in this one feels a lot like Lee from East of Eden, so reading this one ma..."

I really like Lee! He was clever and also an interesting character!

[Laura]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[ Ok... It is a bit strange that the doctor embalmed the dead guy and dumped his innards in the gulch where the kid then got them. Some strange stuff goes on in Cannery Row! (hide spoiler)]

[Saige]

Laura wrote: "Chapter 12: [spoilers removed]"

No kidding!

[Laura]

Chapter 18 (view spoiler)[ I loved the dramatic depiction of Mack and the Boys catching the frogs. Now I am really curious about the dead girl. I wonder if that will be explained. Some of the chapters are so random, but really show the comings and goings of people through Cannery Row and the daily routine of the town. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[ After everything that went wrong with their last party, Mack and the boys are going to try again! I couldn't do it! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Finished (view spoiler)[ This really was beautifully written. I loved all of the characters; they were so real. Steinbeck really captures the heart of communities and the people who live there. I loved how selfless Doc was and how he took everything in stride. I hope the second book will be as good! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

I can see why you love it so much!