January (2024 Discussion) - Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck

[Karen]

Discussion is open!

[Jennifer]

I had forgotten how glorious Steinbeck is and was so entranced by the setting of this coastal Californian town in the 1930ish era. The characters while only glanced upon were so deep and rich and full of life and color.

Mack and his ways reminded me very much of Yossarian of Catch-22 and I haven’t looked into it, but I wonder if Heller was at all influenced by Steinbeck. The dark humor felt very familiar…

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Jennifer wrote: "I had forgotten how glorious Steinbeck is and was so entranced by the setting of this coastal Californian town in the 1930ish era. The characters while only glanced upon were so deep and rich and f..."

I agree completely. The first page had me hooked right away. This might end up being my favorite Steinbeck. I like your comparison to Catch 22 which is one of my all-time favorites. For myself, I noticed similarities with some of the characters in Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion - I can almost see the dotted line connecting the two.

[Debbie]

Karen wrote: "Discussion is open!"

I have a general question about the monthly reads. Is there a “year at a glance” complete list for all the 2024 monthly book selections, or do we only get 3 months at a time? It’s possible the books beyond MAR have not actually been finalized, and I’m unaware of that.

[Caroline]

This is a charming read. But does it belong on the 1001-list? I’d rather see East of Eden on the list.