Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
This topic is about
Cannery Row
New School Classics- 1915-2005
>
Cannery Row - Spoiler Thread
date
newest »
newest »
Hi I'm new to the group and unsure how this thread works but here goes. I'm writing my response to reading Cannery Row in dot points below:
This is a first time read for me. The only Steinbeck I have read is Of Mice and Men.
Steinbeck is genius at writing about the human condition.
More of a series of events than a plot. The descriptions of the ecosystems that Doc the marine biologist examines could be seen as a metaphor for the examination of the human ecosystems within Cannery Row.
Strange standalone chapters gave an interesting structure.
A great quote from a random review on the internet :
"Cannery Row ... is a testament of total despair in the guise of histrionic party-making." ;)
A fave quote from the novel:
Mack was "peering into his empty glass a though some holy message were written in the bottom."
Thank you CUOC for this community reading experience.
Neens x
I live in a coastal city that has several waterfronts. Like many other coastal people who live/lived in towns not quite yet urbanized, I recognize these people in Cannery Row. There are some ungentle words to describe those who survive on fishing, oystering, crabbing, shrimping. Some operate mom-and-pop stores, some operated by Filipinos as we had large immigrant group in the 1970s. Some are women who sell their entertainment and wares. Yet they are just people of my city. Some ride buses. I ride buses. Sometimes we talk for a bit to pass the time. It is like going back into time, to the Great Depression, like living history that Cannery Row brings to life.
John Steinbeck loves his characters. Almost everybody is treated with warmth and kindness.A window into a time where nothing was complicated and all things could be fixed by simple repairs.
On a Model T Ford the reverse is your margin of safety. When your brake is gone, you can use reverse as a brake. And when the low gear band is worn too thin to pull up a steep hill, why you can turn around and back up it.
...no reason to over-complicate things...
J_BlueFlower, it is a mechanical joke. Model T Fords were made to be as indestructible and versatile as possible.
Yes, but to me it showed the general spirit of the book.
Yes indeed J_BlueFlower. Sometimes novels on first read, read easy, not showing how complex they are on the surface. Same here. I will not say more because some want to read and think about the novel themselves.
Steinbeck's descriptions are so vivid - I felt as if I were walking along Cannery Row. Such beauty and underlying conflict within a close-knit community. Each chapter felt like a framed landscape on the wall of a gallery - individual yet linked. I love that his mum was a former English teacher.
Erin wrote: "Steinbeck's descriptions are so vivid - I felt as if I were walking along Cannery Row...."That is very true. The real Cannery Row has been somewhat preserved and is very much a tourist trap now with a ton of quaint shops and pricey restaurants. Steinbeck's picture is everywhere. I was there about a year ago when my daughter was thinking about going to Cal State Monterrey Bay and enjoyed walking around and soaking up the atmosphere. It's well worth visiting if you find yourself in the area.
I finished today. I love Steinbeck, especially how he treats his marginalized characters with love and affection. He affords them dignity and respect and tells their stories as if their lives matter. And they do matter. Steinbeck gets this. The story of Mac, Doc and the gang is as much worth telling as any story about more heralded groups.
Erin wrote: "Steinbeck's descriptions are so vivid - I felt as if I were walking along Cannery Row. Such beauty and underlying conflict within a close-knit community. Each chapter felt like a framed landscape o..."Yes, I too thought it was wonderful how the story comes to life in how it brings together, as you say, a community.
I was also surprised by the comedy. When Mack and the Boys wanted to give Doc a party, I just thought oh no, but so lovely in how they wanted to do something nice.
Neens wrote: " .... A great quote from a random review on the internet :"Cannery Row ... is a testament of total despair in the guise of histrionic party-making." ;)
A fave quote from the novel:
Mack was "peering into his empty glass a though some holy message were written in the bottom."."
I like how the quotes you've chosen refelect Cannery Row.
I also noticed how chapters could be read seperataely. I haven't read this one by John Steinbeck and am pleased it came up in this group.
Cynda is on the return 2024 wrote: "Hi Neens. Welcome."Thank you for the welcome Cynda
Neens wrote: "Hi
I'm new to the group and unsure how this thread works but here goes. I'm writing my response to reading Cannery Row in dot points below:
This is a first time read for me. The only Steinbeck I..."
Thank you Anisha. We have similar feelings about this book!Anisha Inkspill wrote: "Neens wrote: " .... A great quote from a random review on the internet :
"Cannery Row ... is a testament of total despair in the guise of histrionic party-making." ;)
A fave quote from the novel:
..."
I finished this today and I really enjoyed it. It felt so familiar to me after reading East of Eden last year with Lee Chong and the whorehouse with the benevolent madam near his store. I liked how inept Mack and his friends were when they planned Doc's party, but it was impossible for Doc to stay mad at them afterwards.
So glad everyone is enjoying this one. I loved it too.I like what J_BlueFlower said about the simplicity. What came to my mind was that it was easier, in many ways, to be poor in those times. My own father used to tell stories of driving "out west" to make a new life in those days, where everyone helped each other along the road, and if/when you arrived, you just set out looking for some kind of work to feed yourself. And miraculously, you sometimes could.
I loved that about the flop house boys, the way they made it work somehow.
Everything is so much more complicated today, sadly.
I agree Kathleen. This story shows not only Steinbeck's respect of or delight in these people, it shows a time when people were better connected, relied on each other for aid and entertainment.
Cynda is on the return 2024 wrote: "I agree Kathleen. This story shows not only Steinbeck's respect of or delight in these people, it shows a time when people were better connected, relied on each other for aid and entertainment."What a great point, Cynda, "Relied on each other for aid and entertainment." That says so much, and shows how different things are now.
My copy is dedicated to Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist - who was a close friend of Steinbecks. This close connection with 'Doc and his work' seems like a gentle nod towards trusted friendships too.
Good point Erin. . . . .I think someone here in put a picture of the original real-life doc in their review.
I loved reading this and getting immersed in Steinbeck’s gorgeous, descriptions. I loved Mack and his way of talking himself out of a bind (the frog hunting scene) or trying to find out information without letting on (Doc’s birthday). I think my favorite chapter was the frog chapter. There was some of the best writing and I could just imagine being there it was so descriptive. I’m glad I made time for this one.
Awesome book, I didn't even know how much I liked slice-of-life type of books. First it was Stoner, then The Sound Of Waves, now Cannery Row. Can Anne of Green Gables be also consider slice-of-life kind of book?The fact that Doc forgave Mac and the boys for trashing his laboratory was really something else, I could somehow feel his initial anger and then feeling of letting go.
This is the Spoiler Thread.