9780140177381
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Cannery Row share button
John Steinbeck
Genre Fiction Books & Literature
Format Paperback
Dimensions 4.32 (w) x 7.56 (h) x 0.59 (d)
Pages 208
Publisher Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication Date February 1993
ISBN 9780140177381
Book ISBN 10 0140177388
About Book

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.

Drawing characters based on his memories of real inhabitants of Monterey, Steinbeck interweaves the stories of Doc, Henri, Mack, and his boys, in a world where only the fittest survive, in a novel that focuses on the acceptance of life as it is--a story at once humorous and poignant.

Reviews

Library Journal

Steinbeck's 1945 novel is a snapshot of life in a hard-living neighborhood adjacent to the sardine and tuna canneries in Monterey, CA. The memorable characters include Lee Chong, the Chinese merchant; Dora Flood, the local madam; Doc, biologist and owner of Western States Biological Supply; and "the boys"—Mack, Hazel, and Eddie. The latter trio decide to throw a surprise party for Doc to repay his generosity. To earn money for the event, they catch hundreds of frogs that Doc will buy and then sell to his customers. In the process, the boys acquire a puppy and a cask of whiskey. The bash gets wild, and Doc's house is trashed. To make it up to him, they surprise him with another party involving the entire neighborhood. Steinbeck shows that friendship and community can be forged anywhere. VERDICT Steinbeck makes the characters, who may be considered marginal, endearing. Narrator Jerry Farden reads the story as it is written: dispassionately, almost like reporting, which allows the listener to appreciate the wonderful humor and delicious irony. Note that this Penguin Audio edition is a reissue of the 1989 Recorded Books production.—Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL
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