Scan barcode
trevorgrandin's review against another edition
4.0
Steinbeck such a simple way of writing, it’s almost refreshing. The characters are tragic yet optimistic and the setting is completely realized.
aminaelisa's review against another edition
i definitely enjoyed this much more than i expected.
i think it helped that i did not expect much of a plot and somewhat knew that we would just be exploring a loose cast of characters at a certain time in a specific place. (otherwise i may have been frustrated and waited for something else to happen.)
i think it helped that i did not expect much of a plot and somewhat knew that we would just be exploring a loose cast of characters at a certain time in a specific place. (otherwise i may have been frustrated and waited for something else to happen.)
amb3rlina's review against another edition
4.0
I love the characters in this book. Each one is such a careful study in humanity. I didn't know much about the book when I picked it up, and it wasn't quite what I expected, but I was thoroughly pleased with the journey.
What I learned:
Presentness. That the joys of life, and the sorrows too, come in small moments.
What I loved:
His writing. The passages are transporting and reverential in a way that is not intimidating or overly holy.
A favorite passage:
There is an amazing passage about the relationship humans have with the truth that is pretty staggering around page 100 in my copy - too long to quote here. But it ends "Doc still loved true things but he knew it was not a general love and it could be a very dangerous mistress." Staggering.
What I learned:
Presentness. That the joys of life, and the sorrows too, come in small moments.
What I loved:
His writing. The passages are transporting and reverential in a way that is not intimidating or overly holy.
A favorite passage:
There is an amazing passage about the relationship humans have with the truth that is pretty staggering around page 100 in my copy - too long to quote here. But it ends "Doc still loved true things but he knew it was not a general love and it could be a very dangerous mistress." Staggering.
phanz1129's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Tortilla Flat a little bit better, but some really good imagery and narrative tone from Steinbeck(duh).
jennifermreads's review against another edition
5.0
As much as I admire John Steinbeck, his contributions to literature, and his writing, in reviewing his list of books, plus treasure my visits to Salinas & his museum, I am amazed (appalled?) at how few of his works I have read. I’m going to work on that this year.
I listened to an amazing narration of Cannery Row and, if anyone ever wonders what a “character novel” is, this is the book to turn to as an example. Steinbeck illustrates the world of Cannery Row by sharing bits of the lives of the colorful personalities that inhabit the rickety structures. Readers get an insightful glimpse at the rough lives of the lower, working class folks that make society tick, hum, and move along in every era. I am awed, again and again, that this incomparable author is able to capture the zest, passion, and quirks of an under-represented class of folks while instilling a sense of compassion in the readers of their tales.
I listened to an amazing narration of Cannery Row and, if anyone ever wonders what a “character novel” is, this is the book to turn to as an example. Steinbeck illustrates the world of Cannery Row by sharing bits of the lives of the colorful personalities that inhabit the rickety structures. Readers get an insightful glimpse at the rough lives of the lower, working class folks that make society tick, hum, and move along in every era. I am awed, again and again, that this incomparable author is able to capture the zest, passion, and quirks of an under-represented class of folks while instilling a sense of compassion in the readers of their tales.
rubberrosebooks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide, Child death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death, and Animal death
zhzhang's review against another edition
4.0
The author has painted a picture of all characters with a lot of details.
aewing05's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes you hike for the destination, sometimes you just hike for the trail itself. Cannery Row is the latter, with the climactic peak amounting to a relatively mundane birthday party. It lacks the of Lenny, the purely animal instinct to survive from the Grapes of Wrath, and the pure evil that lies in from East of Eden. What Cannery Row lacks in bleak , it gains in the language used to set a scen and build a sense of community. From the collection of diverse characters to the detail of Monterrey, the reader walks away from this feeling as though they too grew up on the Northern California Shores.
abbycel3's review against another edition
5.0
Johnny boy does it again. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one. The more I read Steinbeck the more I notice and appreciate all of his fine attention to details and subtleties while building characters, that brings all of them to life in such a visible, tangible way. And how he incorporates into s these characters little parable like snippets regarding human nature, letting such a seemingly simple story carry so much underlying meaning. I love it. Brilliant. So descriptive and vivacious, I felt like I was immersed right into the mix of the cannery row citizens and creatures. I love how he sets the scene completely anew with an introduction of fresh characters in almost every chapter. It just enhances the essence of the focused community (Monterey) and ties it all together in such a realistic way. And u never really know where a new chapter is going to lead. Always takes u on a journey