Cannery Row - John Steinbeck

 

I'm sure, like most people including myself, many of you studied Of Mice and Men at school. I remember being entranced by the pared back, simple yet evocative language and decided to use The Grapes of Wrath for my A-level English essay. To this day, that is amongst my top five books of all time and Steinbeck considered a favourite author.

Cannery Row is a novella which is almost episodic. At just less than 200 pages, Steinbeck zooms in on the quirky and colourful characters living on Cannery Row in the cannery district of Monterey, California, during America's Great Depression. If you've read any Steinbeck you'll know that this period is the choice for most of his work.

Living on Cannery Row is a mixture of unlikely occupants - a Chinese grocer, a scientist collecting small creatures to test on, a glamorous and proud owner of a high-class whorehouse. The book consists primarily of a series of vignettes telling the interesting goings-on of the district, from bar brawls to rockpooling to bargaining over used furniture. Standing out amongst the episodes is the tale of a group of friends planning a surprise party for their good friend Doc.

On the surface, here is a book with little plot. Normally I'm a plot gal, however with Steinbeck somehow I don't need one. Chapters alternate between a human and nature focus, as in The Grapes of Wrath, with comedic stories of the townsfolk being peppered with interspersed illustrations of birds, weather, landscapes, cityscapes. These are the real gems for me, as Steinbeck has such an ability to bring joy and wonder to descriptions of even the most mundane, urban items.

In all, I urge anyone to pick up a Steinbeck if you haven't already. His writing is packed full of imagery, and is absolutely perfect for analysing if you so desire. A beautiful read!