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This book was very different from what I thought it would be. I envisioned mostly reading about the work in the canneries (it's mentioned but not a focus) and I thought it would be depressing (until I read a friend's review, which is, sadly, no longer on this site). Instead, it's a deceptively simple story (in terms of language) that evokes a range of emotions, humor and sadness all mixed up together, but it's never depressing.

At first I was reminded of Winesburg, Ohio in that its focus is on one community and the stories are more like vignettes (though they do end up connecting in many ways); but it's quite different from the Anderson. Anderson can be philosophical from what I remember, while Steinbeck, for the most part, lets his story speak for itself, which may seem surprising coming from the man who wrote The Grapes of Wrath. Anderson's characters can't, or won't, communicate with each other; the denizens of Cannery Row don't have that problem. They certainly don't always communicate in words -- they read each others' faces, vocal tones and mannerisms; they remember past history, but they know each other -- and ultimately themselves -- very well. Most of them would never say the actual words, but they love each other too.

The character of the young boy, Frankie, and the story of a gopher simply broke my heart. This slim book reinforces the idea that beauty and truth can be found in the unlikeliest of places, one of my favorite themes.