Sign in with Facebook
Karen's Reviews > Cannery Row
Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1)
by
by
A true classic - and opportunity for our Library Book Discussion group to have another Steinbeck roundtable chat.
The "story" of Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed, yet resourceful men who inhabit a converted fish-meal shack on the edge of a vacant lot down on the Row in Monterey, CA in the 1940's.
As readers we have the opportunity to watch the characters interact through business deals and random conversations and unbalanced bargains.
One thing that is interesting, is that Steinbeck's writing doesn't age well. He uses racial terms that would not be acceptable today (i.e., Wops and Chinamen and Polaks). At the time, most likely acceptable. We intuitively know he isn't being derogatory, but reading it as a contemporary, it does make one wince.
Still, there is still something to appreciate about the way he writes. Just the everyday life of people living at the time. The visuals are so easy to appreciate.
Follow-up with Sweet Thursday here: /review/show...
The "story" of Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed, yet resourceful men who inhabit a converted fish-meal shack on the edge of a vacant lot down on the Row in Monterey, CA in the 1940's.
As readers we have the opportunity to watch the characters interact through business deals and random conversations and unbalanced bargains.
One thing that is interesting, is that Steinbeck's writing doesn't age well. He uses racial terms that would not be acceptable today (i.e., Wops and Chinamen and Polaks). At the time, most likely acceptable. We intuitively know he isn't being derogatory, but reading it as a contemporary, it does make one wince.
Still, there is still something to appreciate about the way he writes. Just the everyday life of people living at the time. The visuals are so easy to appreciate.
Follow-up with Sweet Thursday here: /review/show...
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Cannery Row.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
s.penkevich
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Jun 09, 2023 08:46AM
Lovely review! Glad you enjoyed this. yeaaaaa some of the outdated and rather uncool terms is....not great. A few times I was like ahhhh shit, c'mon Steinbeck haha
reply
|
flag
s.penkevich wrote: "Lovely review! Glad you enjoyed this. yeaaaaa some of the outdated and rather uncool terms is....not great. A few times I was like ahhhh shit, c'mon Steinbeck haha"Thank you, s. Of course, we can give him a pass, because during his time...it was common language!
Slang and old ethnic references don't bother me, but I try to remember to warn people if case they will be offended. In the time and place Steinbeck was writing about, everyone was a called by a shorthand identifier.
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Slang and old ethnic references don't bother me, but I try to remember to warn people if case they will be offended. In the time and place Steinbeck was writing about, everyone was a called by a sh..."Of course - and that is noted as part of time and place in my review. :)
Karen wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Slang and old ethnic references don't bother me, but I try to remember to warn people if case they will be offended. In the time and place Steinbeck was writing about, ever..."Yep - just agreeing with you. 😊
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Karen wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Slang and old ethnic references don't bother me, but I try to remember to warn people if case they will be offended. In the time and place Steinbeck was writi..."Thank you! It is interesting how we see things with a different, more sensitive eye now in this "modern" age. :)
Of all Steinbeck's books this and Travels with Charlie are my favorite though the film adaptation of Cannery Row was terrific
Jonathan wrote: "Of all Steinbeck's books this and Travels with Charlie are my favorite though the film adaptation of Cannery Row was terrific"I loved Travels with Charley as well. And, East of Eden. I have definitely read a lot of Steinbeck. 🙂
I think he was being derogatory when he used those terms, and knew it. just didn't know enough at the time. It doesn't hold me back from a book, it is more how interesting I find the story and writing. I get a feeling you are not jumping up and down recommending this one.
Stephen wrote: "I think he was being derogatory when he used those terms, and knew it. just didn't know enough at the time. It doesn't hold me back from a book, it is more how interesting I find the story and writ..."This wasn't my favorite of his. There are so many more Steinbecks to love, Steve. 🙂
