Cannery Row

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Summary: Cannery Row - a gentle, meaningful story
Review: After reading a number of reviews on Steinbeck's novel, I can appreciate that it is not something which suits all tastes. However, I do not feel that Steinbeck sought to create the greatest story ever told. His book is about life and how a group of characters lived theirs. If you go beneath the surface it is a deep and meaningful story about people who live relaxed (at least compared to many people today), apparently "simple" lifestyles. They have their faults but are, on the whole, decent people. Wouldn't it be nice to live lives that are not about conformity and enduring a stressful, highly competitive rat-race?

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Summary: A wonderful and toching book.
Review: This book is a wonderful book. It shows a society that we would not look at and Steinbeck puts such a nice story behind his description. A rare litterary treasure

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Summary: ...It does have a worthy point, on the contrary
Review: I was reading the other reviews and most peoples complaint was that there were no main characters and no plot. However, I disagree, I think the book was a more of a philosophical one. All the chapters that dont seem to make any sense at first have very deep meanings, which I will not go into but if you would like to email me, go ahead.

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Summary: I didn't like this book
Review: I had to read this book for school, and it was no fun. [e-mail], I actually didn't laugh hysterically at the beer milkshake--I thought it was stupid. Sorry. Greg B. from CA--I'd have to agree with you. No plot, no main characters...the only good part was the poem.

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Summary: A wonderful book!!!!
Review: This is the first book that i have read by Stienbeck, and i have to say that i was simply blown away!! I simply could not put this book down and i finished it in a few short hours. If Stienbecks other works are as good as this i will be sure to check them out. If anyone has a suggestion for the next Stienbeck book i should please e mail me.

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Summary: Plot-less but entertaining
Review: I did enjoy reading Cannery Row, but when I got to the end of it, I wondered what on earth it was about. I do think that some sort of a plot could have helped. Even if the plot had been Mack 'n the boys' resolution to give Doc a good party. It just didn't have much closure.

However, I did very much enjoy the characters. Lee Chong was my favorite, with his no nonsense business tactics, and collection of junk, being the result of using the barter system with customers that couldn't pay their grocery bills.

If I were to recommend one of Steinbeck's novels, though, I would recommend Grapes of Wrath.

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Summary: Lying in order to tell the truth!
Review: I didn't understand the concept of lying in order to tell the truth until I read this book. A college English teacher kept harping on it, then it became clear. Oh yeah, I defy you not to howl with laughter over the climax of the beer milkshake incident. A++ book.

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Summary: . . .a woderfully funny read
Review: Many complain of Steinbeck's lack of plot in some of his works. Too Bad. That's not the point of good literature. Plot is for critics and scholars. Steinbeck is for every man. Steinbeck is for regular readers like you and me. Cannery Row is a peek in the lives of a few people--people we'd never have had an opportunity to meet without the observing and reporting skills of John Steinbeck. Enjoy the book for what it's worth. . .and if you are a person whose interest can't be sustained without a plot, maybe you should go and read some of the hack writers that are flooding the markets today. You'll surely find the same tired plots used over and over again there. If you want a whodunnit, go read mysteries and suspenses and leave Steinbeck to those who don't need someone shaking a baby rattle in their face to be entertained. Thank You. And good night.

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Summary: what a good book cannary row was!
Review: Cannery Row was writen with some great technecks. It has many similies and vivid verbs which make the story come alive as you read. This is a book about people and their lives it is not like a fairy tale for the people in this book don't always get their way. Some of the characters may seem strange at first, for example one man is building a boat but never finishes it for although he loves boats he has a fear of the water. This book was a very good book when it comes to expressing the past and cannery row. If you read this book i would strongly sugest going down to montery's cannery row and seeing were it all takes place.

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Summary: BORING
Review: Steinbeck spends far too much time describing the setting instead of a plot. I kept waiting and waiting for ANYTHING to happen and nothing did. Although interesting in the first two chapters, you quickly get sick of the disjointed "plot". A vivid setting does not make up for the absence of a story.