Rating: 
Summary: This is why we read ...
Review: New Hampshire, Singapore and Mr. Schilf: you are all absolutely right. There is more warmth, humanity and wisdom lovingly crammed into this beautiful story ... Those who only know the Steinbeck of Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden should meet the Steinbeck of Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday and Tortilla Flat. The greatness of the man is here. My favorite novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but still just a sequel
Review: Perhaps Steinbeck never should have bothered writing this novel, since it's simply a sequel to his infinitely entertaining and unsurpassable "Cannery Row." Whereas the latter book is more a series of lovingly written vignettes about Monterey in the late 1930s than a straightforward novel, "Sweet Thursday" (which deals with the same characters and places in the late 1940s) does not have the same feel, involving a more coherent story and more "character development." This is why some of the magic and charm is taken away from characters like Doc, Hazel and Mack - although one could argue that Steinbeck brought these characters down to earth by showing them as normal people subject to change and aging (i.e. Doc's rather odd version of a mid-life crisis). Even though it is a much weaker literary work than its predecessor, "Sweet Thursday" is still engaging and very, very funny.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Probably my favorite book. This book pleases on all levels. For the person looking for merely a light-hearted and amusing story, you'll find it here. For a person looking for a wonderful glimpse into the humanity of a microcosm of society that most people would frown on--this is it. This book manages to be exceedingly funny (don't read it on an airplane--people will hate you), while at the same time holding together a wonderful story.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel
Review: Rarely do sequels rise to the level of the first book, but this one sure does. Although it is not essential to have read Cannery Row before Sweet Thursday, it certainly helps. Sweet Thursday carries on the stories of the misfits of Cannery Row and their unceasing cause of paying Doc back for all the good he has done the misfits' community.This sequel takes place after World War II. A few characters are vets, one was lost in teh war and the canneries have closed. The main characters return in full favor and flavor. This is a rarity for Steinbeck - a humorous love story. The characters, as always, are interesting and very engaging. The wit and wisdom of the unemployed men and brothel denizens keep the pages turning. A new store owner, a visiting professor and a new "hustling" lady are added to the cast of the previous book. With every page there is a smile a bit of thought-provoking philosophizing. A wonderfully entertaining book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel
Review: Rarely do sequels rise to the level of the first book, but this one sure does. Although it is not essential to have read Cannery Row before Sweet Thursday, it certainly helps. Sweet Thursday carries on the stories of the misfits of Cannery Row and their unceasing cause of paying Doc back for all the good he has done the misfits' community. This sequel takes place after World War II. A few characters are vets, one was lost in teh war and the canneries have closed. The main characters return in full favor and flavor. This is a rarity for Steinbeck - a humorous love story. The characters, as always, are interesting and very engaging. The wit and wisdom of the unemployed men and brothel denizens keep the pages turning. A new store owner, a visiting professor and a new "hustling" lady are added to the cast of the previous book. With every page there is a smile a bit of thought-provoking philosophizing. A wonderfully entertaining book.
Rating:
Summary: Fun book to read.
Review: Steinbeck carries over his characters from Cannery Row to Sweet Thursday. It is helpful to read CR before ST, but it probably isn't 100% necessary to do so. Once again, Steinbeck breathes incredible depth into the characters. I didn't detect any radical changes in the players that came through from the previous book. There were a few new ones that were just as likeable as those in CR. The main story line is more emphasized in this one compared to CR. There were far fewer side stories. This book also continues the humor that went with CR, which made the characters all the more life-like.
Rating:
Summary: Cuts to the basics of humanity.
Review: Steinbeck has a unique ability to portray simple exploits of life and weave them into lessons of life that we should all know. He understands the ideosyncracies of the human spirit and subtleties that many individuals don't often pick up on. This is a great, relaxing read, from which many of us can learn a great deal. Many readers may disagree with my analogies, but with Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, Steinbeck is actually a lot like a Seinfeld. He can take seemingly uninteresting situations, and develop them into humorous portrayals of quirky people. He takes personalites that everyone is familar with, and just stretches with a little neuroses.
Rating:
Summary: There's a Hole in Reality
Review: Steinbeck's colorful sequel to "Cannery Row". WWII has passed, and in one way or another everyone from "Cannery Row" has either fought in it or been affected by it; now, they have resumed their lives in Monterey. Some old characters have left, moved on, or died, and new characters such as Joseph & Mary Rivas (one man), Flora, Whitey #2, and Suzy are new. But the main characters without whom the book wouldn't have been written, Doc, Mack, and Hazel return. Each character is real and believable from speech to dress, thought and action. Their seemingly mundane and simple lives are interesting and appealing (as are most people's without even realizing it), and the love story which develops between Doc and Suzy is charming in my opinion. Throughout, and especially in the two chapters Steinbeck entitles "hooptedoodle", there are interesting asides on subjects such as Pacific Grove, Carmel Valley, and marine biology for example, which help fill in the larger universe of "Sweet Thursday/Cannery Row". One of my favorite chapters is the one entitled: "There's a Hole in Reality Through Which We Can Look if We Wish". Here, Doc takes a lonely, evening stroll along the beach where he encounters a man called "the Seer". The Seer invites Doc to his campfire for dinner and in a mystical conversation we begin to really see and feel another side of Doc's personality not as evident in the more light-hearted "Cannery Row". This mysterious beach-bum talks to a morose Doc and gets him to realize that what's lacking in his life is nothing less than Love. "Sweet Thursday" is the story of Doc's accepting love, as well as the good intentions of his diverse friends, into his life. Steinbeck's further development of the other Cannery characters, along with his wonderful descriptions of Monterey County and the post-war time period is a perfect blend of art and story-telling talent which make for a highly enjoyable novel. It's quite possible that you will want to read it more than once, not only to re-live Steinbeck's "Cannery Row", but also to re-discover the warm-hearted life lessons contained within.
Rating:
Summary: There's a Hole in Reality
Review: Steinbeck's colorful sequel to "Cannery Row". WWII has passed, and in one way or another everyone from "Cannery Row" has either fought in it or been affected by it; now, they have resumed their lives in Monterey. Some old characters have left, moved on, or died, and new characters such as Joseph & Mary Rivas (one man), Flora, Whitey #2, and Suzy are new. But the main characters without whom the book wouldn't have been written, Doc, Mack, and Hazel return. Each character is real and believable from speech to dress, thought and action. Their seemingly mundane and simple lives are interesting and appealing (as are most people's without even realizing it), and the love story which develops between Doc and Suzy is charming in my opinion. Throughout, and especially in the two chapters Steinbeck entitles "hooptedoodle", there are interesting asides on subjects such as Pacific Grove, Carmel Valley, and marine biology for example, which help fill in the larger universe of "Sweet Thursday/Cannery Row". One of my favorite chapters is the one entitled: "There's a Hole in Reality Through Which We Can Look if We Wish". Here, Doc takes a lonely, evening stroll along the beach where he encounters a man called "the Seer". The Seer invites Doc to his campfire for dinner and in a mystical conversation we begin to really see and feel another side of Doc's personality not as evident in the more light-hearted "Cannery Row". This mysterious beach-bum talks to a morose Doc and gets him to realize that what's lacking in his life is nothing less than Love. "Sweet Thursday" is the story of Doc's accepting love, as well as the good intentions of his diverse friends, into his life. Steinbeck's further development of the other Cannery characters, along with his wonderful descriptions of Monterey County and the post-war time period is a perfect blend of art and story-telling talent which make for a highly enjoyable novel. It's quite possible that you will want to read it more than once, not only to re-live Steinbeck's "Cannery Row", but also to re-discover the warm-hearted life lessons contained within.
Rating:
Summary: Rebecca
Review: Sweet Thursday is Steinbeck's best work. That's saying quite a bit, considering Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. His unparalled understanding of the human psyche and spirit was evidenced in both of those books; but to bring a delightfully comic spin to plot and characters while maintaining that insight shows his true genius. He was able to make each of numerous characters large, real, complex and humorous in a comparatively short book. I marvel at Steinbeck's insights and his ability to "slap me in the face with some hard truths" while making me laugh! What a gift Steinbeck gave us with this book.
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