Rating:  Summary: A terrible let-down Review: The sequel to Steinbeck's best work turns out to be one of his worst: bland, unimaginative, contrived to a fault, unfunny, and totally lacking of any of the wisdom and insight into the ways of human beings that graced "Cannery Row". The happy ending with Doc and the hooker is totally implausible if you take into account the way this man was portrayed in Steinbeck's other works. "Sweet Thursday" does not detract from the qualities of "Cannery Row" - but it certainly left me wondering just what possessed Steinbeck to ignore the truism that certain books (this is one of them) are best left unwritten.
Rating:  Summary: It will leave you wishing for more Review: Third in the set of Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. This set leaves you (almost) wishing Steinbeck had spent his entire life giving us more tales of these characters.
Rating:  Summary: It will leave you wishing for more Review: Third in the set of Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. This set leaves you (almost) wishing Steinbeck had spent his entire life giving us more tales of these characters.
Rating:  Summary: It comes to life...again Review: This is Cannery Row part 2, and it does not let up from part one, I'm happy to say. To note, Cannery Row was copyrighted 1945, and Sweet Thursday in 1954. Sweet Thursday opens by letting the reader know that it's after WWII and the boys are coming home from the war, except for Gay. For me, the central character is Doc. I think this is so, because almost all the characters think so highly of him, especially Hazel. Doc has a crisis, and I will not say what it is, but it has made a significant change in Hazel. But getting back to Doc, there is more about him, particularly about how he is "inside" the man of science. When I finished reading I was uplifted and satisfied. I only wish there was a part three somewhere for us to discover in some attic in Salinas. This is a must-have for Steinbeck fans.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful Review: This is for sure one of my favorites. Steinbeck tries to be funny, human, and philosophical. He succeeds. This book pleases on many levels-it can be read as a light story, or for the philosophical value.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful! Review: This isn't too ambitious, but it's nearly everything else. It's a sweet tongue-in-cheek story about a bunch of characters in Cannery Row, Monterey (where I went in June!) who live in the same community and stick their necks out for each other and roll through the days with fun and vigour. It's got friendship and romance and humour and a page-turning style of writing. It's about their way of life and the beauty of coastal California. It also has a wonderful love story between Doc and Suzy, the type that makes you go, "Aww ... " when they finally get together. At heart, the message is - everyone needs someone, and every man needs a woman. I can definitely do with that. This is a true literary page-turner, something all too rare in fiction.
Rating:  Summary: Glorious! Review: Together with "Cannery Row", the finest novels in the Steinbeck pantheon. Hilarious, warm and true, it's an unforgettable tale of the common bonds of humanity that bind us all.
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