Classic Review: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

Sweet Thursday (sequel to Cannery Row)

by John Steinbeck

Description

In Monterey, on the California coast, Sweet Thursday is what they call the day after Lousy Wednesday, which is one of those days that is just naturally bad. Returning to the scene of "Cannery Row," the weedy lots and junk heaps and flophouses of Monterey, John Steinbeck once more brings to life the denizens of a netherworld of laughter and tears - from Fauna, new headmistress of the local brothel, to Hazel, a bum whose mother must have wanted a daughter. 

My Review

In Sweet Thursday, John Steinbeck returns to Cannery Row, a rundown place that’s fallen upon hard times since the local waters were all fished out and the canneries have all closed down. Central to this story is Doc, returned from the war to his failing business. He’s feeling low, and everyone in the neighborhood knows it. They just don’t know exactly what to do about it.

This is a delightful story, even for someone like me who hasn’t actually read the previous book. That being said, I found that the plot didn’t quite become evident until several chapters in after all the “where are they now” stuff was covered. At that point, it took off and I must say in quite a wonderful way. This book left me grinning so hard my face hurt. I feel a welling of emotion just thinking about it.

I mentioned what I was reading to my dad and told him it was the sequel to Cannery Row. He’d seen the movie for Cannery Row and asked if the book was just as good. I guess this means I’ll have to track that book down and see how it all started. That’s as good as a reason for reading it as was the one I had for reading this one. I read a blog post about hooptedoodle and it made me curious.

Anyway, I totally recommend this, though perhaps the first part have been better had I actually read the first book. This story won a Pulitzer Prize in Literature, well deserved in my opinion.

I borrowed this book from the library.

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Definitely worth picking up. But perhaps better if you pick up Cannery Row first.