Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Published in 1945, Cannery Row is about the characters and happenings in a section of the central Californian city of Monterey during the Depression. (The characters return in Sweet Thursday, written nine years later.) Driving through Cannery Row and visiting the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA, inspired me to read this book.

Doc, a local marine biologist, has always been nice to the people of Cannery Row without asking for anything in return. To thank him, Mack and “the boys” arrange a party at his house, but Doc never makes it. The party spins out of control, and the next morning Doc returns to a house turned upside down. Mack and the boys feel awful and vow to throw Doc another party for his birthday. This time, the party is a success.

Cannery Row has a simple plot and its characters don’t change much but these factors do not affect its ability to engage the reader. In fact, they enhance Steinbeck’s portrayal of the people of Cannery Row, who are essentially good despite being thrown with some of life’s toughest challenges. No one in the town is wealthy, yet everyone seems satisfied with what they have. Mack and the boys throw the party even though they cannot afford it. Even after the first party’s failure, they don’t give up on the idea of rewarding their friend. Doc, to be generous, will buy a frog from anyone for a nickel. Doc also takes in a mentally challenged boy, Frankie, and is always patient with him, even though the boy constantly makes mistakes. Almost everyone in Cannery Row owes money to Lee Chong, the owner of the local grocery. Lee never asks to be repaid. Despite economic hardships, Dora, the owner of Cannery Row’s whorehouse, always gives generously to charity. Through his illustration of these characters, Steinbeck is saying that good people can be found in the most obscure and dirty places and in the most difficult of times.

The most interesting character in the story is Doc. Doc frequently goes down to the coast to collect specimens and works in his lab doing experiments. He lets anyone help who wants to. He helps everyone with anything and is always honest. He also does some surprising things. After a hitchhiker warns Doc about having a beer while driving, Doc punches him in the face. Doc also eventually allows Frankie to go to an institution. Doc made the right decision, however, I had expected Doc to adopt Frankie.

John Steinbeck is a wonderful writer. His introduction is evocative: “Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” By the time you finish the story, you discover all of those qualities to be true. Steinbeck’s descriptions of the sea creatures Doc finds and of the California coast are beautiful. His writing is also humorous and entertaining.

I believe that Cannery Row has much to offer the reader; a laugh, a tear, heartbreak, and a promise. A very solid five out of five stars.

America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, And David Javerbaum

In America (The Book), Jon Stewart satirizes American politics, American history, and other countries.

Written in the style of a history textbook, this book has many elements. The book includes study guides, class exercises, and discussion questions. There are also essays written by people who were affiliated with The Daily Show when the book was written. Reading this book was never dull - it was always interactive and engaging.

As far as the history goes, I actually learned quite a bit that I didn't know beforehand and that was refreshing.

The original 2004 edition took me a while to find. This edition is no longer being printed - only the "teacher's" edition can be purchased new. I definitely recommend the 2004 edition without the annoying history professor's corrections in red found in the "teacher's" edition. This edition also lacks the hilarious section evaluating the 2004 presidential candidates. 

Overall, the best thing America has to offer is a good laugh; it's not that substantial. For these reasons, I give America three out of five stars. 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar is Sylvia Plath's only novel. Originally published under Plath's pseudonym Victoria Lucas, the novel is a roman à clef of Plath's college years.

Esther Greenwood is a talented writer interning at a prestigious New York magazine. During her time in NYC, Esther is surprisingly unexcited by the big city or its lifestyle. Instead, she just drifts along and is even frightened by some of the events that occur. She moves back to Massachusetts with the possibility of taking a writing course in the summer. When she doesn't get this opportunity, Esther plans on writing a novel but she can't - she is unable to write, sleep, or eat. Esther's mother becomes concerned and sends her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist's efforts don't help and Esther attempts suicide. After this event, Esther hops from one asylum to another. 

Sylvia Plath's own suicide was a genuine and tragic loss to literature because she was truly talented. In The Bell Jar, Plath compares the possibilities of Esther's life to figs on a tree. Esther is sitting in the low part of the tree starving because she can't decide which fig to pick. As time passes, the figs, representing opportunities, shrivel up and die. This is a beautiful and clever metaphor for life's possibilities. Perhaps the most poetic moment is Esther's feeling as if she is under a bell jar stewing in her own air and the bell jar follows her wherever she goes. This metaphor gives readers who have not experienced mental illness an insight into what it might actually feel like. 

As for the plot, with the exception of Esther, the characters are all unlikable. Esther's mother is in denial about Esther's all too real issues.  Esther's friends are shallow. Esther's ex-boyfriend is a hypocrite. Most of the psychiatrists and nurses seem useless. Esther, however, is funny and you feel for her because she is wildly talented. 

Overall, I think that this book has great value for its important subject matter and poetic moments; five out of five stars. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning is the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of American author Daniel Handler).

The parents of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire have perished in the fire which also destroyed their home. The executor of the will, Mr. Poe, finds the orphans a new home and a guardian, Count Olaf. Count Olaf is a vicious villain after only one thing: the Baudelaire's inherited fortune.

I read this series when I was around ten years old and I thought it would be cool to revisit the first book because I enjoyed the series so much. This is a book meant for children: the writing is simple and clearly not for adults. Words like "aberrant" and "standoffish" are defined following their use. Since the characters themselves are kids, they are definitely relatable for young readers and all but two of the adults come off as mean and oppressive. I typically don't read kids' books unless they are classics, so this was out of the ordinary for me but the detour was worth it. 

The Bad Beginning has a lot of what I look for in a book: an interesting and suspenseful plot, a varied cast of characters, and a villain who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The main flaw is the book's poor writing. Even though this book is intended for children, the writing does not have to be subpar. 

Overall, The Bad Beginning has a great plot but the writing holds it back. Three out of five stars.