Sweet Thursday: Amazon.ca: John Steinbeck: Books

Product Description

Book 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's just naturally bad. Returning to the scene of Cannery Row, the weedy lots, junk heaps and flop houses of Monterey, Steinbeck once again brings to life the denizens of a netherworld of laughter and tears. The book is in many ways a statement about Steinbeck's greatest theme: the common bonds of humanity and love which make goodness and happiness possible. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. His complete works will be available in Penguin Modern Classics. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
When the war came to Monterey and to Cannery Row everybody fought it more or less, in one way or another. Read the first page

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite, Nov 3 2007

By

M. Longazel "M L" - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Modern Classics Sweet Thursday (Paperback)

Of all the books I've read of Steinbeck this one is my favorite. I think the case is that this one express life in the fullest. It gives a true reflection of the ups and downs while at the same time conveys a sense of joy even in the hardest things and struggles in life. Highly recommended, but read 'Cannery Row' first for sure.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Canary Row Continued, July 16 2004

By

Grozarks "grmissouri" (St. Louis, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet Thursday (Mass Market Paperback)

"Sweet Thursday" is the continued story of Steinbeck's "Canary Row". This is the only book in my life that I've read cover to cover without putting it down. Hey, it's Steinbeck so it has got to be good. IT IS!

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5.0 out of 5 stars There's a Hole in Reality, May 31 2004

By

Christopher Nelson (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sweet Thursday (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It comes to life...again
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. Read more

Published on Mar 6 2004 by kkrome25

5.0 out of 5 stars best book I've ever read
I've read this book around 30 times I think since I first found it in High School (30 years ago!) it never came into focus completely until I read the introduction to *Sea of... Read more

Published on Feb 25 2004 by Christie S. Schultz