Grapes of Wrath was undeniably one of the great American novels of the 30's. It told a simply terrible story that was representative of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of stories, but it told it with love and respect for the people. No matter how
great a novel it is, it's not an EASY novel.
Cannery Row, OTOH, is perhaps not one of the great American novels, though it is certainly a superb novel. But unlike
Grapes of Wrath, it IS an easy novel. Very accessible, the story is one certainly of poverty and limited prospects, but not at all of tragedy.
I'm glad I've read both of them. I'll never read
Grapes of Wrath again. I know how it ends, I know who the villains are, and I don't need to be reminded. It's in the same category as
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. A book I'm glad to have read, and really glad was written, but not a book to revisit for pleasure.
Cannery Row is a book I can well imagine revisiting for pleasure. I'm really glad we read it this month. Thanks to whomever nominated it.
ETA: sun surfer nominated
Cannery Row. Excellent. I'd give you some K, but apparently I have done so too recently.