Cannery Row

Probably the best introduction you can get to Steinbeck. Mine was Mice and Men back in 2021, and it didn't arouse much curiosity in me. Most of his others would probably scare new readers off. Cannery Row is super enjoyable to experience (I listened to it), and also puzzling in the way I came to be accustomed to having read more of his work. There's no arguing with the author's brilliance, but almost everything else about this man is to be argued. I think he liked it that way. This book has some of his most beautiful prose and most light-hearted ideals, making it both engaging and energizing. I don't have much to say about the plot, other than it explores poverty from a fascinating angle.