Sweet Thursday (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Robert DeMott (Editor, Introduction)
Key Phrases: ready room, mallow weeds, chicken walk, Bear Flag, Joe Elegant, Wide Ida (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“ A postwar continuation of Cannery Row, [Sweet Thursday is] every bit as juicy and relaxed as the original. . . . This is comedy—bawdy, sentimental, and good fun.”
—The Atlantic

“ An emphatic and clear-cut statement of Steinbeck’s greatest theme: the common bonds of humanity and love which make goodness and happiness possible.”
—The New Republic

Product 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 are 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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; First Edition edition (July 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143039474
• ISBN-13: 978-0143039471
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #153,679 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

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 (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (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.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Should All, Indeed, Be As Happy As Kings, April 4, 2002

By	Paul Dana (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet Thursday (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Paperback)

"Sweet Thursday" is, without a doubt, my personal favorite Steinbeck novel.
Assuredly, he wrote better books -- ones, such as "Cannery Row," for example (and for which this volume serves as a sequel), which were arguably far more profound and which today remain far more prominent in the public mind as examples of Steinbeck's craft -- yet I don't believe that he ever wrote anything with more insight, not mention love and dedication, than "Sweet Thursday."
"Sweet Thursday" is, simply put, a 'love letter;' Steinbeck's love -- for the characters (and the real-life people who inspired those characters), as well as his love for the simple craft of writing -- shines forth in every page. Written approximately fifteen years after its "prequel," "Sweet Thursday" also serves to document Steinbeck's growth as a writer (he'd significantly narrowed the gap in those intervening years between what a writer wants to say -- as expressed by yet another California author [Raymond Chandler] -- and his ability to actually say it).
But above all else, it's simply a "marvelous read;" and, by the way, you don't have to read "Cannery Row" beforehand in order to fully enjoy it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sequel, February 18, 2004

By	Richard A. Mitchell "Rick Mitchell" (candia, new hampshire United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sweet Thursday (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Paperback)

Rarely do sequels rise to the level of the first book, but this one sure does. Although it is not essential to have read Cannery Row before Sweet Thursday, it certainly helps. Sweet Thursday carries on the stories of the misfits of Cannery Row and their unceasing cause of paying Doc back for all the good he has done the misfits' community.

This sequel takes place after World War II. A few characters are vets, one was lost in teh war and the canneries have closed. The main characters return in full favor and flavor.

This is a rarity for Steinbeck - a humorous love story. The characters, as always, are interesting and very engaging. The wit and wisdom of the unemployed men and brothel denizens keep the pages turning. A new store owner, a visiting professor and a new "hustling" lady are added to the cast of the previous book. With every page there is a smile a bit of thought-provoking philosophizing.

A wonderfully entertaining book.