Cannery Row is a novel comprised of several vignettes which focus on the citizens of the cannery district in Monterey, California. The main thread of the novel follows the story of Mack and his friends, an unemployed but well-intentioned group of young men, as they attempt to plan a party in honor of Doc, a local benefactor. Their first attempt goes awry, but a heartfelt second attempt is successful in this classic exploration of people and place.
Cannery Row has a simple premise: Mack and his friends are trying to do something nice for their friend Doc, who has been good to them without asking for reward. Mack hits on the idea that they should throw a thank-you party, and the entire community quickly becomes involved. Unfortunately, the party rages out of control, and Doc's lab and home are ruined— and so is Doc's mood. In an effort to return to Doc's good graces, Mack and the boys decide to throw another party—but make it work this time. A procession of linked vignettes describes the denizens' lives on Cannery Row. These constitute subplots that unfold concurrently with the main plot.
Steinbeck revisited these characters and this milieu nine years later in his novel Sweet Thursday .
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