Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Cannery Row  By  cover art

Cannery Row

By: John Steinbeck
Narrated by: Jerry Farden
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Here is Steinbeck’s tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society, dependent on one another for both physical and emotional survival.

Published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is: both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. Drawing on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, Steinbeck interweaves the stories of Doc, Henri, Mack and his boys, and the other characters in this world, where only the fittest survive, to create a novel that is at once one of his most humorous and most poignant works.

Public Domain (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books

Winner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award

What listeners say about Cannery Row

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,195
  • 4 Stars
    811
  • 3 Stars
    279
  • 2 Stars
    69
  • 1 Stars
    18
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,124
  • 4 Stars
    599
  • 3 Stars
    141
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    10
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,852
  • 4 Stars
    668
  • 3 Stars
    284
  • 2 Stars
    60
  • 1 Stars
    21

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I thought it couldn't get better

I didn't think that Cannery Row could be better than the first time that I read it years ago. The charming characters, the zest of humor, and all with Steinbeck's effortless descriptions. However, having Jerry Farden interpret these characters has brought out a new face of these characters for me. I didn't think I could like this book more than I already did, but listening to it has made it an even more beloved novel for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Storytelling at its very best.

I love listening to books while doing chores. The reading of this book made the time fly. Once you start listening, you can't stop.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun Book

Loved it! Laughed alot! The frog experience was hilarious!! Nice road trip book that both, my husband and I enjoyed it immensely.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fun and quirky

Maybe not as deep and meaningful as East of Eden or Grapes of Wrath, but a fun enjoyable read nonetheless.

I'm happy to have this story as part of my audible collection and definitely will revisit in the future!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Let's have a drink and catch some frogs!

This is a good snapshot in time. the reader feels the tolerance of the doctor and feels the desperation of the guys who sit on the log in the empty lot. I don't think the doctor would be so tolerant nowadays, but perhaps tolerance comes with whiskey and wine!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • X
  • 07-18-22

One of my favorite audiobooks so far.

I’ve read about 50 audiobooks. Sampled many genres along the way. And this is one of my favorites. What I liked best is that it is a story told in seemingly unrelated vignettes. It’s not a linear plot. It jumps around Cannery row. Different characters come and go. The seemingly unrelated vignettes reminded me of the way that Melville wrote Moby Dick. It’s a very unusual writing style. And it really held my interest. Steinbeck is one of those authors that I never read. I just told people that I did. To sound smart. But now that I have read this book, I will definitely read more Steinbeck. Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden are next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Read twice in college, still magical

Doc, Mack Dora and the boys all populate this magical place. For me, the story could go on forever. JS’s background in biology and marine science shines thru; he’s the only author I know who can captivate you with a description of a ground hog constructing and filling his burrow. A treat for any Steinbeck fan!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic!

Wonderful to go back and read classics. So tired of these turn out novels that are a complete bore!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic!

Steinbeck paints a picture with words that come to life, and describes a bygone era. Skillfully performed reading!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

My Favorite Audible Steinbeck so far....

Not at all what I expected from the book. It was deep, poignant, symbolic and fun at the same time. Somehow I had missed reading this classic and bought it only to fill in my missing knowlege void. I'd buy it again in a heatbeat for the joy of it and will read again soon. Heck, I'd pay 35 frogs for it... maybe even 75.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful