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My favorite book is John Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Over the years, when the question of my favorite book has been raised, this is the one I've named and I've always said it was for personal reasons. That is true and those personal reasons shall remain my own. However, I can say that the book came to me at just the right time, that it struck a strong chord within me, especially in my struggle to become a good writer. Cannery Row is not only a delightfully well-written book that underscores the complexity of human interactions, it is also interesting from the standpoint that it has virtually no real plot, yet has a clear beginning, an absorbing middle, and a haunting end, as all good books do. Steinbeck taught me in this book that the most important aspects of any novel or memoir have to do with the characters within. If the writer can create intriguing characters, the reader will also be intrigued, enough to carry through the book. In Cannery Row, I also admire that Steinbeck writes in a natural style and it resonates nearly as poetry. There is a rhythm to good writing and it is as important to a book as the measure and scale and beat is to music. Read Cannery Row and you'll find yourself immersed in a Steinbeckian symphony, each word a note that builds to a crescendo of emotion. Every writer should aspire to such symphonic intonation in his work. I know I do, and much of the credit goes to the influence of Cannery Row.

Reviewed by Homer H., Author of Rocket Boys

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