Cannery Row and The Pearl, by John Steinbeck

This is the final month of my Library Book Group's "Steinbeck Summer."    The final two discussion guides follow as well as some wrap-up questions.

 

Cannery Row

 

Characters

Doc – Western Biological Laboratory Frankie – homeless boy   Lee Chong – grocer Horace Abbeville – gave Chong the empty storehouse to settle debt, then committed suicide   Palace Flophouse and Grill (Abbeville building) Mack, Hazel, Eddie, Hughie, Jones, Gay Darling – dog   Dora Flood – madam – Bear Flag Restaurant Alfred – Alfy – watchman   Mr. and Mrs. Sam Malloy – living in abandoned boiler in vacant lot   Henri - painter

 

For discussion:
1. Why didn't people believe Doc when he was telling the truth about his walk but did when he lied (chapter 17)?
2. Did you guess the question everyone had about the pole skater (chapter 20)?
3. Why did the failed party have such a long-reaching effect on the town (chapter 25)?
4. There were many seemingly unrelated stories in the novel.  Why did Steinbeck include them?

• Chapter 26 - Joey and Willard
• Chapter 31 - the gopher story

5. What lessons did this story tell about human nature?

 

The Pearl

 

Characters

Kino – fisherman Juana – wife Coyotito – son   Juan Tomas – Kino’s brother Apolonia – wife Four sons   Doctor   Priest

 

For discussion:
1. In chapter 3, when Kino started to dream that he could actually own a rifle, Steinbeck wrote, "For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more."  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
2. How could the outcome of this story been different?

 

Steinbeck Summer

• Of Mice and Men
• Travels with Charley
• Cannery Row
• The Pearl

1. Which of the four stories did you like best?  The least?  Were you surprised by your choice?
2. What do you think makes Steinbeck such a revered writer?


*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

 

Summer House with Swimming Pool, by Herman Koch

Review: I greatly enjoyed this book, even though at times it was disturbing.  When I visited my PCP shortly after finishing the book I trusted that he had a different attitude towards his patients than Marc and did not recommend the book to him!  Given all the great books available, I can't say I would recommend this book to friends who ask me for suggestions, but I would tell them it is an engrossing book and that it did keep me reading and wanting to find out what happens next.  I also think it would make a good pick for a book discussion group.  I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.

 

Characters

Ralph Meier – actor Judith – wife Two sons – Alex and Thomas Vera – Judith’s mother   Dr. Marc Schlosser Caroline – mother Two daughters –Julia and Lisa   Stanley Forbes – Dutch film director Emmanuelle – model   Dr. Aaron Herzl – Marc’s medical school professor

 

For discussion:

1. What did you think as you were reading the opening section about Dr. Schlosser's thoughts regarding his patients and his role in their medical care?
2. Were you surprised to read that Marc deliberately cut Ralph so that the cancer would get into his blood stream and spread?  Did you think this was realistic given what you knew about Marc so far?
3. Do you think Marc would still have done the act in the above question if he knew the real story about what happened to Julia?
4. Would you let your teen and preteen daughters be around naked men?
5. The narrator, Dr. Marc Schlosser, several times referred to life-changing moments and events (the beginning of chapter 25 for example, when he went to the beach).  Can you think of any such happenings in your life (but possibly not so dramatic and negative)?
6. Did Ralph and Judith have the right to allow Alex and Julia to go to the bar down the beach?  Would you have taken that responsibility and given permission?
7. Were you able to find any positive characteristics in the male characters?  Is so, what were they?
8. Discuss Dr. Herzl.  What role did he play in Marc's many actions and decisions?
9. Keeping in mind that this is fiction, is it a plausible story line?
10. When the Schlossers left the summer house early in the morning, what do you think Vera was trying to tell them?  (See end of chapter 36.)
11. What did you think about the way Marc and Caroline reacted to what happened to Julia?  What do you think they should have done?
12. Were you surprised that Marc and his family went to stay with Stanley in America?  Why did they go there?
13. Once you knew what really happened with Julia, did you think her long-term reaction was legitimate or logical?
14. Did you like the ending?  Was it satisfying or did you want to know more?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.  Click on the upper right link.