Eli Bendersky's website I think I'm going to add Steinbeck to the list of my favorite authors. I really liked "The grapes of wrath", and now I really liked "Cannery row" too.
"Cannery row" is a different book. Although Steinbeck's style is easily detectable, it is a much more optimistic book than "The grapes of wrath", and I think it has completely different goals. The book presents the life of a group of people on the outskirts of Monterey, California in the beginning of the 20th century. There is no clear-cut plot. It just tells about the lives of those people, painting a very realistic picture of the way of life of that place in those times. I think it's really difficult to write a good book on such a topic, but usually when I read good books without a clear plot I like them a lot.
So, "Cannery row" is definitely recommended. There's something good, kind about it. It makes you smile without apparent reason while reading. I think I should get myself more reading material by Steinbeck.