Read this: John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row

Steinbeck calls Cannery Row “a stink” but his novel, set along the fish packing houses of Monterey Bay, is anything but.
I’ve visited Cannery Row countless times over the years but was never impressed with its current lack of character and surplus of kitsch. It sounds like the place has gone downhill since Steinbeck first made it famous.
The novel is a series of short stories about the misadventures of characters who may have actually lived and worked along Cannery Row during the Depression. The merchant, the biologist, the madam and the transients all share equal billing. They all seem to get along (mostly) and respect one another.
One of the interesting things about the stories is that none of the characters change much -- nor do they seem to want to. The vagabonds want a meal and a roof, but they don’t seem to mind their lifestyle. Yes, there are minor crimes, shipwrecks and even deaths, but as long as the occupants have a pint of “Old Tennis Shoes” life is good. Cannery Row truly seems like a content place.
This is a great book if you are looking for an easy and fun read, and don’t want to spend an hour to get through a chapter.
In his Cannery Row, Steinbeck will take you back and take you away.