Series ✦ Penny’s Take 🎧 Audiobook
Sweet Thursday
John Steinbeck · 2011
🎙 Narrated by Jerry Farden
74/100
👍 Worth It
Steinbeck in a warmer, funnier mood — a whole cast of lovable misfits scheming to fix Doc's broken heart, every bit as tender as Cannery Row. The brothel setting brings some bawdy humor and innuendo, though nothing graphic, so it's more an adult-toned listen than a genuinely risky one. Jerry Farden's narration is a real treat, giving every oddball character their own distinct, funny voice.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: central setting is a brothel with bawdy humor and mild sexual innuendo (non-graphic). We still scored it 74; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
▶ Listen to a sample
🎙 Narration: excellent AudioFile praised Farden's wide character range and his handling of Steinbeck's understated humor.
🎧 Listen free with an Audible trial ↗ Find it on Audible ↗📚 In print ↗📱 On Kindle ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety62
Substance / usefulness70
Craft & writing80
Originality65
Evidence & accuracy75
Hype vs delivers72
Age-fit58
Human-eye read78
Penny’s verdict74
Cross-pollinate