Product Description

"This is the story of Danny and of Danny's friends and of Danny's house. It is a story of how these three became on thing." Danny returns from the Great War to inherit two houses in the shabby district of Tortilla Flat. He falls in with a group of poor paisanos. Together, they gossip, talk about life and plan the next drinking binge. And, when money does come their way, the parties are the kind that are not easily forgotten. Hardback (including notes) 235pp

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #287097 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From AudioFile
John McDonough's reading of this marvelous Steinbeck novel is not without its flaws, but they don't much diminish the charm of the performance. Tortilla Flat follows the exploits of Danny and his paisano friends, who live in squalid poverty and blissful idleness near Monterey, California. McDonough does not overact, and his gentle touch is well suited to the story. His accents and voices, however, are strangely inconsistent, as if he eventually tires of giving each character his own. Nonetheless, McDonough makes it work by bringing out the novel's humor and poignancy in all the right places. D.B. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Ingram
Adopting the structure and themes of Arthurian legend, John Steinbeck creates a "Camelot" on a shabby hillside above Monterey on the California coast and peoples it with a colorful band of knights. As he chronicles the thoughts and emotions, temptations and lusts of the "knights", Steinbeck spins a tale as compelling as the famous legends of the Round Table.

Customer Reviews

Great book from a great writer
If you enjoyed books such as Faulkner's AS I LAY DYING or McCrae's CHILDREN'S CORNER, then you'll love TORTILLA FLAT. Tortilla Flat is truly one of Steinbeck's many masterpieces -- funny, touching, and exciting all at once. The novel is about Danny, a paisano from Monterey, his friends, and all of their crazy drunken antics. The stories in Tortilla Flat are charming and hilarious. Some of the best include the tale of Teresina Cortez, who fed her nine children solely tortillas and beans, and the chapter about Sweets Ramirez and her vacuum cleaner. The main characters are lovable too. Who could forget the child-like Pirate, the ingenious Pablo, the kind Jesus Maria, or the sharp Pilon? I would definitely recommend Tortilla Flat to anybody who is not offended by excess alcohol. This is a book that everybody should read!

Nothing flat about this one
Steinbeck simply cannot write a bad book. I thought his GRAPES OF WRATH was one of the most powerful and moving tributes to mankind ever. The only book that I've enjoyed more than this one is Jackson McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD. This book is funny, endearing and very entertaining. Who would have thought Steinbeck could write humor so well?

Entertaining... at first
I read about half of this book and just could not keep enough interest to finish it. While the writing is wonderful, there is just not much development of the story. Halfway through the book we have the same characters in the same place doing the same things. I suppose that's a theme of the story itself, but it was just a little too hopeless for my taste. If you want vintage Steinbeck, read 'The Grapes of Wrath.'