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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN num: 9780140042405
ISBN number: 0140042407
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: April 28, 1977
Publishing house: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Sale Popularity Level: 95535
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Product Description:
In the shabby district called Tortilla Flat above Monterey, California lives a gang whose exploits compare to those of King Arthur's knights.
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Rated by buyers 
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John Steinbeck depicts in this book a brief period in the lives of seven characters, seven "paisanos", in the immediate outskirts of Monterey, California. They are extremely poor, they are almost social outcasts; they are drinkers and would do almost anything for a jug of wine, they are at the same time selfish and altruistic, and find strange and contorted ways to rationalize their actions, yet they are filled with humanity. They "reject nearly all of the standard morals of American society in enjoyment of a dissolute life centering around wine, lust, comradery, and petty thievery." (from "Wikipedia", at "John Steinbeck") The situations and the dialogue are uproarius, the humour is constant. The book, written in 1935, earned its author a gold medal and was made into a movie in 1942.
This book is one of my all-time favourites.
Rated by buyers -
I have long considered this to be my all time favorite book. I don't deny that Steinbeck refined his craft, publishing a more polished Cannery Row (and then Sweet Thursday) some years and decades later, however, there is something refreshing about Tortilla Flat in it's unpolished way. I would not recommend this book blindly to anyone. It's not a book for critics, and literary fellows. No one's going to make this part of a college reading list. But there is something wholy American about John Steinbeck, and that makes Tortilla Flat something like a Declaration of Independence - the words what started it all.
Rated by buyers -
This is Steinbeck's fourth novel or more accurately a novella. It is not one that would be ranked among his best and it is far below his best known novel "Grapes of Wrath" or his other famous novella "Of Mice and Men," which was his very first novel. I have read most of his works including the present, which is an interesting but not a must read for Steinbeck fans. It has interesting prose and good drama but not great, and I would rank it behind, "The Red Pony," and of course below "Cannery Row," and "The Moon is Down." It is similar in style and structure and moral implications to Steinbeck's "The Pearl."
It is set in northern California, in Monterey, and it is set partly in a small town and partly in a rural settings. The story is about a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican and Caucasians that lived basically as beggars or doing odd jobs and who lived in shacks. It is part entertainment and part a morality lesson.
John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath" has over ten million copies in print.
Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.
I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his work - especially his short stories and short novels. The present work is short and probably ranks among the middle or bottom of his 17 novels and novellas.
It is not a heavy read and takes one evenings to read. I liked the book and but give it only a neutral recommendation, and it would not be high on my list of Steinbeck novels.
As a suggestion, do not buy the book alone, but rather would buy it as part of a collection such as Steinbeck's book: "The Short Novels of John Steinbeck," from Viking Press in 1953, and updated versions of that book.
Rated by buyers -
I picked this up after reading East of Eden this past summer. I loved that, but probably enjoyed Tortilla Flat even more. I read this in a weekend and couldn't put it down. The characters are funny, but frequently also very touching. Read this book, you won't be let down.
Rated by buyers -
It took me longer than I expected to finish reading this book. Its very slow paced in its narration and I went into it know it was some sort of ananlogy for Camelot--so I kept expecting more obvious links to the British legends. But it is not Camelot, though as I read further I did finally see what people were refering to. Danny's house is like a round table that attracts all sorts--deep down they have good hearts (except maybe Big Joe Portagee...) and good deeds are done by them. Though often with much mayhem beforehand.
The set up is very similar to "Cannery Row" in how Steinbeck lets the story unfold. There is one man with the power--in this case Torellei with his gallons of cheap wine that the group of guys is always drinking. There is a house that they share. And the chapters are mostly self contained short stories but also follow a plot arc of the whole book.
As I read further I enjoyed the book more, it took me about half way through to really appreciate what Steinbeck was doing. The entrance of the character, The Pirate, was possibly what really drew me in. He is fantastic! A man who is a bit slow of mind but with a sold gold heart, who also has five very loyal canine friends. I'd reccomend people read this book just for the chance to meet this character.
Pilon is also another brilliant character, he is wiley and smart and often selfish until an opportunity for the greater good comes along.
Not my favorite Steinbeck novel, but certainly was worth reading.
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