Tortilla Flat
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4.2 • 143 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, John Steinbeck created a “Camelot” on a shabby hillside above the town of Monterey, California, and peopled it with a colorful band of knights. At the center of the tale is Danny, whose house, like Arthur’s castle, becomes a gathering place for men looking for adventure, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging—men who fiercely resist the corrupting tide of honest toil and civil rectitude.
As Nobel Prize winner Steinbeck chronicles their deeds—their multiple lovers, their wonderful brawls, their Rabelaisian wine-drinking—he spins a tale as compelling and ultimately as touched by sorrow as the famous legends of the Round Table, which inspired him.
Customer Reviews
People I know.
I love this book. It reminds me of real people I know. The characters are genuine.
Meh
I get the premise. It’s writing about mundane stories of a unique California culture as though they were the legends of King Arthur. However if you’ve not read L’Morte Darthur by Sir Thomas Mallory you might be confused by the structure of Tortilla Flat. I read it hoping for some intense evaluations of human nature. These are sparsely spread out in the story but it seems oftentimes the narrative is of no external meaning. Steinbeck has a beautiful way of describing nature with words but I kinda breezed passed these as they were seemingly not aiding the plot. Worth a read if you don’t have anything else on your list, but if you do, probably postpone.
Poignant
I really liked this book. Although it's not considered one of his major works, it shows Steinbeck's genius for brilliant story telling. Set in Monterrey, California it's a universal story with exceptional characterizations. For anyone out there with a free spirit, read this book!