Tortilla Flat

Rating:
Summary: Wine, women, song and tears
Review: I highly recommended this short novel but I would not do so for everyone. First of all, you must appreciate the novel being written in 1935 and the language spoken by the characters reflect that time period, rightly so. It only takes a short while to adapt and I found the story moving along at a nice pace as the personalities began to assume colorful portrayals.

Steinbeck presents a group of men, or paisanos living in Monterey, California after the first World War. These are poor men, not especially motivated to work for a living and have a thirsty, never ending longing for wine. They circle around Danny, the fortunate one in the group, who inherited 2 small houses from his grandfather. Having no steady job, it makes sense to him to "rent" to his buddies. His buddies don't have jobs or revenue, either, so the compensation that takes place is in the form of companionship and the collective sharing of all foods begged from the back doors of groceries and restaurants. The hawking of whatever goods they come upon that can be bartered for the prized gallon of wine serves to be their highest priority. While seemingly desperate and pathetic, these men go to no end to rationalize their predicaments, twist truths and events to be self-serving and ultimately rewarding their endeavors by securing enough wine to satisfy them all. This can be quite a challenge, and the lengths they go to to fulfill their thirsty desires are hilarious. That the reader finds love and goodness in these fellows is reflected by the skill of John Steinbeck's writing.

The book is a quick read and it was not long before I became fond and wiped away a few tears of sorrow and joy for each of them and the circumstances these men find themselves. The practise of their Catholic religion is random; they use it when they need it, commit small crimes in the name of it and dismiss the many restrictive "Thou shall not's" when seized in the throes of passion or inebriation. A greater sense of loyalty knits these men to each other. While women acquaintances come and go, the paisanos rely on each other and faithfully commit to one another. In spite of the inevitable drunken fights and arguments, the following morning beckons another day. All the sins of the previous day are (literally) forgotten and forgiven. In the dawn of the new day anything is possible, and the adventures these men get themselves into is pure comic entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel
Review: Although a little slow at first, once I got going I could not put the book down - there are a few unforeseen parts as well as some humor. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Typical Steinbeck book
Review: Tortilla Flat stays true to John Steinbeck's simple sentence and plot structure. Tortilla Flat is a short novel that exploits the "paisanos" of Tortilla Flat. "Paisonos" are people of mixed hispanic, indian, and caucasion blood. Steinbeck is a master of writing about social injustices and human nature. Although he doesn't come and out and tell you his opinions, he subconciously reveals his thoughts in his novels. Tortilla Flat is a little slow at times, but has its good moments. I like how the group of friends spend their time just drinking and chasing women. Its a nice change from just reading about suffering people who work all day to survive. I enjoyed reading this novel and I suggest you read it to if you are a Steinbeck fan.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing but true- Steinbeck does it again
Review: John Steinbeck is by far one of the greatest writers of all time. How could anybody compare to his thrilling descriptions. In Tortilla Flat, you get sucked into the beautiful life of a small group of friends. It is a unique pleasure to be able to watch their lives unfold as they mature and go through the problems of everyday life. I recommend this book to all, and hope it brings them as much joy as it did to me.

Rating:
Summary: Funny? I missed something.
Review: I had this book on my shelf for the longest time, meaning to read it, because I like a lot of Steinbeck's books and because when I was a child my family used to go to a campground in Arizona called "Tortilla Flat." So I finally sat down with the book and started reading it. Not only was I more and more annoyed the more I read it, but I realized I had actually read it before and hadn't found it one bit memorable. Irresponsibility, constant drinking, and skirt-chasing just don't seem funny to me. I didn't bother to finish it, nor did I give it to someone who might like it better--it went out with the trash.

Steinbeck was probably good and drunk when he wrote this pointless book, but you're far better off reading East of Eden, The Pearl, or even Grapes of Wrath (which must be one of the most depressing books ever written).

Rating:
Summary: Tortilla Flat Review by KT
Review: I've read only two of John Steinbeck's books so far, but they were fabulous. One of the amusing stories, Tortilla Flat, conveys the mood and setting of Monterey, California in the 1930's. This book is very interesting, containing the many peril's of a group of care-free men. The way these men drink wine, night and day, and travel around different parts of Monterey, is quite amusing. Aside from the fact that the book is entertaining, it also gives the reader the history of Monterey and the people in it. Tortilla Flat is a great book for anyone because of it's stories of desire, friendship, rivalries, love, and strength. Overall, an attention-grabbing book.

Rating:
Summary: Great but not the Best
Review: This story was very good, but not his best work in my opinion. The characters were very lively and always had interesting tales like in many of his stories, but some of his others are better. He gave vivid descriptions of what it might be like to live during that time in Tortilla Flat. Overall great read, but not the best.

Rating:
Summary: -
Review: A captivating tale of Danny and his friends, and their adventures in the small town of Tortilla Flat. This is my first Steinbeck book, and is one of the best books I've ever read. I intend to read more, and urge you to read this short but sweet tale from Tortilla Flat.

Rating:
Summary: a winning collection of anecdotal incidents
Review: I listened to the unabridged audiobook. For the first 45 minutes or so I thought it much too sentimental and stereotyped, but then the characters started to come alive and I got to like them, aspects of their philosophy, and this charming book, quite a bit. How can anyone hear of How Love Came to Big Joe Portagee and not enjoy a laugh? Or not be touched by the faithful and tireless dedication of the Pirate to save for and buy a gold candlestick for the church after one of his beloved dogs recovered from illness after he prayed to God to save it (and so what if it died of something else soon thereafter). This is a warm and wry tale you will enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: This book's main goal is to show that even petty thieves who live for the pleasures of wine are human and beautiful in their humanity. Along with a plethora of awful habits, these peasants have lovable and desirable qualities that make the reader want to love and hate them at the same time. Overall, this book does not demonstrate what Steinbeck is capable of, yet is it humorous and attractive nevertheless.