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Tortilla Flat

by John Steinbeck

3.75 · rating details · 11,643 ratings · 712 reviews

In the town of Tortilla Flat above beautiful Monterey lived a group of men called the paisanos. They were drunkards, thieves, ruffians, and vagabonds, but they were also surprisingly good at heart; requiring little more from life than friendship and a little wine. Among these paisanos were Danny, Pilon, Pablo, Jesus Maria, and Big Joe Portagee. When the First World War bro...more

Published (first published 1935)

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Jun 04, 2009

Sarah Null rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: american-as-apple-pie, californian, owned

Much has been said about Steinbeck's apparent portrayal of Mexican Americans as lazy, amoral drunkards in Tortilla Flat. Some say Steinbeck was racist; some say he was just a product of his time. Which is right I do not know; Steinbeck may very well have been racist (he also uses "jew" as a slur and in several of his books uses unflattering stereotypes of Chinese people). I know nothing of the man's personal beliefs about race and it is a common fallacy to suppose an author always agr...more

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Dec 15, 2011

Robert Burdock rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 50-novels-in-one-year, own

Briefly, Danny, the chief protagonist in this novel, returns from the war to Tortilla Flat (a paisano district that sits upon a hillside above Monterey), to find he has inherited two houses. What then follows is a comedic tale that fundamentally can be summed up in 5 words - wine, friendship, food, women and err..wine again :o)

This is the first John Steinbeck novel I've had the pleasure of reading, and quite simply it has left an indelible mark on me. What captivates me in the first ...moreBriefly, Danny, the chief protagonist in this novel, returns from the war to Tortilla Flat (a paisano district that sits upon a hillside above Monterey), to find he has inherited two houses. What then follows is a comedic tale that fundamentally can be summed up in 5 words - wine, friendship, food, women and err..wine again :o)

This is the first John Steinbeck novel I've had the pleasure of reading, and quite simply it has left an indelible mark on me. What captivates me in the first instance is the remarkable talent Mr. Steinbeck shows in the quality of his prose. He demonstrates an incredible talent for expressing himself literarily, and in the most poetic way. I could provide endless examples but as an illustration, instead of penning something simple such as "the Pirate used his wheelbarrow to help Danny", Mr. Steinbeck eloquently scribes it as "then borrowing the Pirate's wheelbarrow and the Pirate to push it, Danny..", which, like the most of the sentences in Tortilla Flat, read like silk.

If the quality of Mr. Steinbeck's prose forms one half of the success of Tortilla Flat, then the sublime depth of his characterisation fills the other half. Mr. Steinbeck succeeds at magnificently bringing his characters to life. Every one is profoundly realised, with each possessing their own idiosyncratic yet appealing qualities. It is a difficult choice to make but the most endearing character for me is "The Pirate', the man `whose head had not grown up with the rest of his body'. Conscientious, hard-working, a man of simple pleasure (a pleasure that consists of him either showing affection for his dogs, or working towards winning the approval of his friends), the Pirate epitomizes how a humble, honest and largely pious life should be lived, which superbly juxtaposes the lifestyles of the other friends in the group (well, with the exception of Big Joe Portagee :o)) which are as far from pious as one could get.

This is not to say that Danny and his friends never show good intentions at heart. Mr. Steinbeck is masterful at setting his characters on a path of good intention, only for them to either falter, or to manipulate circumstance to meet their own needs. This happens a lot, and more often than not, wine plays a role as either the primary motive or betrayer.

I truly loved reading Tortilla Flat. It is a delightful story, with magnificent characters, and I would consider it to be a work of absolute genius. I never thought it could be possible to be completely captivated by an author on the strength of reading one book, but I can state without fear of contradiction that Mr. John Steinbeck, thanks to Tortilla Flat, has found a rare place in my heart. I look forward to discovering the rest of his collection.(less)

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Jul 23, 2007

Roddy rated it

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Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: literature

I learned from this book that I continue to love Steinbeck. I despise the idea that he (like hemmingway for that matter) is sometimes considered a "simple" writer. Here's my opinion: Using flowery prose to add weight and impart meaning on a vaporous story is not great literature. A substantive story, containing meaning and moral, simply told IS great literature. This is what I run into every time I read Steinbeck. Hemmingway too. Simple construction - departing every so often to show o...moreI learned from this book that I continue to love Steinbeck. I despise the idea that he (like hemmingway for that matter) is sometimes considered a "simple" writer. Here's my opinion: Using flowery prose to add weight and impart meaning on a vaporous story is not great literature. A substantive story, containing meaning and moral, simply told IS great literature. This is what I run into every time I read Steinbeck. Hemmingway too. Simple construction - departing every so often to show off that yes, they know EXACTLY what they're describing - for the most part just recording the story as they would an event that really happened. They don't need a $2 word every couple paragraphs, they need maybe three per book. Besides, none of the characters would know the word, so why would you use it to describe them? What are you, better than your subject? I think the point Steinbeck constantly makes is - no, you're not. The characters are interesting and simply made, archetypes almost. I've heard its a Camelot tale and I can see it. They even use "Thou" and "Thee" in some parts. But it never seems heavy handed, you can almost see the characters realizing they're playing a part and stepping up to do it. Like Cannery Row, its about a lot of down on their luck guys, and the people of the town about them. Some richer, some poorer, all with their own little story. And Steinbeck seems to love the little side stories. Thankfully, he's so quick with his pen they're like brief tangents that come, then go once you've gotten the point of them. He never departs from our subjects for more than a couple pages, never spends 5 pages describing a rock or a particular tree, or even any of the men or the home they live in. A story that makes your throat tighten at the end, and makes you wish...well, you're supposed to read it. But the desire to keep things as they are is a very strong one in real life, Steinbeck makes you feel that desire and sense of loss in the little world he creates, and it takes him less than 200 pages to do it. (less)

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Aug 04, 2008

King Dinösaur rated it

Shelves: classic, all-time-favorites

I'm steadily working my way through Steinbeck's oeuvre and, so far, enjoying every minute of it. I like the style of "Tortilla Flat", although I'm not sure I understand the reason for it - as when the characters lapse into dialogue that includes "thees" and "thous". When this happens it lends the book a strange fairy-tale quality. Otherwise, Steinbeck tells the meandering story of a group of paisanos, friends living together in the newly-acquired house of the for...more

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Oct 05, 2007

sdw rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This book wasn't nearly as offensive as I expected. However, it was still pretty racist and its hard to get around that to find too much pleasure in the other parts of the book. In addition to the super sterotyped Mexican characters (one member of the gang is Portuguese), there are also digs at jews. The book had some strange parallels to Cannery Row. There were parts of Tortilla Flat that made the book feel like a partial draft for Cannery Row. Its not entirely clear to me that Steinbeck kne...more

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Apr 03, 2008

Kev D'Olivo rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: american, modern

Some things i noticed about this book:

1. Allegory for King Arthur and the knights of the Roundtable
2. Danny's good side represents Arthur, while his wild side represents Lancelot's later character.
3. For a while i thought Danny was a figure of christ becasue of his forgiving and sacrificial nature, but his later exploits dispeled this notion.
4. Torelli is definitley a symbol for Satan, the snake imagery surrounding his character is hard to miss.
5. The big pa...more

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Dec 06, 2011

Christopher rated it

· review of another edition

The past reviews of I have done of Steinbeck's works, I have noted how very simple his prose style is. This is certainly not the case with "Tortilla Flat." Emulating the bombastic style of the old Arthurian legends, which he loved all his life, Steinbeck's use of a rather pompous tone throughout the novel makes this one of his most engaging reads. The story itself is a simple tale about a couple of paisanos, led by the kind and loyal Danny, who live together and enjoy all the pleasures...more

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Apr 20, 2010

Joyce Lagow rated it

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Shelves: literature

Steinbeck was born in Salinas and grew up in the Salinas/Monterey area. That he loved the region and its people is abundantly clear in many works such as Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row. In particular, he had great affection for the not-so-respectable; Tortilla Flat is a collection of stories about a group of paisanos a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican and assorted Caucasion bloods , speaking English with a paisano accent and Spanish with a paisano accent. They live in a run-down, s...more

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Mar 11, 2009

Becky rated it

I loved this book. I did. Here's why: simple, straightforward, but oh-so-charming storytelling. No pretenses. What you see, is what you get. Danny. Pilon. Big Joe Portagee. Pablo Sanchez. Jesus Maria Corcoran. Pirate and his dogs. Some might argue that none of these are great characters. You might even make the (valid) point that each one is a 'failure' of sorts--since between them they're barely surviving by the world's standards. They live to drink and drink to live. But are they happy? ...more

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Dec 01, 2008

Alison Looney rated it

I read an old copy of this book (not old as in antique or valuable, just old as in the pages are falling out and the paper smells funny), which might account for the somewhat odd blurb on the back. I don't have the book with me, so this definitely isn't a quote, but I'll try to capture the tone: some wild and crazy guys have good times on Tortilla Flat! Wine, women, and nonstop fun! You never know what will happen next!

After I finished the book, I read some literary criticism onli...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Patrick McIlhone rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ohn Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat is a short novel about five young men living in the simplest and most primal way possible in the early 20th century. A district of the town of Monterey on the central California coast, Tortilla Flat is a poor district populated by a group called Paisanos who are a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican, and Caucasian blood. The Paisanos this story tells of are a poor, superstitious, band of ruffians. As the novel progresses it becomes very clear the the one and only go...moreohn Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat is a short novel about five young men living in the simplest and most primal way possible in the early 20th century. A district of the town of Monterey on the central California coast, Tortilla Flat is a poor district populated by a group called Paisanos who are a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican, and Caucasian blood. The Paisanos this story tells of are a poor, superstitious, band of ruffians. As the novel progresses it becomes very clear the the one and only goal of the five friends (Danny, Pilon, Pablo, Jesus Maria, “The Pirate,” and Big Joe Portagee) is the procurement and consumption of wine. They sleep all hours of the day, steal, get in fights, chase women, and above all they drink wine.

The central tragic “hero” is Danny, who inherited a small house from family after he came home from the fight in WWI. As his old gang starts to resemble he becomes host to all of his homeless compadres who are sleeping on the streets and in the forests outside Monterey. Together they manage to come up with a fairly comfortable lifestyle, eating from scraps and doing an occasional job to buy wine from the local store. They are extremely loyal to each other and if one friend betrays another, they are quick to set him straight. However, at one point Danny feels almost too comfortable in his domesticity and decides to head back out to the streets and drink, fight, and steal to excess. He becomes bored and returns to a more primitive survival mode which he and many like him find appealing in this particular era in this particular place. The climax is his ultimate decline and his send-off is as dramatic as his friend’s love for him.

In the end, Tortilla Flat is a very compelling look at a group of people and an area of the country that is not often talked about in popular literature. Steinbeck, as a native of California, had a vast knowledge of these kind of communities and it shows. The activities of these young men in the early 20th century may seem reprehensible and lazy from our point of view, but here is a portrait of reality that is meant to make us feel a little uncomfortable about what goes on in communities we don’t always have a window into and haven’t made the effort to help, especially when most of them served in the military and put their lives on the line for this country.(less)

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Jan 17, 2012

Laura rated it

There is a reason why few people have heard of this Steinbeck book and why the shelf at Powell's is overstocked with used copies of it. Some teacher somewhere is requiring students to read this book, and they're not holding onto it.

<sigh> Now I am contributing to that overstock. My co-teacher for an advanced reading and writing ESL class chose this book of one of four that we will use for independent reading. I agreed without having actually read it first.

Apar...more

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Nov 29, 2011

Michelle added it

I confess that I am not a John Steinbeck fan. I find his work to be utterly depressing and uninspiring. I know I am in the minority here, so I am always on the lookout for a novel of his that will help me see why others consider him one of America's best writers. Unfortunately, Tortilla Flat is not that novel.

Tortilla Flat is the story about a group of men who all come together in friendship and in drink. They have no money, no jobs, and no ambition. They do have each other, but that...more

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Nov 27, 2011

Jonathan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: classic fans, anyone who loves a good story

Shelves: classic-literature

As my first foray into the works of John Steinbeck Tortilla Flat was both intriguing and fascinating. It was clear from the outset that Steinbeck holds mastery over the language captured within his vocabulary and is able to force it to breathe and move like a living creature.

Although a small novel by modern standards (at only around 170 pages) Tortilla Flat was a study of the daily lives of a group of friends living in Tortilla Flat in California. Brought together by the common thread...more

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Oct 17, 2011

Dimitri rated it

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck is a story about a man named Danny and his friends, the Paisainos of Monterey. The novel chronicles the adventures of Danny and his friends as they strive to make a dollar or snake a bottle of wine in anyway they can. At the beginning of the story Danny inherits two houses from his grandfather and goes from being a nobody in the Monterey old town to a respectable man in the community. Even though Danny has inherited two houses he doesn't change his ways and in...more

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Apr 02, 2011

Kristina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: steinbeck, naturalism-realism

Tortilla Flat was an unusual novel for me. I picked it up off the shelf expecting a story similar to The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men. Instead, I got something completely different. Tortilla Flat is closer to a fairy tale or a fable than it is to a traditional novel. It tells of the adventures of Danny and his friends, a group of paisanos living in Monterey in the years after WWI. Danny returns from the war to find that he has inherited two houses from his grandfather. He quickly los...moreTortilla Flat was an unusual novel for me. I picked it up off the shelf expecting a story similar to The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men. Instead, I got something completely different. Tortilla Flat is closer to a fairy tale or a fable than it is to a traditional novel. It tells of the adventures of Danny and his friends, a group of paisanos living in Monterey in the years after WWI. Danny returns from the war to find that he has inherited two houses from his grandfather. He quickly loses one of the houses to a fire, and the rest of the novel describes the exploits of Danny and his friends, who all come to live together in the remaining house.

The story is organized into seventeen chapters, each colorfully named and describing a different adventure in the lives of Danny and his friends. The writing style is simple and unadorned, which suits the format of the novel perfectly. One feels almost as if they are reading one of Aesop's fables while reading about Danny's exploits - with an obvious difference being the quite unconventional "morals" present in the tales.

Tortilla Flat is meant to be a take on King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and one can immediately see the similarities in style. This novel is very much the absurd, backwards, "everyman" version of Authurian legend. The cast of characters Steinbeck assembles are not your typical band of heroes, but they are lovable just the same. Danny, Pablo, Pilon, Jesus Maria, Pirate (and his dogs) and Big Joe are loud, drunk, shiftless, lazy and violent, but at times they show an interesting wisdom. Their moral code, while a bit unorthodox, elevates them above their more base characteristics. The warm and lighthearted tone with which Steinbeck describes this ragtag band of friends allows the reader to forgive their sins and laugh at the various scrapes they get themselves into.

What I personally loved about this book was the way it snuck up on me. When I started reading the novel, I admit that I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. The characters weren't immediately likable, and not even remotely relatable to my personality. However, the more I read, the more I got comfortable with them. As I came to understand their code of behavior, I grew to truly enjoy reading about them. By the end of the book I felt downright maternal towards some of them, which made the rather serious ending of the novel particularly sad for me. I suppose the fact that I was so saddened by the ending speaks to the depth of feeling I eventually developed for the characters.

My favorite chapters were the two concerning Pirate and his quest, which were among the most touching in the book. It was in those two chapters that my feelings towards the characters softened considerably. Other highlights in the novel include the tale of the vacuum cleaner and the pants that changed ownership twice in quite a short amount of time.

Tortilla Flat earned a four star rating for me because while I enjoyed the novel immensely, it's not my favorite of Steinbeck's works. That being said, it's still a worthwhile read and I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for something a little bit different. You will laugh and you will cry. What more can anyone ask of a novel, really?

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Mar 11, 2011

Joe rated it

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Shelves: x2011-march, 2011

I loved this book. The characters in it are happy to be alive, and they transfer their joy to you through Steinbeck's witty, fast, and effortlessly profound prose.

In short, it's a story of a half dozen bums, one of whom inherits a house that they all end up living in. They have no other goal in life but to find enough wine, food, and love to enjoy the coming night with their friends. Whether it's the Pirate and his five dogs, or Pilon with his darkly petty schemes, you can't help ...moreI loved this book. The characters in it are happy to be alive, and they transfer their joy to you through Steinbeck's witty, fast, and effortlessly profound prose.

In short, it's a story of a half dozen bums, one of whom inherits a house that they all end up living in. They have no other goal in life but to find enough wine, food, and love to enjoy the coming night with their friends. Whether it's the Pirate and his five dogs, or Pilon with his darkly petty schemes, you can't help thinking that you'd love to have friends so capable of bringing joy to the everyday. My favorite stories involve a treasure hunt on St. Andrew's Eve, dogs having a holy vision, and a gift-pig.

Mostly, if you feel yourself wondering what your purpose in life in, this book will remind you: to enjoy it, with friends. Also it will make you want to drink many jugs of cheap wine.

"Two gallons is a great deal of wine, even for two paisanos. Spiritually the jugs may be graduated thus: just below the shoulder of the first bottle, serious and concentrated conversation. Two inches farther down, sweetly sad memory. Three inches more, thoughts of old and satisfactory loves. An inch, thoughts of bitter loves. Bottom of first jug, general and undirected sadness. Shoulder of the second jug, black, unholy despondency. Two fingers down, a song of death and longing. A thumb, every other song one knows. The graduations stop here, for the trail splits and there is no certainty. From this point on, anything can happen." [24]

"It is a fact verified and recorded in many histories that the soul capable of the greatest good is also capable of the greatest evil." [22]

"If I did not think it funny, I should be angry to hear my friend laughed at." [107]

"This was one of the best of times for the friends of Danny. The struggle for existence was remote. They sat in judgment on their fellows, judging not for morals, but for interest." [157]

"I like it because it hasn't any meaning you can see, and still it does seem to mean something, I can't tell what." [168] (less)

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Feb 22, 2011

Chase Fox rated it

Tortilla Flat
In John Steinbeck's great book,Tortilla Flat, the story takes place in a little town called Tortilla Flat. This is important to the story because this is where Danny inherits two houses when he comes home.
When Danny,the main character, comes home to Tortilla Flat he finds out that his grandpa died and he owned two houses. So Danny inherits these houses and rents one of them to his friends,Pilon and Pablo. Even though these f...more Tortilla Flat
In John Steinbeck's great book,Tortilla Flat, the story takes place in a little town called Tortilla Flat. This is important to the story because this is where Danny inherits two houses when he comes home.
When Danny,the main character, comes home to Tortilla Flat he finds out that his grandpa died and he owned two houses. So Danny inherits these houses and rents one of them to his friends,Pilon and Pablo. Even though these friends bilk each other, drink all the time, steal, and go after women, they are all good people on the inside. But one night Pilon and Pablo have too much to drink and burn down their house. So Danny lets them move into his house. When this happens they sort of all come together and go on adventures for money. On one of these adventures they pick up a new friend named Pirate, but there was something weird about him. He never spent any money and Pilon was determined to find his treasure. Finally, Pirate gives his friends the money and this becomes a big part of their friendship.
More stories come up over time and not only do these stories teach the friends a lesson, but they also build their friendship. But For about a month Danny decides to lay low for a while. Then, he is overcome by his desires to be young again. So he disappears for about a month and steals from everybody including his friends.
In the end, Danny stops his crimes and returns home. Here, his friends decide to throw him a party, but that night ended up being a tragedy. Danny drank three gallons of wine and killed himself. There was a funeral for his death and his friends were terribly sad. The night of the funeral they talked about Danny and his memories, they sang songs, they drank, and they smoked cigars. Then, suddenly one of the cigar caught a piece of newspaper on fire and this set the house to flames. Danny's friends decided to let the house go on just as danny did and they all went on there own path of life.

I think the theme of this book was to value friendship and live life while you can because you only live once. I also highly recommend to read this book.(less)

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Dec 26, 2010

Suzy rated it

By the time I was finished, I wanted to give Tortilla Flat four stars, but the first half would only have earned three. This is the story of a handful of paisanos--friends with no jobs whose main aim in life is to procure wine--and how the bonds of their friendship strengthen over time. Steinbeck's writing seemed to me to improve in quality toward the middle of the story, which is really a collection of stories, each of which practically stands alone. It not only seems to become more philosoph...more

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Jun 05, 2010

Steve rated it

Glorious writing and style as to be expected, this short novel is chapters leading the reader into Danny’s life, home, guests/friends and their lives over time in a humble area near Monterey, California. To his surprise, lifelong poor man Danny is bequeathed two modest houses in Tortilla Flat, the location reflected in the title. That influx of riches changes his status and his life. Through his friends’ actions and Danny’s acceptance, his home gradually is filled with others who genuinely ca...more

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Mar 15, 2010

Ernie Santeralli rated it

Shelves: independent-reading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 30, 2010

Patti rated it

John Steinbeck is one of my all time favorite authors. While this is not one of my favorites of his books, I found that it stayed with me for several hours after I read it.

Steinbeck had an ability to write in a style that had many levels. I have heard scholars of Steinbeck say that Cannery Row was written with four notably different levels. I have found that as I read his books at different times of my own life, that I get it on a different level and see it as a different story. S...more

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Jan 25, 2010

Ryan rated it

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The primary conceit of Tortilla Flat - that the plights and minor adventures of a group of paisanos living in and around Monterey, California, in the years following the Second World War can be portrayed without much distortion in the style of the Arthurian legends - is the fundamental reason why I enjoyed this book. In contrast to the other books I've read by Steinbeck, though, it did seem this one was told not so much in order to tell a story, but to prove some kind of point which inherently ...moreThe primary conceit of Tortilla Flat - that the plights and minor adventures of a group of paisanos living in and around Monterey, California, in the years following the Second World War can be portrayed without much distortion in the style of the Arthurian legends - is the fundamental reason why I enjoyed this book. In contrast to the other books I've read by Steinbeck, though, it did seem this one was told not so much in order to tell a story, but to prove some kind of point which inherently lay outside the framework of the characters, even of the setting and reality of the story itself. It is as though it were written with an end in mind, as opposed to other books I've read by the same author, which tended not so much toward pleasing the critical audience with cleverness and rather self-satisfied narrative parallelism drawn from two very different and very distinct sources. Of course, I'm falling into the trap of trying to understand the motives of the author, who has no real responsibility to me of explaining them. In any case, I can't help but feel that this book was not written for any audience willing to be told a story, but for an audience only willing to attempt to prove how smart they are, or how smart the author isn't.

The conceit is a smart one, absolutely. And the book does deserve the praise it finds from the critical establishment for creating an intellectually stimulating correlation between two apparently widely disparate groups. Few other of Steinbeck's contemporaries would've taken the two parties of misadventurers and related them to one another - but the reasoning why escapes me. I have a few ideas, a few pregnant possibilities, but in the end, all I find is that it is all rather a facile end with no reach beyond the back cover. But then, I'm also not enthusiastic about the Arthur legend, which popularity seems to me to be not so much anything to do with the story so much as what the story has left out. I can understand why authors dig it, but as a reader, I guess I want a little more than a series of vaguely empty adventures. Those are easily enough found in any life - but it is the purposes that don't translate often enough, and that is sort of what this book also omits.

It's obviously not that bad. I find I've got a taste for Steinbeck's description, for his very readable prose and his clarity of character (these are people in the round, not facets of a legend) and his patient, if not entirely thrilled, understanding of all the good and evil there can be in any man. All these things are in the book. Although, even with these boons, it can be difficult to pick your way through the stories without wondering why you are reading them, or to what end any of it will come to. And I suppose that that is the biggest fault of this book - despite the neat formal tricks (the dialogue occasionally shifting into High Speech as the import of the adventure dictates itself to the individuals speaking - which is a funny trick, but also has a tendency to waylay a reader's forward momentum unless you ignore it), I never felt I wanted to be involved, because there was no quest, in the end, worth taking with them.
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Dec 17, 2009

Sarah Mcgowan rated it

Tortilla Flat was a great novel with positive morals and lessons. The main characters are a group of "paisanos" or mexican men. They are always trying to get out of completing their responsibilities. They do not spend their money wisely and often times use it to buy wine and get drunk. Tortilla Flat was inherited by Danny, the main character. Due to his generosity, many men are living in the house at the end. They each end up there due to personal issues (houses burning down, just got ...more

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Aug 16, 2009

Kellyreaderofbooks rated it

Tortilla Flat is the name of a (fictional) poverty-stricken neighborhood of Monterey, California. The residents of the neighborhood (called paisanos, and a "mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican, and assorted Caucasion bloods") live in shacks on a dirt road, without electricity. Danny--a paisano recently returned from military duty--discovers that he has inherited his grandfather's two houses in Tortilla Flat. Eventually, several more of his friends move in with him.

After rea...more

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Jun 26, 2009

Davis rated it

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Recommends it for: Steinbeck junkies, those looking to get into Steinbeck

Shelves: classics, favorites

I don't know how Steinbeck does it. Everything I read by him just jumps off the page and into my brain; I become totally immersed in every single tale. Tortilla flats is no exception. The 5 paisanos (but what Steinbeck really means is Mexican) are not particularly sympathetic characters. In fact, some of the stuff they do is downright vulgar and criminal. And yet, I love every last one of them. Pilon, with his scheming logical instinct; Danny with his quiet authority; Pablo with his keen humanit...moreI don't know how Steinbeck does it. Everything I read by him just jumps off the page and into my brain; I become totally immersed in every single tale. Tortilla flats is no exception. The 5 paisanos (but what Steinbeck really means is Mexican) are not particularly sympathetic characters. In fact, some of the stuff they do is downright vulgar and criminal. And yet, I love every last one of them. Pilon, with his scheming logical instinct; Danny with his quiet authority; Pablo with his keen humanitarianism; Big Joe with his hapless criminal tendencies; and Pirate, my absolute favorite.

Pirate is the reason this novella get's 5 stars instead of 4. He is the most masterfully written character that I have ever encountered in literature. It isn't that we know his entire history, that the prose describing him is beautiful; it's that I want to love him. I want to hold him and feed him steak and pour him more glasses of wine. I felt righteous indignation when 'Danny's Friends' scheme to steal his bag of quarters. I almost cried when Big Joe stole said bag. He altruistic in all he does. Even when joining the rest of the gang in crime, he is still a good guy. I think the most lovable quality about Pirate is the dogs. The way he lovingly takes care of his 5 dogs better than he takes care of himself. I applaud Steinbeck for his masterful creation of Pirate.

I found nothing nothing distasteful about this novel. I have heard of criticisms saying that it is racist. Honestly, I didn't see it. There a few derogatory statements towards Jews, but nothing to terribly offensive. Just because certain characters say it doesn't mean that Steinbeck felt that or meant it that way. The characters are depicted in an accurate manner for the time period, and are done so lovingly. These are men who aren't apart of the rat race, but are rather facing their own struggles for survival.

In summation, I greatly encourage anyone to read this book. It will only take you a day, possibly even just one sitting. Hopefully you will fall in love with the ragamuffin band of wino's!!(less)

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Jun 15, 2009

Ririenz rated it

Shelves: sastra-klasik

DATARAN TORTILLA
John Steinbeck

Dataran Tortilla menggambarkan kehidupan kaum paisanos, yaitu rakyat jelata yang berdarah campuran antara Spanyol, Indian, Meksiko dan Kaukasia di sebuah daerah nelayan yang miskin. Dalam novel ini Steinbeck mengisahkan bagaimana kehidupan di dataran tortilla dengan Danny sebagai tokoh sentralnya. Danny adalah seorang paisanos yang lahir dan besar di dataran Tortilla. Dataran Tortilla adalah nama suatu daerah yang berada di ketinggia...moreDATARAN TORTILLA
John Steinbeck

Dataran Tortilla menggambarkan kehidupan kaum paisanos, yaitu rakyat jelata yang berdarah campuran antara Spanyol, Indian, Meksiko dan Kaukasia di sebuah daerah nelayan yang miskin. Dalam novel ini Steinbeck mengisahkan bagaimana kehidupan di dataran tortilla dengan Danny sebagai tokoh sentralnya. Danny adalah seorang paisanos yang lahir dan besar di dataran Tortilla. Dataran Tortilla adalah nama suatu daerah yang berada di ketinggian kota Monterey. Danny digambarkan sebagai pribadi yang selalu disukai banyak orang. Dia tak punya keistimewaan apa-apa yang patut dibanggakan. Dia memang pekerja keras dan ulet tetapi tidak bisa diharapkan masa depannya karena dia lebih suka mabuk-mabukan dan hidup santai tanpa dibebani tanggung jawab.

Danny mempunyai dua orang sahabat yaitu Pilon dan Joe Portugis, tetapi mereka hidup terpisah karena perang. Suatu hari Danny mewarisi dua buah rumah dari kakeknya yang telah meninggal. Dan dari sinilah cerita mulai bergulir karena sesungguhnya Danny tidak menginginkan rumah itu. Ia lebih suka hidup bebas tanpa beban. Meski Danny seorang yang ugal-ugalan tapi ia masih mempunyai nurani sebagai manusia. Dengan kedermawanannya Danny akhirnya mengajak tinggal beberapa kawannya dalam satu rumah setelah rumah yang kedua musnah terbakar. Jadi rumah utama yang dahulu hanya ditinggalinya seorang diri sekarang telah bertambah banyak penghuninya dan harus berbagi tempat dengan Pilon, Pablo, Jesus Maria, Bajak Laut beserta kelima anjingnya, Big Joe Portugis dan yang terakhir datang adalak Kopral bersama bayinya juga Tito Ralph.

Danny dan kawan-kawannya beserta rumah yang ditinggalinya merupakan kesatuan yang tak dapat dipecah-pecahkan. Mereka telah menjadi satu keluarga. Rasa kemanusian , kebijaksanaan, kedermawanan dan kearifan sering hadir dalam fikiran orang-orang yang aku anggap “ terbatas “ dan sangat sederhana itu. Mereka bahu-membahu baik dalam susah maupun senang walau kadang agak sulit menerima jalan pikiran mereka yang sangat aneh dan egois. Yang membuat aku tak habis pikir adalah bahwa tradisi masyarakat di Monterey dan dataran Tortilla tidak bisa dipisahkan dengan minum-minuman keras. Mungkin karena pengaruh minuman keras jadi otak Danny dan kawan-kawannya juga kacau. Para anggota keluarga itu selain Bajak Laut sering melakukan pembenaran terhadap tindakan kriminal yang telah mereka lakukan. Misalnya mencuri ayam, menipu pemilik warung bernama Torelli bahkan menjual barang teman sendiri. Tetapi mereka juga bisa berbuat baik misalnya membantu Nyonya Theresina Cortez dan anak-anaknya yang terancam kelaparan.

Kehidupan Danny dan kawan-kawannya mulai berubah ketika sang tuan rumah dilanda keresahan yang tak kunjung mendapat jawaban. Kemelut dalam jiwa Dannya membuatnya gila dan sering melakukan tindakan-tindakan kriminal yang lagi-lagi ditanggapi secara permisif oleh orang- orang di sekelilingnya. Kegilaan itu akhirnya berujung pada kematian karena secara tidak sengaja Danny terperosok ke sebuah jurang dan mati seketika. Dengan meninggalnya Danny maka berakhir pula masa-masa indah keluarga itu. Masing- masing pergi untuk melanjutkan hidupnya karena perekat yang mempersatukan mereka kini sudah tiada.

Novel ini diterjemahkan secara apik oleh Djokolelono sehingga kita bisa memahami makna yang tersirat dari kisah yang dituturkan oleh Steinbeck ini tentang hakikat dan eksistensi hidup kita di dunia. Yah…kurang lebih begitulah ceritanya…

Rienz
(less)

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Jan 10, 2012

Dolly rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of classics

Shelves: 2012, germany, military, ocean-seashore, south-central-america, spanish-hispanic, other-usa, book-club

This book was selected as the January 2012 read for my library book club. I have read books by John Steinbeck before, but only those that are typically read in school, like Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. But when we discussed which books we would read this year, we decided to add a more "classic" book to our reading list and somehow this book was chosen. I'd never really heard much about it before, so I was intrigued.

The layout of the book is a series of stor...moreThis book was selected as the January 2012 read for my library book club. I have read books by John Steinbeck before, but only those that are typically read in school, like Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. But when we discussed which books we would read this year, we decided to add a more "classic" book to our reading list and somehow this book was chosen. I'd never really heard much about it before, so I was intrigued.

The layout of the book is a series of stories or vignettes about a group of paisanos that flow one after another. The titles of each story are long and often humorous and remind me somewhat of Aesop's fables. The men are disaffected, mainly unemployed, and apparently lazy. But I think of them as more accepting of their lot in life, because quite honestly, what other options did they have? Even a brief stint in the military was not enough to pull them out of their standard of living, as the war ended and they were all sent home. I find it interesting that the most elaborate and honorable thing that ever happened to them was the funeral procession that the military gave to one of them in honor of his service to the country.

I was surprised at the humor in these tales. After rereading Of Mice and Men recently, I expected that this story would have a similar rhythm and tone. But the stories here are rife with absurd logic, drunken companionship and guiltless thievery. And while the story ends on a melancholic note, it just seems right.

Overall, I was entertained by these tales - mostly aghast and often in wonder as to the life span of the men's livers. But they truly lived life in the moment, which is probably something most of us could only dream of doing. For them, it was a dirty, hard life, but they did not seem unhappy. I really enjoyed this book and I am becoming more and more appreciative of John Steinbeck's talent as a writer. I know there are a ton of classics that I have overlooked, just as good as this one, if not better. I have some reading to do.

interesting quotes:
"He had indulged in a little conventional anger against careless friends, had mourned for a moment over that transitory quality of earthly property which made spiritual property so much more valuable." (p. 50)

"Too often we are tied to women by the silk stockings we give them." (p. 54)

new words: clepsydra (less)

· see review

Jan 03, 2011

Andrea Morris rated it

Shelves: 2011

I recently purchased a compilation of John Steinback's short novels, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Tortilla Flat is the first novel in the huge compilation, I probably would not have picked this up on my own. Tortilla Flat is a series of short chapters, each detailing the ups and downs of a group of circle of close friends. Each chapter takes place on the coast of California in an area known as Tortilla Flat. The main characters are Danny and his friend Pilon, who both are out of wo...more

· see review

Jan 22, 2011

Tricia rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Tricia by: Book Club

Shelves: 11-01-jan, book-club

My only previous Steinbeck read was Of Mice and Men, and this felt quite different than that distant school read. However, it hasn't done anything for my need to read any more Steinbeck. I find his prose a bit stilted and I really didn't like the tone of this book. I can't explain exactly what I didn't enjoy, but I found myself not wanting to continue with the book, and I will say that if I wasn't reading it for a book club, I probably wouldn't have bothered fininshing it.

I think I fou...more

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About John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck III was an American writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939 and the novella Of Mice and Men, published in 1937. In all, he wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories.

In 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Steinbeck grew u...moreJohn Steinbeck III was an American writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939 and the novella Of Mice and Men, published in 1937. In all, he wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories.

In 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley region of California, a culturally diverse place of rich migratory and immigrant history. This upbringing imparted a regionalistic flavor to his writing, giving many of his works a distinct sense of place.

Steinbeck moved briefly to New York City, but soon returned home to California to begin his career as a writer. Most of his earlier work dealt with subjects familiar to him from his formative years. An exception was his first novel Cup of Gold which concerns the pirate Henry Morgan, whose adventures had captured Steinbeck's imagination as a child.

In his subsequent novels, Steinbeck found a more authentic voice by drawing upon direct memories of his life in California. Later he used real historical conditions and events in the first half of 20th century America, which he had experienced first-hand as a reporter.

Steinbeck often populated his stories with struggling characters; his works examined the lives of the working class and migrant workers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His later body of work reflected his wide range of interests, including marine biology, politics, religion, history, and mythology.

One of his last published works was Travels with Charley, a travelogue of a road trip he took in 1960 to rediscover America. He died in 1968 in New York of a heart attack and his ashes are interred in Salinas.

Seventeen of his works, including The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Cannery Row (1945), The Pearl (1947), and East of Eden (1952), went on to become Hollywood films, and Steinbeck also achieved success as a Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.(less)

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Quotes from Tortilla Flat

“Thoughts are slow and deep and golden in the morning.” — 34 people liked it

“It is a time of quiet joy, the sunny morning. When the glittery dew is on the mallow weeds, each leaf holds a jewel which is beautiful if not valuable. This is no time for hurry or for bustle. Thoughts are slow and deep and golden in the morning.” — 15 people liked it

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