Tortilla Flat

Maybe my favorite Steinbeck novel, definitely liked it better than Cannery Row. Most people would scoff at that statement but I stand by it, and would argue with those people for hours if it ever came up.

Steinbeck's unique style brings to life the seedier side of Tortilla Flat and poigniantly reveals the Quixotic journey of several of its most unlikely companions. As he recounts the rise and fall of this motley crew, he does it with a linguistic style that mirrors the ebb and flow of the tides where the story takes place. An engaging read from start to finish from one of our great literary treasures.

This is a fable set in John Steinbeck's beloved Northern California. What it's all about are friendships and the dynamics of interpersonal dealings between immortal characters. Immortal in that every generation has their Pilons and Dannys, and of having things that you can hold in your own hand versus things that cannot ultimately be bought or sold. The appeal is due in part to the similarities in our own lives and in the lives of others. In every Steinbeck novel is a little gift of insight. This has many.

Tortilla Flat was an actual place in Carmel that John Steinbeck placed in Monterey. He took some stories about the paisanos (a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican and Caucasian bloods) that lived in this marginal place consisting of shacks and, using the style of the Arthurian legends, spun these tales about Danny and his friends. They are meant to be humorous and serious at times, and the characters are larger than life. Certainly, no one could live as Danny, Pilon, Jesus Marie, Big Joe Portagee and the Pirate, consuming wine by the gallon, eating whatever they can steal and taking up and whoring with any woman they want, but this is hardly the point. The tales have an epic proportion to them like Malory's knights of yore but from the vantagepoint of the New World. This makes Tortilla Flat an entertaining and cleverly written book. Danny is the central character of the book and the anchor that holds his group of friends together. They may be vagabonds but they have a moral code. An example: the Pirate lives with five dogs in a chicken coop. He takes some kindling wood into town each day and receives a quarter for it. He does not spend the money but hoards it. The paisanos estimate it to be $100 and think of stealing it, but are unable to follow the Pirate to where he has hidden the money. To get around this problem they invite the Pirate to live with him and try to discover the whereabouts of the money by suggesting it could be stolen quite easily. The Pirate eventually brings the money to the paisanos and discloses why he is saving it: the money is to fulfill a promise made to St. Francis to present a golden candlestick to a church in the saints honor. Why? Because the saint cured an illness one of his dogs had. Once the paisanos know the money is for a religious purpose they guard it diligently. The chapter in Tortilla Flat when the Pirate's vow is fulfilled is one of the most beautiful and memorable in the book.This is a beautifully written book filled with humor and pathos. Mr. Steinbeck was criticized in writing this book by some readers who could not enter into the spirit of the book thinking he was glorifying the free and easy lives of Danny and company. This was not his intention; he was only telling stories inspired by the free spirits of the paisanos. Unfortunately for us, this criticism was bitter and Mr. Steinbeck never undertook such a book again. It is our loss that he could not give us another Tortilla Flat.

Danny and his paisano friends are Mexican-Americans living in Monterey, California. Danny inherits two houses from his grandfather and invites several of these friends to rent a room in one and then, later, in the other house. Danny being a very generous and kind person makes no effort to collect rent from his friends. Before long, several more friends are taken in. But one does not think of these men as mere freeloaders. Each one is well aware of Danny's generousity, and tries to repay Danny either in his own way or with the assistance of the other paisanos.This warmly appealing, colorful, and beautifully told novel recounts a number of the adventures of these men. Whether they are attempting to help a destitute woman with children suffering from malnourishment, or giving encouraging words to a young soldier whose wife abandoned him and their an infant son for a high-ranking officer, or merely drinking wine or scuffling with their fellow paisanos or with others, it is clear that these men truly love and look out for one another. They even form an ad hoc council to mete out severe punishment to one of their friends who is discovered stealing from them.My only reservation about the book is that Steinbeck tends to patronize the paisanos. He presents them as drunkards and slackers, who only work when they must raise some money for a special purpose. However, realizing that the novel was set in the 1930's when such stereotyping of Mexicans (and all minorities for that matter) was quite common, I was able to enjoy this wonderful book despite these minor shortcomings.

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.

I'm a 12-year old kid and I read this book and loved it. It has depth and actual plot unlike video-games and most cartoons. It is a wonderful entertaining novel about small adventures that Danny and his group of friends have. They all live in Danny's house and are a lot like Robin Hood and his gang that steal from the rich and give to the poor. When I think about these people I don't think of dirty poor people, but of noble people. In each chapter they gain something in some strange way which makes the story funny in places. They don't have a goal but ride life the way it comes.You end up swimming in the ocean of this story and it doesn't sting your eyes.