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Tortilla Flat (New Longman literature: Steinbeck) (Hardcover)

by John Steinbeck (Author) "How Danny, home from the wars, found himself an heir, and how he swore to protect the helpless..." (more)
Key Phrases: nonteleological thinking, Jesus Maria, Big Joe, Tortilla Flat (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (108 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review
Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1935. The first of his novels to be set in the Monterey peninsula of California, this episodic, humorous tale of the adventures of a group of pleasure-loving Mexican-Americans contains some of Steinbeck's most interesting characters. The men drink, steal, chase women, make music, and dance until they are eventually undone by a climactic fire. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review
John Steinbeck knew and understood America and Americans better than any other writer of the twentieth century. (The Dallas Morning News) A man whose work was equal to the vast social themes that drove him. (Don DeLillo) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Longman (July 16, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0582461502
ISBN-13: 978-0582461505
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (108 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,435,014 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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First Sentence:
How Danny, home from the wars, found himself an heir, and how he swore to protect the helpless. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nonteleological thinking

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jesus Maria, Big Joe, Tortilla Flat, Tito Ralph, Father Ramon, Cornelia Ruiz, Tia Ignacia, San Francisco, Saint Francis, Chin Kee, Se�or Alec Thompson, Johnny Pom-pom, Alvarado Street, Tall Bob, Arabella Gross, Charlie Meeler, Sweets Ramirez, Charlie Guzman, Charlie Marsh, Jake Lake

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Citations (learn more)

100 books cite this book:

Conversations with John Steinbeck (Literary Conversations Series) by Thomas Fensch on 25 pages
Tortillas!: 75 Quick and Easy Ways to Turn Simple Tortillas into Healthy Snacks and Mealtime Feasts by Pat Sparks on 7 pages
Steinbeck Country: Exploring the Settings for the Stories by David A. Laws on 7 pages
John Steinbeck by Catherine Reef on 6 pages
The Portable Steinbeck (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck on 6 pages

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Student Companion to John Steinbeck by Cynthia Burkhead

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	80% buy the item featured on this page: Tortilla Flat (New Longman literature: Steinbeck) 4.1 out of 5 stars (108)
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	5% buy The Winter of Our Discontent (Penguin Classics) 4.4 out of 5 stars (87) $10.20
	4% buy The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition) 4.3 out of 5 stars (605) $11.05

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Customer Reviews

108 Reviews

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (108 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Arthurian Marvel, September 19, 2002

By	D. A Wend (Buffalo Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Tortilla Flat (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Steinbeck Essential, March 12, 2004

By	kkrome25 "kkrome25" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tortilla Flat (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite Camelot, February 2, 2007

By	A-M (Near D.C., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tortilla Flat (Mass Market Paperback)

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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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but no masterpiece
Tortilla Flat tells the story of a neighborhood of "paisanos" in California. In an episodic fashion, the book illustrates the adventures of Danny and his group of vagrants. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Matthew Bratkowski

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of John Steinbeck's "Tortilla Flat"
"Tortilla Flat" is John Steinbeck's story of Danny, his adventures, and his friends. The plot has many discoveries that provide little plot elements along the way with... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Jorge A Broggio

1.0 out of 5 stars who cares about a bunch of drunks?
Plot: Guy inherits 2 houses. He gets drunk. His drunk friends burn down one house. They all move into the other house. they invite more drunks in to live. Read more

Published 2 months ago by J. HERRON

4.0 out of 5 stars A Foreshadow of Greatness
When I first read Tortilla Flat, I really enjoyed it. It is a slice of life for a group of unemployed and generally carefree men. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Patrick B. Flynn

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and moving
John Steinbeck depicts in this book a brief period in the lives of seven characters, seven "paisanos", in the immediate outskirts of Monterey, California. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Jorge Yuri

5.0 out of 5 stars Rookie Home Run
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... Read more

Published 14 months ago by DK

4.0 out of 5 stars A Short Novella - And Buy It Bundled with Other Works
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... Read more

Published 17 months ago by J. E. Robinson

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful
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. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Daniel Howard Zimmerman

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Tortilla Flat is a gripping tale of a group of scoundrels who are only looking out for themselves. They live in the old, rundown part of Monterey which is known as Tortilla Flat... Read more

Published on December 13, 2006 by Victoria Reyes

5.0 out of 5 stars One Great & Overlooked Book
This is an example of an overlooked classic and brilliant morality tale. This story is very funny and very perceptive. This is an automatic read. Read more

Published on October 2, 2006 by Steve Spitsnogle

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