Tortilla Flat

De: John Steinbeck

Narrado por: John McDonough

Duración: 7 h y 3 m

Resumen del Editor

Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, 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 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.

Public Domain (P)2011 Penguin

another great book by steinbeck!

Would you listen to Tortilla Flat again? Why?

yes! yes! i love the characters. reminds me very much of cannery row

What did you like best about this story?

the humor.the characters were great. i could picture these people interacting.

What about John McDonough’s performance did you like?

really wonderful! he did a great job getting into the characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the way everything always boiled down to a gallon of wine. but the characters were genuine and never portrayed as unpleasantly drunk.

Any additional comments?

i wish steinbeck could write more books i eat them up and i will read all of them over and over except travels with charley (and my sig. other mike loved that one).

steinbeck is our fave!

Funny Story-John McDonoughs narration is perfect

A humorous band of slothful vagabonds err from one sticky situation to the next after moving in with their friend and leader who has inherited the dreaded responsibility of homeownership.

Stienbecks whit is unrelenting and McDonough masterfully captures it in his narration. Couldn't imagine a better man for the role.

Story for the sake of being a story!

Wow! Great, Wonderfull, Horrible ending. I want to be one of Danny's friends, but then maybe I don't.

Love the story

Love this story, the ending was wild and poetic. And I love John Steinbeck’s writing style, fantastic author with a very witty why if writing.

Plus John McDonough was the narrator of my childhood so anything he reads is *chefs kiss*

Different study of Steinbeck

If you could sum up Tortilla Flat in three words, what would they be?

Interesting - a negative sterio-type of Mexicans in America

What could John Steinbeck have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Nothing - really - maybe a disclamer to say this isn't really what Mexicans are like.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the baby was dying and they didn't even realize it or really seem to care.

Uncanny & Beautiful

Though all of Steinbeck lends a beautiful simplicity and comedy to life, this story had a particularly earthly feel. The smallest of towns and the smallness of the world were palpable.

One image is unshakeable — the human/hawk/hovering cloud over Danny’s head — a precursor to Infinite Jest’s “shadow of the wing of the thing too big to see.” Steinbeck’s surrealist, uncanny movements — just for a moment — take you from the grays and dust of Tortilla Flat to a place just beyond our world, where the rules of our earth are suspended and imagination reigns. As with the boy who stumbles upon the eye of the Chinese nightwalker in Cannery Row, we can only wonder alongside poor Danny and his friends.

awesome

Only Suttree stands close to true hoboness of this fine old homeless family tree. One of my favorite Steinbecks

you know, stienbeck! lots of details & hidden msg

i didnt get it. but i enjoyed it. you know, stienbeck man! gotta look 4 the hidden messages

Enjoy!

John Steinbeck never fails to succeed. The lush descriptions of the places and the extraordinary character development move the stories along in their pleasing plots.

this is the Steinbeck that I forget

2020 Reread - I am lowering this one to three stars, because the story had not stayed with me, and on reread I wasn't charmed by the characters.

Original Review, 2017 - My love of Steinbeck continues, and I have never found the words to say why I am so enamored of everything he writes. His books have weight and heart and substance. His characters are imperfect and take me on a journey through all the emotions I have ever felt. He makes me think and feel. This isn't in my top Steinbeck reads but it is still worthy of four stars.