by John Steinbeck, John McDonough
At least I can thank this book's financial success for inspiring the exceptional sequel "Cannery Row", many years later. I'd like to say that I saw Steinbeck's explicit reliance on tales from King Arthur. Maybe I got very close, noticing the parallel between a quest in the forest and scenes from a f...
Tortilla Flat tells a strange rendition of King Arthur's tales. Three "paisanos," as they are called--Pirate, Jesus Maria, Pablo, Pilon-- are drawn to Danny's house and find home as his friend. I admit, I waited around for several chapters, hoping to see more of the Arthurian legend peek through in ...
Tales of the tall variety about a silly gang of friends whose boy's club antics remind one at times of "The Three Stooges" or "Last of the Summer Wine" as they cast about in search of adventure and drink, spinning their own unbelievable yarns while getting drunk, and philosophizing with wild abandon...
Although it was initially rejected for publication on a number of occasions, this work – a short story cycle - was Steinbeck’s first real critical and commercial success,. He wrote it during 1933 and early 1934, when he was heavily involved in caring for his elderly parents, who were both were very ...
Not my favorite Steinbeck so far, but I did like it. Funny and largely episodic. I struggled with the pacing because there were no hooks--no over arching mystery to pull me along. I struggled to differentiate between many of the characters because they were similar with common traits, namely they we...
As with the majority of books of books published in the former part of the twentieth century, direct and inferred racism are regular components of the story. No niceties are used to cover up any of the racist attitudes people in interspersed communities like Steinbeck's paisano community of Tortilla...
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 ...
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 ...
this is definitely an enjoyable read (humorous and replete with lessons on morality/good and evil) but not quite up to the caliber i've come to expect from steinbeck."This morning the fog covered the sky. The sun, after a number of unsuccessful skirmishes, gave up and retired behind the gray folds....
"This is the story of Danny and of Danny's friends and of Danny's house."And with that first line, I realized why Steinbeck is one of the greatest American writers. His stories are direct, no pretenses, to the point, yet he manages to capture a snapshot of life that sucks you into the story. He did ...
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