Along with Ernest Hemingway (and, in my opinion, Tennessee Williams), John Steinbeck must be one of the greatest names in twentieth century American literature. Tortilla Flat is one of his earlier works, and at a little over 200 pages, it is lightweight compared to some of its younger siblings, such as The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden.
The story takes place in an area of Monterrey known as Tortilla Flat, an area populated by Paisanos: a group of people with a mixture of Mexican, Spanish, Indian, and Caucasian roots.
Tortilla Flat is the story of a group of Paisanos: Danny, and his friends Pilon, Pablo, and a mixture of other acquaintances. Actually, this story is less about Danny himself, as the others, for whom Danny acts as a catalyst, providing a roof over their heads, and the common themes of loyalty, kinsmanship, and simple entertainment.
Danny returns from the war (that's the First World War) to find himself the heir, courtesy of his grandfather, to two properties in Tortilla Flat. Like many of his friends, Danny has little idea what to do with one property, let alone two, and so it is not long before he rents out the second property to Pilon and Pablo.
Pablo and Pilon, meantime, find it difficult to keep up with the rent. The temptation of a gallon of wine is always so much greater, and Danny isn't the sort of person to demand money from his friends. To try and assuage their guilt, Pilon and Pablo begin to rent out rooms in the house to other friends, with the aim of gathering some rent money for their friend Danny. Needless to say, much wine is consumed, and little (in fact, no) rent money is paid, until one day a great disaster befalls the friends, and Danny's property is burnt to the ground.
Danny, being a generous sort, does not chastise his friends. Rather, he welcomes them all to his own house with open arms, imposing only one rule: no-one can usurp his own bed.
And so the story continues, the group of friends pursuing their lives in as simple a way as they can, trying to enjoy themselves while inconveniencing others as little as possible, and consuming much wine along the way.
Tortilla Flat is a simple and engaging book, telling a story that is almost magical in quality. My overall reaction to this book was "they don't write them like this any more", which of course is probably rubbish, but the book has that all-consuming quality that makes you see only its good points.
Perhaps most unusual is the language used throughout Tortilla Flat. In turns poetical, light, and often flowery, Steinbeck uses a turn of phrase that seems almost mediaeval -- combining "thous" and "thees" with more modern language -- which is at odds with the Deep South atmosphere familiar with many of his other works. I have no idea whether this is intended as a literal translation of the Paisano dialect or simply as a literary touch, but it certainly gives Tortilla Flat a unique quality that adds appeal to an already charming book.