What can I say? I took an immediate dislike to it from the get-go. I was going to force myself to finish it, but finally just had to put it down. And I had been really looking forward to it. After having recently read "Of Mice and Men" for the first time, I was excited about cracking this one open.

And what was it about it I didn't like? I suppose I just didn't see the point. Come across a dollar, buy a bottle of wine, get drunk, speak in archaic English, pass out, repeat...

It is hard to make a connection with the characters when you couldn't care less what happens to them. Perhaps if I had read this book when I was younger, my reaction would've been different. When I was in college, my existence wasn't much different (except for the archaic English part). Perhaps then I would've been able to identify with Danny and Pilon, and found their existence interesting, and maybe even enviable.

But as a middle-aged husband and father, no. I found it boring and pointless.

Qualsiasi cosa esca dalla penna di Steinbeck vale la pena di essere letto e trasmette un forte carico emotivo e un forte messaggio umanitario. Anche questa breve opera, annoverata tra le sue primissime, si dimostra essere una piccola ricchezza. Un libro che ho trovato abbastanza forte come tutti gli altri del resto, in cui il lettore viene coinvolto ed è in compagnia di gente semplice, anzi semplicissima e senza un tetto sulla testa, sono dei ladruncoli, ma hanno un tesoro prezioso: l'amicizia. Non c'è stato un momento in cui io abbia provato disappunto verso i personaggi ma anzi, ho tifato per loro. I finali dell'autore lasciano sempre il magone e questo libro non fa eccezione. C'è dentro tristezza, umorismo, ingenuità, solidarietà e una prosa scorrevole, con tratti descrittivi molto poetici e altri in cui si affonda nella meditazione. Bellissima lettura.

تورتيلا فلات هي الرواية التي لفتت الأنظار لموهبة الكاتب صاحب نوبل الشهير چون ستاينبك وبداية شهرته الأدبية، صدرت عام 1935 وتتحدث عن أصدقاء من أصول مكسيكية ولاتينية ويدعون (پايزانوس Paisanos) في مجتمع الغرب الأمريكي، يسكون ضاحية تورتيلا فلات من مقاطعة مونتييري في كالفورنيا؛ يعيشون حياة الصعلكة كيفما اتفق بدون أي وسيلة لكسب المال المنتظم، وإنما يعتاشون بالطرق الملتوية الغير أخلاقية، يجمعهم منزل صديقهم المشترك "داني" والذي ورثه عن جده، لا يرغبون إلا في شرب النبيذ والجلوس في انتظار ما يحمله القدر لهم كل صباح.

"لن يعود ذلك الوجه إلى التحرر من الهم بعد ذلك أبدًا. لن يعود داني إلى تحطيم النوافذ الآن بعد أن أصبح لديه نوافذ خاصة يمكن تحطيمها. لقد ارتفع داني من بين أصدقائه. واستقامت كتفاه لتتحملا تعقيد الحياة".

يبدع ستاينبك في وصف حياة المهمشين في الولايات المتحدة؛ مع أنه من عائلة ميسورة الحال ولكنه عمل في مقتبل عمره وقبل الحياة الأدبية مع العمال والفلاحين وتشرب همومهم ومآسيهم وتغول الرأسمالية المقيتة في حياتهم البائسة. وهنا يرسم بريشة كلماته الفذة كل ذلك بعد الحرب العالمية الأولى وفترة الكساد العظيم التي ألمت بالأمة، وعودة داني من الحرب وجمعه للأصدقاء القدامى حوله في منزله الموروث.

"الموت أمر شخصي، يثير الحزن، أو اليأس، أو الحماس، أو الفلسفة الجافة. أما الجنازات فهي بالعكس مهمة اجتماعية. تخيل الذهاب إلى جنازة دون أن تلمع سيارتك أولاً. وتخيل الوقوف بجوار القبر دون أن تكون مرتديًا أفضل بدلة سوداء لديك وأفضل حذاء أسود جميل اللمعان".

يسود جو المغامرة السرد الروائي على الطريقة الأمريكية وبعض الفكاهة الخفيفة الناتجة عن مغامراتهم الجريئة، يجمع كل ذلك الصداقة المتينة وحب مساعدة المحتاج؛ وعلى الرغم من فقرهم المادي نجدهم أغنياء بالكرامة والنبل وحب تقديم يد العون. بداية السرد بطئ وممل نوعًا ما ولكن تجري الأمور فيما بعد بسلاسة وتتسابق الأحداث، لم تعجبني مثل أعماله اللاحقة والتي تأسر اللب ونلحظ بها تطور أسلوبه الروائي. إذًا نجد الجميع يقع في الخطيئة ولكن القلوب البيضاء تغفر لهم كل ذلك. تُرى ماذا يخبئ القدر لهم في نهاية المطاف؟

"كانت تريزينا كثيرًا ما تذهب للاعتراف. وكان الأب رامون يائسًا من إصلاحها. الحق أنه لاحظ أنها بينما ركبتاها وشفتاها ويداها تلتمس التكفير عن خطيئة، فإن عينيها البسيطتين المثيرتين اللتين تلتمعان تحت رموش طويلة، تمهدان لارتكاب خطيئة جديدة".

In this book of interconnected short stories, Steinbeck gives us a sympathetic portrayal of Americans of Mexican descent living near Monterey, California, just after WW2. He takes his central theme from the quiet dignity he saw in the poor and the oppressed. Although an unfair world traps his characters, they remain sympathetic and heroic, if defeated, human beings. But most impressive is Steinbeck's use of humour; despite the tragedies, there are many laugh-aloud moments.
An enjoyable read, and one that will remain etched in my memory for a long while.

Ah the life of a tramp, so expertly illustrated. In this, John Steinbeck is a master.
The fate of these men were tied together briefly, and the same fate that tied them together, disbanded them. or so they believed.. and who are we to judge one's beliefs even if it seems like a bold, mad martyrs move into recklessness.

Friends have helped friends get through, through the ages, the changing ideas, changing medical descriptions, but it's always been the same. People get sad, and connecting with other people eases that sadness.. A burden shared is a burden divided.
This tale, as thorough as it was, painted the trials of these men in a sympathetic way, you can understand that in that time, and that place, that is what made sense to them.

Стайнбек е един от най-любимите ми писатели и макар този му роман да засяга тематика, към която не бих посегнала с интерес, неговият стил отново ме изпълни с благоговение. Не знам дали друг писател би ме накарал да прочета докрай безпаметните истории на група безделници, които живеят в пълен противовес на обществените норми. Но това е Стайнбек, той го може.

“Добрият разказ се състои от полуизречени неща, които читателят попълва от своя собствен опит.”

“Има много хора, които са умрели и от недостатъчно пиене на вино”

“Не винаги природата раздава очарованията си с добър вкус.”

Another great Steinbeck novel.

Another Steinbeck winner for me!

Reason I am such a Steinbeck family, his house he is uniquely gifted in creating stories around the characters. As opposed to most other authors who plugged characters into scenes.

This is a story with great emotions with a sad ending – – the complete Steinbeck.

This is one of John Steinbeck’s playful stories, in the vein of Cannery Row or Sweet Thursday. You can tell he enjoyed writing it, and it makes good reading. The only thing that stops it being a five star rate is that it is episodic in nature and lacks a real plot line to keep you hooked. It’s more like a series of short stories.

"Flat" not that sharp, hits dull note

"The Grapes of Wrath", "Of Mice and Men", "The Red Pony" and several more great novels issued from John Steinbeck's mighty pen. He was a great writer, no doubt. But, well, everyone can have an off day. Everyone can have an idea that probably should have been left in the drawer. After reading TORTILLA FLAT, I definitely felt that that would have been a good idea in this case. It's a very shallow book with smarmy, stereotypical characters whose sole idea seems to be to steal or borrow various items, sell them, and get wine. The various winos and hoboes of the `bad side of town' near Monterrey, California have their highs and lows, their noble moments and their vile ones. The author attempts to tell the human story with these cardboard characters. Not being a literary honcho I did not relate the book to King Arthur or some other classical tome. I judged it by the standard of modern literature including Steinbeck's own work. I think it would have worked better as a cartoon novel, but those did not exist in the 1930s. Steinbeck wrote with a wry humor, true, but when I had finished, I felt that I had been reading a one joke Cheech and Chong movie where the substance abused was not a certain weed. Humor that revolves around "cute guys" who drink a lot pales quickly. I did not find the occasional kindness and consideration shown by one or all the characters particularly inspiring. The attempt to render Spanish into English so that we feel that the former is being spoken falls flat too. The cover illustration of my copy shows four very Anglo-looking guys sprawled on the grass by a wooden shack. The inhabitants of Tortilla Flat were anything but Anglo. Perhaps at the time, the idea of paisanos (mixed race Californians) drinking, whoring, and stealing was entertaining. Steinbeck's name probably sold a lot of copies as well. All in all, I was quite disappointed with this novel which I had looked forward to reading for many years.

"Ah, the prayers of the millions, how they must fight and destroy each other on their way to the throne of God."

I don't know why the sad tales of John Steinbeck fill me with so much joy. It doesn't really make sense.

His is a hopelessly poor world, full of people who are destined to stay in the chaotic situation they call life forever. They know how to go through the different stages of heavy drinking, and how to mess up a perfectly fine love story. They know how to lose. And yet, the knights around the table in Monterey, California are more human than the heroes in the legends, they are warm and alive and caring. Black and white thinking is not for them, and they celebrate the only capital they have to invest: the colours of the rainbow reflected in the ocean on a sunny morning.

Steinbeck's prose gives me a sense of being part of a whole, part of a community of people who try to enjoy what life throws in your face (if it is pleasant) or to duck away in time (if it is not).

Tortilla Flat is as good as any Steinbeck can be, and in my world, that is perfect.

Novella epica etilica

**** quasi *****
Terza prova narrativa dell’autore, rivelatrice del genio, anticipatrice della consacrazione ricevuta con Furore. Traduzione di Elio Vittorini. Imbarazzante parlarne, ci si ritrova a cercare di capire quanto ci piaccia Steinbeck e quanto in realtà stiamo filtrando tutto il suo humus attraverso la riconoscibilissima penna di Vittorini, semplicemente perfetta. Superata l’iniziale titubanza, ci si affida a questa prosa poetica dove regna l’inversione e la dislocazione a sinistra dell’oggetto in ogni singolo periodo, e si è quasi rassicurati che sia un ottimo modo di restituirci una prosa originale, sicuramente altrettanto poetica. Certo rimane il dubbio sugli echi danteschi, ma questo aprirebbe filoni di ricerca che lasciamo a chi ha competenze per intraprenderli, aspettando semmai una nuova traduzione.
In mano un piccolo Don Chisciotte, ridotto a diciassette capitoli, anche se privi della dimensione del viaggio, prosecutore ideale di quel mondo picaresco, antifrastico del genere cavalleresco, in una linea ideale che congiunge il ciclo arturiano a Lazarillo de Tormes passando per Cervantes e via via per le ottave italiane del nostro Ariosto. Un‘epica che rimanda ai grandi temi della vita: l’amicizia, l’onore, l’amore, la follia. Non manca niente. Questa è la breve storia di Pilon, Pablo, Gesù Maria, Joe Portoghese il Grande e il Pirata con i suoi cinque cani, una non storia di amicizia, un succedersi di espedienti utili a godere della vita rifuggendo lavoro, società, obblighi morali e civili, all’insegna della ricerca perenne del bere. Non è vero neanche questo, il gruppo ha invece un suo codice morale, strampalato, assurdo ma funzionale ad una nuova etica, non riconoscibile dal mondo civile. E infatti, loro sono paisanos, gli ultimi discendenti californiani dei conquistadores spagnoli, “un miscuglio di spagnolo, di indio, di messicano e di varie razze caucasiche” e hanno pure partecipato alla guerra contro la Germania. Vivono a Monterrey, precisamente nella parte alta, nella baraccopoli di Pian della Tortilla, una sovrapposizione di miserie umane con una sua narrazione epica e nuovi miti da alimentare. Perché anche Danny, il protagonista, perno dell’intera vicenda insieme all’evento di rottura dell’equilibrio iniziale ( riconoscibilissime tutte le funzioni proppiane), ovvero la ricezione in eredità di due “case” del quartiere, è il nuovo mito nascente del quale la voce narrante vuole fissare l’epos, con rigore documentale, al fine di evitare insieme futuri scherni o al contrario eccessive riscritture. Un senso del tempo dilatato che rimanda a tratti al realismo magico di Macondo, una dimensione altra che una volta varcata avvolge il lettore senza più nulla fargli dubitare. Consigliatissimo.