Tortilla Flat

About “Tortilla Flat”

John Steinbeck's 1935 novel is the first in a trilogy that includes Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. The story is set on a shabby hillside above Monterey, California, and draws on the structure and themes of Arthurian legend. Steinbeck creates a "Camelot" and fills it with a group of colorful characters. As he explores their thoughts, emotions, temptations, and desires, he tells a compelling story that carries the same sorrow found in the legends of the Round Table. The novel reflects the struggles and aspirations of its characters within a simple, yet richly imagined, setting.