Tortilla Flat

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. These knights are paisanos, men of mixed heritage, whose ancestors settled California hundreds of years before.

As Steinbeck recounts their deeds--their multiple loves, their wonderful brawls, their Rabelaisian wine-drinking--he spins a tale as compelling and sorrowful as the famous legends of the Round Table, which inspired him.