Tortilla Flat

Steinbeck’s first commercial success: a comic Arthurian cycle transposed onto a group of paisanos in Monterey, California, after the First World War.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the historical-fiction thread. Kyle already reads Steinbeck heavily — this is one of the few early novels not yet on the shelf.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @moseskagan asking “What historical fiction should I read next? (Bonus points for something involving building or trade, rather than violence)” (April 13, 2025). The full recovered list lives on What historical fiction should I… (tweet).

Connections

• What historical fiction should I… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• John Steinbeck — the author; several of his novels are already in the library.