57066--like a lizard on a window pane

[zyzyly]

The other day someone mentioned that they had read Tortilla Flat, by John Steinbeck. It was the first Steinbeck book I read. My grandfather had it on his shelf and I read it during a weekend visit to their house years ago. I don't remember much of the story, other than it took place down around Monterey. After reading it, I picked up many of his other books, and forgot about this one.

I was moving books today from one room to another. We are finishing up painting the other side of the house. We decided to move one of the big book cases from the spare bedroom out to the living room, to make it feel more like a reading room. As I was moving the books I looked for Tortilla Flat. After my grandpa died, I got his books, and it was among them.

There it was, up on the shelf with a few of its dusty old friends. I took it down and thumbed through it. This edition was published in 1947. In addition to the story, it contains 17 full-color illustrations by an artist named Peggy Worthington. Google sheds very little light about her, other than two of her illustrations are hanging in the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.



The title page for the book with an illustration. As I read the book, I will take pictures of some of the other illustrations.

I was going to write something about an experience with windowpane acid in the 70s, and tie it in to the Olympics, but it doesn't seem to fit here. Maybe another day.

Comments

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Yes--they capture a moment in time. Of all Steinebeck's work, my favorite is the first chapter of The Grapes of Wrath. As I first read it, I became conscious of the power of good writing.

[howeird]

Steinbeck is one of the rare authors whose style grabbed me so much that I would read anything by him. The Pearl struck me as his best writing, Travels With Charley an example of him stepping out of his comfort zone but still great writing.

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

I think "The Pearl" was the first Steinbeck I ever read, when I was about 14. There was a beat-up copy of it on the shelves in the attic, and I was always pulling books out of there. It is the first time I remember noticing the use of symbols in a book -- even at 14, the symbology of the pearl was perfectly clear, without being obvious.