I don't know what stories I was expecting in this book, but it wasn't what I found. Engaging, surprising, uncomfortable, funny. ( )

My first Steinbeck. A gift from a friend with very heavy-drinking parents, now passed; the inscription from his father to his mother is on the flyleaf. I am a drinking men from a long line of them myself. And there is some heavy drinking herein, as a way of life. The prose is wonderful. The stories are episodic without much in the way of overarching narrative. Heavily influenced by the the Grail mythos, which I also happen to be interested in, and am learning of its profound importance to Western culture. But what to make to this? This uses wonderful prose, borrows expertly from a magnificent mythic inheritance, and uses it to describe a bunch of primitive and criminal savages incapable of making anything, building anything, raising a family, or forming any kind of society. They cannot really be said to have an honour code save the honour of a bandit gang. One character does display true morality as kind of a retarded naif, his kindness shows through in his fondness to dogs and religious faith. The others? Pah. It is also laugh out loud funny in places, given the elaborate intellectual structures its protagonists erect to justify their continuing alcoholism. But I can't see the people herein as noble or good. They are humerous grotesques. The book works on that level. It almost, in places, convinces you that you shouldn't judge them and that they are worthy peasant stock. But overall that idea is laughable. If Steinbeck intended them as such he must be well off-kilter - either a nihilist or a moron. Will find out when I read his other books, I suppose. Despite its qualities the book gives the impression of a literary degeneracy. ( )

This episodic paean to the paisanos living rough on the outskirts of Montery, does not glorify their life, but handles it with the tongs of humor and humanity. We are roused to sympathy with the unsympathetic, those who conspire with life running them over and leaving them by the way. ( )

This is awful! I can't stand the circular stories, redundancies, and lack of movement forward. I am abandoning. ( )

A group of deadbeat friends while away the time, drinking cheap stolen wine, getting by by stealing what they need. But friendship kindles kindness, charity (even if stolen), and even a day of honest work when friendship requires it. The humor is not obvious until near the end but it’s thruout in small doses. Not great but a good book. I’ll definitely read more Steinbeck now that I’ve been introduced to him by this book. ( )