Helpful Score: 9
I lived in Topanga Canyon during the period described in this novel. Boyle hits all the right notes, describing the canyon and its denizens. A touching tale of moral ambiguities. Don't miss it.
Helpful Score: 8
Very well written and balanced story about illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, how they live and how they affect the lives of the Americans in the community. Very timely, excellent book.
Helpful Score: 7
This book is a must read - it brought understanding to much of the culture you don't see in a big city... eye-opening and real.
Helpful Score: 7
This book offers a fascinating glimpse at two completely different worlds that eventually collide. It is the story of two couples, one Mexican immigrant and the other Southern California yuppies. It was a riveting read, very difficult to put down.
Helpful Score: 6
Engaging & thought-provoking look at the contrasting and intersecting lives of two couples in California: one enjoying the privileges of life in the upper middle class, the other struggle to survive after crossing the border from Mexico without papers. Worth reading alongside the final section from Schlosser's (nonfiction) *Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market."
Helpful Score: 5
This is an very intresting look into the lives of two families on both sides of the imagration fence. I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 3
This is the first T.C. Boyle book I read and I have more on the way. I loved the dark and humorous aspect of the writing.
Helpful Score: 2
A good read that tells the story from both sides of the issue of Mexican illegals working in Topanga Canyon. Interesting, timely, provocative.
Helpful Score: 2
Probably does slant a lot toward the liberal perspective, but I felt that except for the end, it was a very realistic satire with an important message. Very quick, addictive read. The book that introduced me to the wonderful world of T.C. Boyle.
Helpful Score: 2
This book is as relevant today as it was when written in 1996. Boyle is a great spinner of tales and this is a good one dealing with identity, immigration, fear of differences and protecting ones own turf. Great read.
Helpful Score: 2
a contrast of lifestyles, the illegal living in the neighborhood of the liberal upscale families and the struggles of both
Helpful Score: 1
Intense story of two different worlds exsiting in LA.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was heartbreaking and engrossing. The story of an immigrant couple and an American couple and how empathy is finally discovered after tragedy. I recommend it.
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. As i live in the Midwest I do not have immigration as a major issue on my daily life. This book shows both sides of this issue in such a way that I had the hardest time ever putting the book down. Wonderful writing.
The ending is odd. That's all I'll say. But it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me.
The ending is odd. That's all I'll say. But it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me.
Helpful Score: 1
I read this book while recovering from surgery, a time when it was hard to focus on reading....and this book did the trick as far as holding my attention and keeping me focused. It was a very engaging and thoroughly thought provoking look at social issues surrounding illegal immigration in Southern California. Told with compassion and also a biting satirical voice, this book is a must read for anyone interested in living an examined life while up against moral dilemmas put on out collective plates at this time in our evolution as sharers of the planet Earth.
Helpful Score: 1
Very, very good. The book is dealing with very real and current issues. Extremely well written and you become one with the characters.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book - my #1 read for the year.
Helpful Score: 1
classic boyle. loved it, and have read it twice.
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of T.C. Boyle in general, so highly recommend all his books. Especially enjoyed "A Friend of the Earth" and "Budding Prospects".
Helpful Score: 1
This book reminded me of the movie Crash, because it gets behind the eyes of people who are very different from each other. I loved this book
Helpful Score: 1
I found the book entertaining but mostly a tale of stupidity and unrealistic at times. Rich white yuppies and an illegal immigrant who comes to the U.S. with some poor 17 year old pregnant girl. She was the only character in book I felt sympathy for. The author should note that police do not ever fire warning shots, state police do not arrest illegal immigrants (this is the crux of the controversial new law in Arizona). The poor immigrant couple in reality would never had to live in the bushes and medicare care has always been available. Medical personnel do not turn them in. The immigrant man does one dumb thing after another getting him and the poor girl in more trouble. The wealthy yuppies were the most entertaining part of the book. The ending was dumb.
Helpful Score: 1
Boyle seems more focused on using an advanced vocabulary than on building interest in a story. Much like previous Boyle books that I have read, it takes close to half the book for you to become interested in the characters. Once he has your interest he take the story lines so over the top that it's not enjoyable to read. The end of the book is relief, only because it's over, not because of the outcome. Dreary, bleak and miserable.
Helpful Score: 1
I couldn't read the book line for line. I had to skip parts as it was too disturbing. A sad tale of immigrants. I couldn't finish it fast enough just to end the book. The yuppie couple was more entertaining than the immigrants. The immigrants went through some horrific times. Did not enjoy the book at all.
I was 90 pages into this book before it became interesting and was no longer deathly boring. I can honestly say that I have no idea what it is about. It is supposedly about the American Dream, but mostly it's about the lives of two couples and illegal immigration. I would not recommend it, especially to animal lovers such as myself.
I really enjoyed this book and the way Boyle framed the conflict between wealthy Americans and Mexican immigrants against the evolutionary struggle between animals for space in an ecosystem. The characters were interesting,convincing and the style was lively.
Liked this book.
I have been a fan of T.C. Boyle for many years and have read several of his novels and short story collections. For the most part, I have enjoyed them all and really feel that Boyle is a masterful writer and storyteller. TORTILLA CURTAIN is a book that I've had on my shelves for several years and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It tells the story of what happens when two different cultures collide in the Topanga Canyon of Southern California. Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher are a liberal couple living in a gated community in the hills of the canyon while Candido and America Rincon are illegals living in a makeshift camp in the ravine striving to stay alive. The novel starts out with Delaney accidentally hitting Candido with his car and badly injuring him as he is walking along the canyon road. Candido does not want medical assistance in fear of being deported. So Delaney gives him 20 bucks and doesn't report the accident. This all leads to a change in attitude for Delaney who once believed in rights for all, but the illegals living in the canyon upset him with their littering and disregard to the nature Delaney is so fond of and he is led to believe that Candido allowed himself to be hit by his car in order to receive some kind of monetary claim. The book details the life of both the illegals and their struggles and the life of the the California family living their dream with the wife being a successful realtor and the husband being a writer for a nature magazine. All of this eventually leads to misunderstanding and tragedy.
This definitely was not a happy story. Nothing good ever happens especially to Candido and America. Candido tries to find work but his injury results in America also hoping to find some kind of job. They try to save their money to rent some kind of apartment but tragedy seems to follow them. Although this was overall a very sad and depressing story, I would still rank it as one of Boyle's best. It is so relatable to the border crisis of today even though it was published in 1995. Things have definitely gotten worse since then with no solution in sight. And if Trump gets reelected, I don't foresee anything good happening with future immigration policy.
This definitely was not a happy story. Nothing good ever happens especially to Candido and America. Candido tries to find work but his injury results in America also hoping to find some kind of job. They try to save their money to rent some kind of apartment but tragedy seems to follow them. Although this was overall a very sad and depressing story, I would still rank it as one of Boyle's best. It is so relatable to the border crisis of today even though it was published in 1995. Things have definitely gotten worse since then with no solution in sight. And if Trump gets reelected, I don't foresee anything good happening with future immigration policy.
I enjoyed this book very much
My husband had to read this book for his college English class. He thought it was okay.
A very intriguing story - honestly more a piece of literature than just a story. It had resounding characters that you pity, but don't identify with (or at least I didn't).
The opening car accident reeled me in and that's what the whole rest of the book felt like: a car accident.
Overall, I liked it, but it's definitely the type of book that would be nice to talk to someone about. Although I don't really know that I would loosely recommend it, as it is certainly not light reading, But I did think it was written better than _The Inner Circle_.
The opening car accident reeled me in and that's what the whole rest of the book felt like: a car accident.
Overall, I liked it, but it's definitely the type of book that would be nice to talk to someone about. Although I don't really know that I would loosely recommend it, as it is certainly not light reading, But I did think it was written better than _The Inner Circle_.
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Seems to be an appropriate topic in these political times. (An "Atlas Shrugged" about immigration issues). Both sides are presented in a way that is not black and white. The universal theme of love, compassion and moral responsibility has to be considered by the reader. The author portrays the individual and not just the race. The dichotomy involved with so many aspects of the political spectrum that illegals are faced with is presented in such a simple and realistic way that I believe will touch and trouble everyone that reads this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book but the end left me wanting more closure.
A bit too in-your-face. Sounds like a white liberal writing about Mexicans.
Clearly drawn parallel stories of yuppie LA couple and Mexican migrant workers. Neither one is very likeable and the amount of venom in the descriptions made me stop reading before I finished.
This book grabbed me from start to finish, couldn't put it down. It may be 20 years old, but oh so relevant to our current times.
Not my favorite of Boyle's work, but still a good read.
