Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat is $1.99 at Amazon.
Not my favorite of his books, but I did enjoy it. He mixes his love of King Arthur and the down and outs in California farming communities:
Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, John 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—men who fiercely resist the corrupting tide of honest toil and civil rectitude.