Of Mice and Men
A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression
"A thriller, a gripping tale . . . that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick." —The New York Times
John Steinbeck's classic novella follows an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet together they have formed a family, clinging to each other in the face of loneliness, and alienation, and hardship.
Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.
"A thriller, a gripping tale . . . that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick." —The New York Times
John Steinbeck's classic novella follows an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet together they have formed a family, clinging to each other in the face of loneliness, and alienation, and hardship.
Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.
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Community Reviews
Steinbeck’s brevity doesn’t compromise the sting in his short story. Need to read east of Eden soon.
To this day, this is one of my favorite books. I read this back in middle school and then again in high school with each time understanding more of the complexity of the novel. It's a must read, but you probably already know that.
I had always heard of this book but had never read it. I read it in a day as I found myself indulged in the storyline. It’s an easy read with a little over 100 pages. The ending I didn’t see coming, the story leading up to the main event I kind of predicted which is the only reason I rated it an 8. But the storyline keeps you engaged up to the very end.
I read this as part of a November challenge.
This is the very first time I've ever read this particular book and I had to remind myself continuously about the time period this was written in and what the norm was as there was a particular word used throughout that I didn't care for, but was otherwise a decent read. It did have quite a bit of symbolism about the American dream and what reality was for a lot of people during that time (and even during current times if I'm being honest).
This is the very first time I've ever read this particular book and I had to remind myself continuously about the time period this was written in and what the norm was as there was a particular word used throughout that I didn't care for, but was otherwise a decent read. It did have quite a bit of symbolism about the American dream and what reality was for a lot of people during that time (and even during current times if I'm being honest).
Obviously a very powerful story, achingly well told. Steinbeck's writing is a joy to read, and the foreboding that suffuses the book is pitch-perfect. Most of the characters (more on that in a minute) are true to life, and the plot is well laid out. Curley's antagonism and George & Lenny's responses to it (as well as the responses of Crooks, Candy, and other more minor characters) are thought-provoking.
Would be a five-star for all that. But I really couldn't stomach the treatment of Curley's wife. She's a critical part of the story, and she's treated with about as much humanity as Candy's dog. She does get to express herself, at one point. But it wasn't enough to make up for the fact that she's really just a plot device. I still highly recommend the book, but it's not without this significant fault.
Would be a five-star for all that. But I really couldn't stomach the treatment of Curley's wife. She's a critical part of the story, and she's treated with about as much humanity as Candy's dog. She does get to express herself, at one point. But it wasn't enough to make up for the fact that she's really just a plot device. I still highly recommend the book, but it's not without this significant fault.
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