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.

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Published Sep 1, 1993

107 pages

Average rating: 7.71

681 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Of Mice and Men* remains a powerful, well-written classic with vivid characters and engaging storytelling. Many admire its exploration of...

tloster25
Jan 02, 2026
10/10 stars
Who knew so much feeling can be brought out in a book this short.
Enid Cangiano
Dec 29, 2025
10/10 stars
I read this book in high school and it is still one of my favorite books. This story of an unbelievable, amazing friendship and dreams that will break your heart is something that I still carry with me. It is a fast read but one that will last you forever.
Sunita the reader 📖🌻🦋
Dec 22, 2025
8/10 stars
This was a reread as I read this in high school. This was one of my favorite books in high school and this reread proved that nothing changed. George did his best to take care of Lennie, up until the very end. Lennie couldn’t control his impulses and she didn’t give him a chance. In my opinion, she brought this on herself. I don’t think Lennie should take any blame as he asked her to leave him alone several times and she refused. She pushed him to touch her. Yes, she had the right to change her mind and the right to say no whenever she chose, but he also had the right to say no, and he did, but she didn’t listen. She opened Pandora’s box and couldn’t close it back. George did the right thing. He allowed Lennie to go in peace and by someone he loved and trusted. Someone who had his best interest at heart.
Aravind Anilkumar
Dec 10, 2025
8/10 stars
An inquisitive tale of the nature of men, pain , love and the hard choices they have to make in life. The cruelty to be committed because of love.
Kul109
Apr 19, 2025
7/10 stars
Steinbeck’s brevity doesn’t compromise the sting in his short story. Need to read east of Eden soon.

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