Of Mice and Men

“Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?”

Un classico straziante ed indimenticabile, scritto in maniera superba

Re-read this classic and still impressed by its expression of the human condition. Quickly developing characters and the story, Steinbeck keeps you reading. When it ends you are left wishing it was longer.

A classic. Anything by John Steinbeck is worth picking up. This and his Grapes of Wrath spoke of the Great Depression like no other author did.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A book that I loved, an absolute must read, and now a favorite of mine. It's a book that will live on my shelves forever and I would re-read in the future. I would pick up anything else by this author without question. This book is now one of my all-time favorites.

Read this for 3rd year. Looking back it was kinda boring

I read this book for school many years ago and I cannot give a detailed review because I do not remember it all but I do remember that I liked it and it made me emotional.

The book doesn't try much. How sublime.

There's a lot that can be said about Of Mice and Men, but I'll keep this short. I had to analyze and study this book, and I honestly think I enjoyed it more because of that. As soon as you start reading it, you can tell that something tragic will be happening, and the suspense will keep you going. The writing is straightforward, it may be difficult at first as Steinbeck writes as his characters would speak. The title is extremely fitting to the story, and I loved how the juxtaposition between the character's dreams and the poverty they lived in reveals that their “American Dream” was nothing more than a hopeless dream.

I re-read this classic to be reminded just how much of a master Steinbeck was. He does so much with so little. Written to be interpreted as a play, or vice versa as a novella, the scene setting and dialogue work perfectly for this reason. Characterization is strong and the interaction between the characters rings true.

The book has been banned from school curriculums over the years for racial slurs, sexism, promoting euthanasian, and more, but the story and characters are a product of their time (1930s Depression-era America), and the interaction between the working men as well as the portrayal of Curley's wife in their eyes is believable in this context and setting.

The ending is notable for its multiple layers. Although cruel on the surface, there is a tenderness to George's rationale, as the story George tells Lennie about their dream of owning land and tending rabbits–and the deliberate way he tells it–brings some comfort to Lennie, in contrast to what the impending mob would bring.

Finally, the way Steinbeck sets a scene is poetic and breathtaking in its efficiency.

I rated this 3 stars on my first reading, some years ago. I appreciated the writing and storytelling more this time, though it was still just as sad. You know the futility of George's “plan” the whole time, yet there's some dim hope/desire for a better outcome that keeps the story moving forward.

One of the few books I read in my youth and reread twice since ~ which says all I need to say.

Slim is a real one.

This is my first time reading this book, I'm well aware of the ending and it was still an unexpected gut punch. Steinbeck sets everything up in several meaningful aspects that really builds up the ending.

Read it in 11th grade, don’t think I finished it but nonetheless remembered some bits and pieces. Had to reread it for my college class that revolves around Steinbeck’s work and wow. I don’t remember it being this dark and eerie but wow. Also watched the ‘92 movie adaptation and picked up on some subtle changes, still shows how talented Steinbeck was even if he hated the popularity.

I loved this book. I feel so sad about George and Lenny😥

i just feel dirty after reading this. definitely unforgettable but at what cost

It's funny cause this book has been on my TBR bookshelf for about 12 yrs now.... you know how it goes sometimes. New books are constantly grabbing our attention. All I can say is why? Why didn't I just put it in the freezer? I knew the reputation of the book - just why? That being said, it was really well-written and I would recommend it bc of the writing alone

Summary: George and Lennie are travelling farm workers who stick together, George more or less looking after Lennie, who has an intellectual disability. The two men begin work on a farm that is owned by a man with a son who is always ready to fight and who has a wife who the men suspect of being a floozy.

This short book explores the difficulties encountered by poor farm workers in the 1930s as well as the treatment of people of color, women, and people with intellectual disabilities.

this was not the book to read while I was all hormoned up on my period

This book is set during a hard time in American history, the Great Depression, and what it does to the people living during that time. The main characters, and others, dream of a better life on a piece of land that they own. However, both themselves and circumstances don't allow this. All the characters feel fear and a sense of captivity due to the lives they live. How they cope says much about themselves. Some cultivate friendships while others find enemies. There is also joy, loneliness, and anger.

This was a hard book to read, but worth it. The economic and racial problems were massive. This work is on many banned book list due to the racial language that is used, be warned.

There are many themes that can be explored while reading this. Some of those themes are: fear, the American Dream, predatory human nature, and racism.

La prosa dell'autore si distingue per la sua semplicità e al contempo per la sua profondità emotiva che danno vita a personaggi che si trovano ad affrontare la durezza della vita durante la Grande Depressione. L'autore esplora temi universali come l'amicizia, il sogno americano, la solitudine e la disperazione. Trasmette il senso di solitudine e frustrazione dei protagonisti, George e Lennie, rendendoli incredibilmente reali e vicini al lettore. I due sono la rappresentazione del desiderio di trovare un posto nel mondo. Il loro rapporto è al tempo stesso tenera e tragica, e rappresenta il cuore del romanzo. 

A very short but powerful novella. The calls for it to be censored make no sense to me, anyone reading this can see that Steinbeck is clearly empathising with a whole group of disenfranchised characters, the language, racism and sexism are all part of the characters lives and need to be read as a portrayal of reality rather than an author seeking to benefit from exploitation.

This was a nice, fast read. I enjoyed this book.

Steinbeck writes about our need to connect with each other and how we will subject ourselves to great inconveniences or even great pain to pursue this. Many characters lament their loneliness and pursue fellowship with one another, even though people so often tend to complicate life and bring us grief.

Quelle belle manière de commencer la semaine en terminant Des Souris et des Hommes et en se faisant arracher le coeur au passage :')

Je comprends totalement pourquoi cette nouvelle est considérée comme un chef d'oeuvre et c'est amplement mérité.