Of Mice and Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)

How would I even dare to write a review on the content? This is a very enjoyable Steinbeck classic. The book itself feels somewhat cheap only because, hey, it is cheap.

Of Mice and Men is one of those classics that lives up to its reputation. Steinbeck’s writing is clear and simple, but the emotions and themes run deep. The story of George and Lennie, two men chasing the small dream of land and stability, is touching, raw, and tragic all at once. What stood out most to me is how human the characters feel. The friendship between George and Lennie is tender and complicated, and it captures both the hope and the heartbreak of people trying to build a better life in tough circumstances. Even though the book is short, the weight of the story stays with you long after you finish it. Pros: Accessible writing style that’s easy to follow Memorable characters and themes of friendship, dreams, and loneliness Short length makes it approachable for students and casual readers Still feels relevant and thought-provoking today Cons: Emotional intensity may feel heavy for some readers The ending is difficult and may not appeal to everyone looking for a hopeful story This is a beautifully written, deeply human story that’s as relevant today as when it was first published. If you’re looking for a classic that’s easy to read but leaves a lasting impact, Steinbeck delivers exactly that.

As someone well into their senior years I have been a voracious reader all my life and I decided to reread some of the old classics I had read in high school and college. One of these books includes “Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck” that I purchased on Amazon for a bargain price. Besides reading this 107-page paperback edition I also recall the movie made from this novel many years ago. This is, as many of John Steinbeck’s novels seem to be, is both tragic and depressing; however, this is about a novel about life, which has happiness, joy, and hope, but also sorrow, tragedy, and sadness. The is a story about two men, who are so opposite in many ways but find a strange kind of bond together. They work together as labors on California’s vegetable farms, hoping to someday have their own farm property. There are conflicts and issues as the story moves along. Unfortunately, without revealing too much of the story, things in the end do not end well. I never like to give away too much information when reviewing any novel because it spoils it for the reader, but if you are a fan of the many classic works of John Steinbeck you should check out this novel. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Season of the warrior: A poetic tribute to warriors).

This review is a work in progress. I have the 1953 book with an introduction by Joseph Henry Jackson. I found the introduction by Mr. Jackson to be very instructive and enjoyable. However it may be for more a student than the casual reader. My book is from The Viking Press. It contains six short novels. They are mostly chronological in the order that John Steinbeck published them. The one exception is that the first short novel in the book is "Tortilla Flat". The second is "The Red Pony". These were composed, I think, in the opposite order. Mr. Jackson explains this. These are followed by "Of Mice and Men", "The Moon Is Down", "Cannery Row", and "The Pearl". I read "The Red Pony First". There is a lot in "The Red Pony" which reminds me "Of Mice and Men". It is episodic. The first episode is "The Gift", which is about a child Jody, and his pony. It is beautiful, poignant, and ultimately painful. The second episode is "The Great Mountains". It actually is about a visitor to the same ranch that is the setting for first story. Jody and his family are in this story, along with an elderly visitor. The next episode is "The Promise" which is, more or less, a sequel to the first story. It is somewhat painful. The last episode is "The Leader of The People" which is a bittersweet story about a senior citizen member of the same family at the ranch. It is my personal favorite episode. I completely enjoyed this novella "Of Mice And Men". It is a relatively short work. It was written in 1937, before The Grapes of Wrath. I had previously read The Grapes of Wrath. I enjoyed this book more. I have very little formal education in regard to literature. So my opinion may be very faulty. Anyway, I felt this work was a more artistic work than The Grapes of Wrath. This work reminded me more of Ermest Hemingway. I was very impressed. As is common with many shorter works, the author leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The reader is left to speculate why certain issues develope and are resolved in certain manners. I felt all the aspects of the relationship between George and Lenny were slightly unclear. The book ended with me wishing I knew more about George. My guess is that is intentional on the part of Mr. Steinbeck. I would like to note that I purchased this "Of Mice and Men" on Kindle and at the same time purchased the audiobook narrated by Gary Sinise. I felt Mr. Sinise was really excellent and I highly recommend the audiobook version as read by Mr. Sinise. Mr. Sinise really added to the pleasure of the reading experience with his very professional performance.

I homeschool my kiddos. My 9th grader is given specific books where she needs to answer questions about each chapter, the book overall, and write summaries as well as discuss sections. It’s a good book to read, there are sad parts. It is a quick read as well. I do think it’s important to bring reading back for kids and literature in multiple forms. Really good price.

This was a good read and it made me cry at the end. Thankyou for an emotional well read book. I enjoyed reading Of Mice and Men. 5 star 🌟

This is another one of the classic works of American literature that is frequently assigned to high school students. As always, there are the idiotic 1-star non-reviews as a result, but compared to most other "assignment" books, relatively few compared with the 5-stars, so it must still hit a responsive chord in high school. Though I have been re-reading numerous high school "assignment" books, in order to judge how my impression changed over the decades, regrettably this was a first-time read for me, thanks to the encouragement of a fellow Amazon reviewer. I have read, and some cases re-read some of Steinbeck's other works, most notably The Grapes of Wrath , as well as Travels with Charley in Search of America , East of Eden (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics) and Cannery Row: (Centennial Edition) . "Of Mice and Men" is set during The Great Depression, in California, and there are similarities between it and "Grapes" as well as "Cannery," which also portray the "down and out" who are sometimes "abstracted" into terms such as "surplus labor" or "lumpen proletariat." One of the beauties of this book is that there is nothing "abstract" about Steinbeck's heart-rendering depiction of two "drifters," Lenny and George, who move from farm to farm, as "casual" laborers, harboring dreams of being able to set just enough aside to get their own place, where they will be eternally happy. Seemingly an odd couple, Steinbeck describes a symbiotic relationship. Lenny is of barely functioning intellectual capacity, but has enormous strength. George is wiry, with the relative brains to take care of the two of them. The foreshadowing of ultimate doom occurs early, around the campfire along the river, as they discuss how they will act at the next farm, with George doing the talking. At the farm, a small group of other characters is revealed. Perhaps the most interesting is Crooks, the only Black in the group, who endures the segregation and second class status due to his skin color that was all too prevalent as an "acceptable fact" during the 1930's. Curley is ugly and vicious, and very insecure, having married a "tart," who still harbors her lost opportunities of making in big in the pictures. She taunts virtually all the men with her sexuality. Slim is the straw boss, and seems to fulfill that role admirably. And the amusements and diversions of migrant men are also depicted, in the trips into town when the work is done, and all the hard-earned money is frittered away on an evening's pleasure. An thus those dreams of a place of one's own all too often remain only that. Ah... the ending is a fulfillment of that initial "doom" that was forecast, like an ancient Greek play. Utterly unforgettable. Throughout this rather short book, Steinbeck proves a master at furnishing the details that develop the characters. Sparse, while maintaining high dramatic tension. 5-stars, plus.

The quality pages are terrible. Bad cut

Précisez bien votre adresse postale par défaut...

The ink of the front of the book comes off, leaving the white marks on my hands

A bit difficult to follow the century-old language but that’s what makes this novella more real and compassionate.

I love the way Steinbeck plays with the language – flowery descriptions of sceneries and situations are in contrast with the way how the characters, un-educated man of the time speak. The story is brilliant, captivating, sad and beautiful.

Buen libro, para alumnos de inglés avanzado.