Of Mice And Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) Mass Market Paperback – 30 Sept. 1993

“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”I realised recently that I was one of only a few people who had not studied, or read, Of Mice and Men. As someone studying English Literature, this seemed like a crime, so I instantly set to rectifying that. Of course, everything I say in this review will not be discussing anything that has not already been covered on Of Mice and Men, and I will probably just be expressing myself in a less interesting manner. But, if you’re interested in reading some of the points that stuck out most to me, then go ahead :).I think this is a brilliant story, and well-deserving of its reputation. It has a very distinctive style, with unique central characters and a philosophical layer over the entirety of it which appears to act as a commentary on human nature. Being my first exposure to John Steinbeck, I imagine this is the style he is renowned for, and I look forward to engaging with it more in the future, perhaps with Grapes of Wrath in a couple months.“Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella.”This is a story that revolves around our characters, which is driven by several powerful concepts, such as the often paradoxical nature of life, that interweave and act more as a subtle intrusion more as the main focus of the story. George and Lennie are our main protagonists, with George looking after Lennie, who has a mental disability. I think that these are both crafted fantastically, with their strenuous but genuine friendship being depicted in an authentic manner that was amazing to read.We have other key characters in Of Mice and Men, but I would say that these were not as well crafted as George and Lennie. But this is no bad thing. Steinbeck obviously made a conscious decision regarding this, and as such makes George and Lennie the focus, with others, such as Curley, appearing to represent the harsh life of the working class during The Great Depression.Throughout Of Mice and Men, I felt this air of perpetual melancholia, and a sense of dread that somehow permeated from every word. As George and Lennie discuss their dream, it just felt like the whole time that they would not achieve their aspirations, and because of this, Of Mice and Men was incredibly impactful, and a tense reading experience throughout which I have rarely felt before. To do this, John Steinbeck was obviously a master of his craft.“Guys like us got nothing to look ahead to.”Of Mice and Men is of course a brilliant read, with memorable characters, fantastic prose and also a read that allows for a philosophical reading that you can return and build on a long time after reading. I have not nearly covered the interesting aspects of this canonical story, nor could I if I tried, but these are just a few reasons you should read Of Mice and Men. For its size, it offers so much, and as a reader you can have the freedom of just enjoying a read, or engaging with with the concepts Steinbeck discusses.This was a good read, with unique central characters and a very distinctive, page-turning prose. Throughout the entirety of the read, there was an air of melancholy and sadness that was leading to the ending that I suspected would occur, but dreaded throughout.

As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.”― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and MenOf mice and men by John Steinbook is a book I first read as a teenager at school. As always with school you read it in chunks then rip it apart and it kinda takes the fun out of reading. Not with this book. I have been meaning to read it again pretty much as soon as I left school and finally a few years later (more than I care to admit) I have read it again and it didn’t disappoint me.A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.”― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and MenThe book is set in California in the early 1900’s. As usual in American books they had the whole race scenario with a black man who worked on the farm to and was treated badly etc. But the story is centered around George and Lennie. They both grew up together but Lennie is simple minded and gets them both into trouble with his child like view on everything. George and Lennie have a dream that one day they will live together on a small plot of land and keep rabbits and work for themselves. After having to run away from their last job after Lennie got them in difficulty, they end up at a farm that ends up being Lennie’s undoing in the most tragic way.Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head.”― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and MenThe relationship between George and Lennie is heartbreaking and brilliantly written. The book may be short but that does not mean it is not powerful. If the ending doesn’t have you in tears nothing else will. This is a book to read before you die. I give it five out of five stars.George’s voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before. ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men