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

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.

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.

The book I read was Of Mice and Men. It was written by John Steinbeck. The main conflict of this book was for these two men George and Lennie to make their dream of farming their own farm and where they could raise rabbits come true. They would travel from farm to farm and do work on different farms to make their living. In this book there were many things I liked and a few things I didn't like. The book was very exciting to read. It was so exciting because I was always wondering what was going to happen next and I didn't want to put the book down. I really felt like I was actually in the book. I felt this way because Steinbeck described everything so well, and I could picture every scene that happened. The main conflict interested me a lot. It interested me because there were many obstacles that Lennie and George had to face throughout the book and I just wanted to see if they could make their dream come true. I thought that the characters felt very real. They seemed real because Steinbeck gave the right amount of descriptions about each of them. The ending was very satisfying. It was a bit sad and I think it could have been better but if it ended differently the book wouldn't have been as good. The author John Steinbeck's writing style is unusual. The author's voice is a narrative style and it's written in the way the characters actually spoke. The characters talk like poor, uneducated people. The author uses vocabulary in an interesting way. He uses poor grammar and slang words to speak like the characters. The author uses a lot of dialog in this book. The two main characters speak to each other a lot. I think that the author is a very good writer because I could actually hear the voice of the characters. He describes things but he doesn't go overboard to make it boring. Compared to other books that I have read I would rate this book an eight out of ten. I give it this rating because it was a very good book and held my attention but there were a few parts he could have changed, like the ending. I recommend this book to any guy or girl. It is a very fast and good read. Overall this was one of the best books I have ever read. I would put this book in my top twenty favorite books. I've read another book by Steinbeck called The Pearl that I didn't really enjoy. I hope other books by Steinbeck are this god. Some other things that happened in this book was that Lennie wasn't very educated and George would always have to look out for him. Lennie loved to pet soft things. He would catch a mouse put it in his pocket and pet the mouse and squeeze it so hard that the mouse accidentally died. This would upset George a lot.

I can't believe I hadn't read this book yet, it feels like one of those books that everyone knows the plot of but for me... I went into this spoiler free. Let's just say I was not ready for how much I was going to love this book! I think it might be my new favorite ever. I have autism and OCD myself and while it's never stated what mental condition Lennie has I can absolutely relate to doing things that make no sense to anyone who doesn't have your condition. Obviously nothing to the degree Lennie does but sometimes I'll just wash my hands a couple extra times because I'm worried and end up being late to something. That combined with the generally stellar writing makes for an incredible book.

Steinbeck had a way of telling a love story like no other. Love isn't always romantic. Love is work. This love story is tender, heart-wrenching, and ultimately tragic, but a love story just the same. Brilliant.

Classic, one of my all time favorites

Quick read

This is a decent classic that I gave a second chance. It's a short, easy read you could finish in 1-3 days. A few things could be learned from this book, highlighting life's harsh realities and powerlessness during the Great Depression

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.

Very good

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.

I have not read this Steinbeck for years. It is such a powerful short novel that I will want to read it again soon. The friendship between two men in California in the depression era leads to some very difficult dilemmas for the man with the stronger personality. He cares for his friend who is intellectually slow. They share a dream to own their own farm. Reality gets in the way! The different personalities of all the cast are beautifully written in the minimum words. The only female in the tale is so sensitively written that even as she causes problems for all the men, I felt sympathy for her. Steinbeck's talent to create a whole world in a few short sentences has been a source of pleasure to me over my reading history. I think I first read him in the mid 1960s and have reread most of hid books since. I don't know why I hadn't read Of Mice and Men more often.