Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)

Steinbeck's narrative voice is seemingly simple in his descriptions of nature of as well as the details of the bunkhouse. His characterizations of the people are magnificent. We meet the other workers, all loners, and appreciate the beauty of the unique friendship between Lennie and George. We meet Candy, the old man who is outliving his usefulness. We meet Crooks, the black stable hand, shunned by the men and therefore turning to books for companionship. We meet the cruel Curley who taunts Lennie into a fight. And we meet Curley's wife, another lonely soul who uses her femininity to get the wrong kind of attention.

There's tension in every word and I found myself holding my breath, knowing that something awful would happen, my eyes glued to the page, the world of Lennie and George deeply etched into my consciousness. I was pulled right into the story, wanting to shout warnings as I saw the inevitable consequences. The ending was incredibly sad, but yet satisfying. It couldn't have ended any other way. It's a small book, only 118 pages long. But it is a masterpiece and I will never forget it. I give it my highest recommendation.


Post-Depression American Tragedy   March 18, 2004
 31 out of 34 found this review helpful

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck remains properly on the reading lists of high school students because of the regional imagery through succinct dialogue. Unlike "Grapes of Wrath," Steinbeck brings us swiftly into each moment, never letting us linger too long before walking us to the next place.

The American Dream has many variations, but always, it is about independence and the pride of being one's own man. Lennie and George want this independence more than most men, but have less than most men to get there. In their case, it isn't a white picket fence, but a farm where they can raise rabbits.

Lennie is not a bright man. He desires to care for someone and to be loved, but is unable to think past his own fear. George tries to protect him, but he too, although smarter than Lennie, is managed by his insecurity and foolishness.

The story surrounds Lennie and George's efforts to get and retain work on ranch near Soledad, and more so, toward their American Dream. The big picture is always with them, but it is the day-by-day difficulties they have with being outsiders. Their intrinsic inability to be free is sheer tragedy, as they both fail again and again to make the right decision.

It's a lonely story about two men who hope more than they can think, who are destined by their misery never to enjoy true companionship and happiness.

Few books are as thematically pure as "Of Mice and Men," which follows Man's search for self and meaning carefully. It is harsh in language and image, and the abstract ideas might be too much for younger readers to comprehend, but any intelligent teen will gain from it where John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" and J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" leave off.

I fully recommend "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com


"A guy needs somebody to be near him....A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody."   October 23, 2006
 22 out of 24 found this review helpful

Written in 1937, when the Depression was still affecting all aspects of the farming community, this powerful novel depicts the lives of migrant workers--grim, pessimistic, and offering little hope for an improved future. Focusing on two characters who arrive in the Salinas Valley during peak season, Steinbeck creates touching scenes between Lenny, a big, severely limited worker who does not know his own strength, and George, a whippet-thin man who serves as Lenny's constant companion and protector.

Both Lenny and George have dreams of one day living on their own farm, where Lenny, who loves the feeling of soft things--even dead mice--wants to take care of rabbits. George hopes one day to benefit from his own hard work on his own farm and to create an environment where Lenny can be safe from his own impulses. As Steinbeck brings the characters on the ranch to life, he shows how every person there has dreams of a different life but few opportunities to change the lives they already have. Some are physically handicapped from accidents on farms, while others are emotionally handicapped by lack of opportunity or their own personal limitations.

Life is lonely, uncertain, and harsh but George tries to make life for Lenny more bearable by allowing him to have one of the new puppies in the barn. When Curley, the boss's son, brings his flirtatious wife to the farm, he introduces a new element which eventually leads to a tragic ending. Women are considered dangerous to the status quo, as they reinforce the need for "soft" elements in lives that otherwise offer little softness.

Giving vivid pictures of the natural surroundings while also creating vivid pictures of the interactions of these men, Steinbeck shows that even among those whose lives offer little hope, there is a desire to take advantage of each other. Crooks, the black stable hand who is forced to live alone in the barn, undermines Lenny. Carlson takes advantage of Candy's love for his old, smelly dog and causes pain to Candy. Lenny's puppy, Candy's dog, a heron capturing a water snake, and dreams of their own farm all become symbols which add to the drama of the conclusion. In this powerfully sad novel, Steinbeck offers little hope that the lives of these men will improve and even less hope that they will ever be able to control what happens to them. n Mary Whipple



Classic American masterpiece   May 8, 2000
 37 out of 45 found this review helpful

I read this book aged 15 for my GCSE English literature exam. Right from the start I fell in love with Steinbeck's unassuming, delicate language and his vividly real characters. The theme of loneliness on the "ranch" where the main characters work really haunts the reader, and we feel great sympathy for the barren lives lead by the characters - matched by the bleak, dusty Salinas landscape. All the main characters suffer from some form of prejudice, which in turn isolates them from the main thread of communication in the mid-west community - from Lennie, who is punished for his mental disability, to Candy, punished for his age, the negro, Crooks and the "jailbait", Curley's Wife. Each character suffers such absolute desolation in the face of promminence, I couldn't help feeling such strong empathy for the tragic people who inhabit this book. It is a credit to Stenbeck's unique eye for socialistic views and values that he draws such desparing, but neccassary, attention to the "abused" little man of 20's America.


Of Mice and Men   January 16, 2001
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Book Review How does the common man look at mentally disabled people? In reading Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men one could find out. Steinbeck wrote about two men traveling around California working on farms. The couple is a dynamic one. Lennie is a gigantic man that has the brain power of a small child. George is a small man that looks after Lennie and tries to protect him. "We kinda look after each other." Said George. "He ain't bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain't bright. I've knew him for a long time(p.34)." This book does a great job showing how society doesn't understand the needs of mentally disabled people. I also believe that it shows that every man can have a role in society. This book is a must read. Almost everyone has come into contact with a mentally disabled person once in his or her life. Or, if not a mentally disabled person, a person that is just a little slow. One of the many great things about this book is that everyone can relate to it. The social significance is immense and I believe people enjoy reading meaningful books. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was George and Lennie's lingo. "I... ain't gonna say nothin'. jus' gonna stan' there(p.6)." Steinbeck was born and raised in California and many of his books take place there. Like Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck wrote other books about men that work on farms, such as Tortilla Flat and The Grapes of Wrath. George and Lennie find jobs on a farm in the Californian countryside. Lennie loves to pet things and that obsession always gets the couple into trouble. Lennie is a handful for George and is pain for everyone around the farm. A horrific crime is committed by Lennie. The men on the farm could not and did not want to deal with Lennie and his behaviors. "He ain't cuckoo, said George, he's just dumb as hell, but he ain't a crazy(p.39). Even thought Lennie's brain does not function at a high level he could still help others. There is a man on the farm named Crooks, Crooks is an african american that has a bad back. Crooks is mean and shields everyone away, but Lennie opens him up and brightens his day. "I did'n't care much, said Crooks. "Lennie's is a nice fella(p.82). Even thought Lennie is slow he still can befriend a person. People read to broaden here knowledge and understanding of the world. What this book taught me is that mentally disabled people have different needs than those of us that do not have an impaired brain. And that society needs to help them find a role in the community and in society because every man or woman has a purpose. If you want a great book to read Of Mice and Men should be at the top of your list.