Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men

published	1981 by Bantam Books
first published	1937
binding	Mass Market Paperback
isbn	0553131001 (isbn13: 9780553131000)
description	John Steinbeck writes of such a trip in OF MICE AND MEN: the desperate longing of men for some kind of home-roots that they can believe in, land that ...more [close] John Steinbeck writes of such a trip in OF MICE AND MEN: the desperate longing of men for some kind of home-roots that they can believe in, land that they can care for-and the painful search for self. This beautiful, timeless novel speaks of the love that men can feel for each other-one inarticulate, dumb, sometimes violent in his need; the other clever, hopeful, and tied to a responsibility he doesn't want.
date added	12-08-06 edit book

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Embraced_evils

Embraced_evils rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

03/16/08

bookshelves: to-read

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: Yes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Usually when my father and I actually have conversations, it tends to revolve around some sort of argument. At times, even if I agree with him, I’d pick up the opposite side of the given argument just for arguments sake. When we agree we fall silent, and our relationship is based for the most part on silence the chance to argue is usually too good to pass up. When I was younger I’d end up in tears, frustrated that he couldn’t look beyond his own view points…in retrospect I suppose I coul...more

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Anitta

Anitta rated it:

(review of isbn 0140177396)

05/09/08

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Anitta by: School Assignment
recommends it for: Junior/Senior status students

The role of man’s inhumanity towards man plays a significant role in today’s society. This role can be the discrimination between color, status, or mental capacities. John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, validates this belief and confirms the way men inhumanely treat their brothers. This fictional story expresses the loneliness, friendship, and American dreams sought by many in the Salinas Valley of California. The book depicts life in the 1930’s for an itinerant farmer with clear de...more The role of man’s inhumanity towards man plays a significant role in today’s society. This role can be the discrimination between color, status, or mental capacities. John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, validates this belief and confirms the way men inhumanely treat their brothers. This fictional story expresses the loneliness, friendship, and American dreams sought by many in the Salinas Valley of California. The book depicts life in the 1930’s for an itinerant farmer with clear detail and astounding reality.
George Milton can be described by several physical characteristics. Every part of him is defined from his strong features to his small stature and bony nose. His loyalties for his friend, Lennie, show his true demeanor. He serves as a protector for Lennie and dutifully fills the position of ‘big brother’. George’s behavior is motivated by his desire to eventually own farmland and raise rabbits with Lennie. Though it is George who often weaves the tale of a future farm, it is Lennie’s childlike faith that allows George to believe in the safe haven.
Lennie Small’s inability to fend for himself, because of his mental state, leaves him vulnerable to the outside world. His massive size and undefined features compliments the strength he retains. Many of the scenes involving Lennie foreshadow events to come. The character’s Lennie and George meet on their journey further proves the themes of the book. Because of Lennie’s childlike nature and faith in a better world, Steinbeck uses this character as the ultimate example of man’s inhumanity.
Slim is a skilled mule driver working on the ranch of which George and Lennie are meant to report to. He seems to be the only character actually in tune with himself. With his ability to understand human behavior, Slim often finds himself giving counsel to the other ranch hands. His best characteristics are caring, understanding, and being very respected. Slim’s respected position gives the reader the sense of a hero in this American tragedy. He cares for friends and enemies alike. Slim is the only person, besides George, who understands Lennie’s odd behavior.
The story of the George and Lennie begins with the two hiking. The two men have just left the town of Weed due to circumstances. Because of Lennie’s mental competency, George finds himself recalling the events that have taken place over the last few weeks. He eludes to a dream that he and Lennie share concerning a farm and raising rabbits. When finally arriving at their destination, the two farmers meet several characters. The book takes place over a single weekend, but is chocked full of interesting scenes, several surprises, and a moral to top it off.
One of the character’s George and Lennie runs into on their journey is a stable-hand named Crooks. Steinbeck uses Crooks as an example of man’s inhumanity towards man. Crooks is an African American man who has a slight curvature of his spine due to an animal accident several years earlier. Because of his race, Crooks is not allowed to sleep in the bunks with the other farm hands. Instead, he is sent to live in a room by himself. In some ways the isolated room is better off than the bunks, but Crooks need for companionship quickly changes his mind. Steinbeck uses the character’s sarcastic personality to demonstrate the effect of loneliness on a person. The point of man’s inhumanity is clearly defined by this character and many more.
Steinbeck attempts to analyze the inhumane treatment of man, as it existed in the 1930’s. He deals with the loneliness and frustration of the mentally challenged in a way that clearly expresses the struggles of these individuals. Steinbeck analyzes the human personality and expresses his ideas through his descriptive wording. His writing shows the habit of the strong in society to prey on those who suffer from ailments, whether physical, financial, or social. Whether intentionally or not, the author is able to strike a nerve within the reader.
“Guy’s 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 then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know is they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”
There are many good points to the book. Steinbeck’s riveting characters show a glimpse into the life of those who lived through the time period. His use of words conveys the struggle to a deeper extent beyond printed words on paper.
The many good qualities of the book offset any minor flaws. Steinbeck wrote the book with a deeper meaning in mind and accomplishes his task.
Steinbeck takes a step away from tradition and dares to write in a time when brotherly love did not exist, a time of great depression, and economic turmoil. The two itinerant farmer’s, George and Lennie, struggle to find their own safe haven in this world. Because of all that has influenced his genius, Steinbeck’s take on this time shows through his writing, above and beyond meaningless words.
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Ximena

Ximena rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/09/08

Read in April, 2008

John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, tells the story of two men, George and Lennie; set in the Salinas River, a few miles south of Soledad, during the Great Depression in 1930. In those times it was not unusual that two men traveled together trying to look for a job, because most people were very poor, but it was very unusual that two men traveled together like George and Lennie did. It is a dramatic story of friendship with a very simple writing style and developed by the author from his ...more John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, tells the story of two men, George and Lennie; set in the Salinas River, a few miles south of Soledad, during the Great Depression in 1930. In those times it was not unusual that two men traveled together trying to look for a job, because most people were very poor, but it was very unusual that two men traveled together like George and Lennie did. It is a dramatic story of friendship with a very simple writing style and developed by the author from his own experiences throughout his life.

George Milton is a small, smart and quick man with a dark face and sharp features; Lennie small, on the other side, has an ironic name for a man of his size, for he is a big man with great strength, but is also mentally retarded and his body features are round and undefined. They arrive to a ranch near Soledad looking for a job, because they need money to fulfill their dream of having one day their own piece of land where they can have a ranch with soft rabbits and chickens.

George protects Lennie because he is always getting in all kinds of trouble, like in Weed. They have to leave the town because a girl accused Lennie of rape. George is always telling Lennie that if he gets in trouble he would not have the rabbits, so Lennie is trying not to get in trouble.

At the ranch, the dream of having their ranch was moving closer to reality. Candy, an old man offers Lennie and George to buy the ranch with them, and he could work for them, and they can buy it easily and faster. But the dream crashes when Lennie does something bad.

I found this book very interesting because it talks about two friends that help each other when they are in troubles and it also talks about the dream of two friends that do anything they can to achieve it. The book tells about the hopes and dreams of working classes of America. I actually enjoyed reading this book because it is very entertaining, dramatic but funny. I really love this book because it is a great combination between dramatism and irony, which makes it a very funny and entertaining piece to read and a must for your personal library.

La novela de John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, cuenta la historia de dos hombres George y Lennie. La trama se sitúa en el Río Salinas, a unas millas al sur de Soledad, durante la Gran Depresión en 1930. En esos tiempos no era muy inusual que dos hombres viajaran para buscar trabajo, porque en esos tiempos la gente era muy pobre, pero lo que si era inusual era que dos hombres viajaran juntos como George y Lennie. Es una historia dramática de amistad con un estilo de escritura muy simple y desarrollada por el autor de sus propias experiencias durante su vida.

George Milton, un hombre pequeño, listo y con rasgos fuertes; Lennie Small, un nombre irónico para su tamaño, es grande y fuerte, retrasado mental y sus rasgos son indefinidos. Ellos llegan a un rancho cerca de Soledad buscando trabajo, porque necesitan dinero para realizar su sueño de tener un día su propio rancho con suaves conejos y pollos.

George protege a Lennie porque él siempre se esta metiendo en todo tipo de problemas, como en Weed. Tuvieron que irse del pueblo porque a Lennie lo acusaron de que había violado a una señora y tuvieron que esconderse hasta la noche y después huir. George siempre le esta diciendo a Lennie que si se mete en problemas no podrá tener sus conejos, entonces Lennie está tratando de no meterse en problemas.

En el rancho, su sueño de tener el rancho cada vez se veía mas cerca. Candy, un hombre viejo le ofreció a Lennie y a Geroge que el podía comprar el rancho con ellos y que el trabajaría para ellos y así la podrían comprar mas rápido y fácilmente. Pero el sueño se deshizo cuando Lennie hace algo mal.

Este libro me pareció muy interesante porque habla de dos amigos que se ayudan mutuamente cuando están en problemas, también habla del sueño que tienen dos amigos que hacen todo lo que pueden para hacerlo realidad. El libro cuenta sobre las esperanzas y los sueños de las clases obreras de Estados Unidos. De verdad disfruté leer el libro porque es muy divertido, dramático, pero chistoso. En realidad disfrute leer este libro ya que es una gran combinación de dramatismo e ironía, lo que lo hace una muy divertida y entretenida pieza que no puede faltar en tu biblioteca personal.

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Andy

Andy rated it:

(review of isbn 0140177396)

02/10/08

Read in February, 2008

It's the way Steinbeck describes things that gets me.

"Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn. On one side of the little room there was a square four-paned window, and on the other, a narrow plank door leading into the barn. Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. On the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in process of being mended; strips of ...more It's the way Steinbeck describes things that gets me.

"Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn. On one side of the little room there was a square four-paned window, and on the other, a narrow plank door leading into the barn. Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. On the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in process of being mended; strips of new leather; and under the window itself a little bench for leather-working tools, curved knives and needles and balls of linen thread, and a small hand riveter. On pegs were also pieces of harness, a split collar with the horsehair stuffing sticking out, a broken hame, and a trace chain with its leather covering split. Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for the horses. There were cans of saddle soap and a drippy can of tar with its paint brush sticking over the edge. And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, ad being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men, and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back."

None of this is relevant to the story, and yet a middle chapter opens up with this vivid scene. Steinbeck succeeds because the characters he paints in your head are exact. The first time I saw the movie that was made out of this story, it was just as I had envisioned it. Though the story great itself, the reason I will come back to this book is for the little things, the very things that have made me love Steinbeck so much.

I first read Of Mice And Men my sophomore year of high school, when it was a required reading in Mrs. Beeler's class. I recall disliking almost all required school readings up to this point (though admittedly I had skipped out on the summer reading project of "The Grapes Of Wrath"). When this book was assigned, I knew it was different. I blew through it, reading it in a day or two, even though I wasn't supposed to. For once there was a school book that I enjoyed. And all the credit in the world to my teacher, who chose other good books the rest of the year. So it's been 6-7 years since I've read this, and now, reading it for the second time, it's just as memorable as I remember. The story sticks with you, the imagery sticks. The characters are among Steinbeck's best, painted in such a crystal clear vision of the time.

It's a near perfect short story, and one that I will surely revisit throughout my life....less

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Shawanda

Shawanda rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/07/08

In the book Of Mice and Men was a great book to read, it thought me about people’s handicaps. Not the handicap that you can see out side but the inside handicap. It also talks about the power of brother hood.

The book Of Mice and Men was about different men and there different handicap. In the beginning of the story they start off with a man name Lennie and a man name George, who is going to another farm to work. When you first open the book you can tell what Lennie's handicap is, he is me...more In the book Of Mice and Men was a great book to read, it thought me about people’s handicaps. Not the handicap that you can see out side but the inside handicap. It also talks about the power of brother hood.

The book Of Mice and Men was about different men and there different handicap. In the beginning of the story they start off with a man name Lennie and a man name George, who is going to another farm to work. When you first open the book you can tell what Lennie's handicap is, he is mentally retired. Lennie likes to pet soft things with his hands but he always end up killing it. George handicap is that he is short and not as big as all the other guys, and he has to take care of Lennie so that he wont get in to any trouble.

In the middle of the book they bring in six more people Candy, Curley, Curley’s wife, Slim, Crooks and Carlson.
Candy only has one arm and is an old man, Curley is the son of the owner of the farm. He is the smallest man on the farm so he try’s to pick on the biggest man who is Lennie so that people can fare him even though he is small. His mean weakness is his wife because she lives on the farm with all them strong men around her all the time and she is a big flirt. Slim is like the leader of the group what he says goes and everyone always looks at him the last word. Crooks is a black men in the 1930’s how works on a farm with all white men. He has a hump back because when he was young a horse kicked him.

In this book they really teach you about the power of brother hood and how they all stick together because they have formed a small family. When Carlson wants to kill Candy’s dog because he is old and smells bad everyone in the barn teams up and votes that the dog should be killed. Then they all turn to see what Slim will say so they can now if they can kill the dog our let the dog stay until tomorrow. When Slim says that the dog should be killed that night the dog is shot. Another time is when Candy fines Curley’s wife is dead and Lennie is the one who killed her. So he goes and tells George and the other guys and they team up to see what they should do with him. Then they come up with the idea that Lennie should be killed.

If you would like to read and learn about the power of brother hood and about people’s handicaps that you cannot see and how they deal with them this is a great book to pick up and read. I my self would love to read this book over again this will be my second time reading this book because every time I read this book I learn new things.

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James

James rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/01/08

At 16, I was not able to appreciate the unmistakable harshness of what really is the average human's life. That is to say, I knew people starved to death half way across the world, I knew there were dictators, and so on. But these are the extremes.

I did not recognize small silent suffering. For I didn’t know the man who spends his whole life toiling to no tangible end – working to work. I did not recognize wretched solitude. For I did not know he who spends his existence hopelessly drift...more

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Charles

Charles rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/07/08

Of Mice and Men, probably one of my least favorite books that I have read. Imagine a book that bores you so much and then a teacher gives you many assignments on this book. That is not really engaging is it! Well that is what happened to me. Only reason why I gave this book even a star was because the movie explained more of what was going on to me. As you know this review is not suppose to be about the movie it is based off the book. I disliked this book. For one it was too short and for two th...more Of Mice and Men, probably one of my least favorite books that I have read. Imagine a book that bores you so much and then a teacher gives you many assignments on this book. That is not really engaging is it! Well that is what happened to me. Only reason why I gave this book even a star was because the movie explained more of what was going on to me. As you know this review is not suppose to be about the movie it is based off the book. I disliked this book. For one it was too short and for two the way they made the characters out to be.

107 pages, 3 killings, 7 major characters, and a line of problems. Did not like this point of the book. How do you fit all of this in a little book. The book should have had more pages so more detail could be in there. That could have made the book more engaging and less confusing. The book was a little confusing because it kept on switching characters and what was going on. Maybe it was just me but that is how I looked at it.

Curley, little guy who hates big people, Curley's Wife, promiscuous girl who wants fame and portrayed in the book as just Curley's Wife, Candy, an old man, Lennie, this big dumb guy with a strength that he does not know how to control, George, this intelligent kinda guy who is almost the only one Lennie may look to, Slim, a guy who Curley looks at a competition a smart guy who seems as if he's in control, and Crook, a black guy with a crooked back. All these characters in a short book. I don't like how they were portrayed Curley's Wife should have had a name, how Candy was a male and at that he was old. I didn't like how Curley was this little guy attacking these really big guys. I also did not like how nearly every character had a handicap. I know in a book your suppose to always get something you don't expect but I think this book tried to hard to do that.

To conclude this I will like to sat overall I did not like this book for 2 reasons one because it was too short, and two because how they portrayed the characters. If I had to I will recommend this book to someone who likes a book that just gets it over with....less

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Minjae

Minjae rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

12/12/07

Read in November, 2007

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This book was about two men who traveled around the world to look for high-quality jobs. I liked the book because John Steinbeck well described the characteristics and differences of two characters. The first man was small and quick and had dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. The second man, who was usually respecting the first man, was huge and had shapeless of face, large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders. The first man was ...more

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Jessica

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/02/08

Read in May, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

There are a few reasons why I liked Of Mice Of Men. I feel kind of neutral about this book. There were some things I liked about it and others I didn't. I liked it because it was a very emotional book and captured my heart. On the other hand the book was very boring at times and the idioms were overwhelming, but in the end I really thought that It was a good book. The ending had me really sad.

Some reasons why i didn't like the book is because it took a long time for it to get ...more

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Nathan

Nathan rated it:

09/17/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in October, 1991

recommends it for: I'm so ronery, so ronery, so ronery and sadry arone.

"A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. It don't make no difference who the guy is, long as he's with ya'. I tell ya', a guy gets too lonely, and he gets sick." I first read Of Mice and Men at an age when I was learning to read. Not phonetically, but critically. This novel taught me what good literature could be, and it is one of a handful of novels that I measure all other novels by. As a result, I have turned into someone who can read five to ten nonfiction books in a month but read...more

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Chris

Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

03/27/08

bookshelves: high-school-literature

Read in January, 1991

recommended to Chris by: 10th Grade Literature Teacher
recommends it for: 10th Graders and older with excellent critical thinking skills

John Ernest Steinbeck is a highly respected novelist who had won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1940, the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. He was a member of the Order of DeMolay, a boy's club sponsored by the Freemasons dedicated to preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives. This seems ironic to me since the themes of this novel and much of his other literature seemed to undermine a young man's natural desire to le...more

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Katonya

Katonya rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/08/08

Mice and Men is a book I had to read for school. It wasn’t my favorite book but it was okay let me give you a little review. The book started out with two men named Lennie and George. George is like Lennie big brother. Lennie has a mind of a 4 year old he doesn’t realize that his size scares people.
In the beginning of the book the two men were running from the Weed, which is where they were working at before Lennie got into some trouble. Before I get to into the story let me explain who G...more

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Lisa

Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

02/24/08

Read in November, 2007

n a sentence: Two men, one desperate journey.

The Steinbeck classic is by far one of the most utterly and realistically depressing novels ever. George and Lennie are living a less than desirable life as roving ranch hands in California during the Depression, and to make matters worse, Lennie is "simple minded". George and Lennie have been through many trials together, by force or by fate, and this novel takes us through their final trial together.

The tone of depression and fadin...more

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Morgan

Morgan rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/02/08

This year in 10th grade I read mice and men. At first glance at the title and the cover of the book, I thought I wasn't going to like this book. But, you know what they say, you cant judge a book by its cover. After, getting into the book I began to like it. I love the voice, the story, and the characters.
The voice in Mice and Men, is very strong. When I first received the book, I thought it was going to be written in old english. But, I was wrong. This book consists more curse wor...more

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Daivon

Daivon rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/06/08

Most books that I read catch my attention as soon as they begin, but Of Mice and Men was not of those books. The book starts off really boring. I started reading the book halfway through because that was when all the drama and suspense started. I also liked the book because of the time period.

Of Mice and Men started off describing the valley that Lennie and George were in. It gave very deep and boring details of what types of rabbits, and trees, etc. was in the valley. The first couple of pa...more

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Douglas

Douglas rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

03/01/08

Read in September, 2007

recommended to Douglas by: Frank Bass
recommends it for: just about anyone, but with a warning of the terrible message

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

You won't get any complaint from me that this book is skillfully written, in it's vivid descriptions of settings, detailed descriptions of characters, and realistic dialogue.

However, I believe this book has a bad message, and the bad message is about how it's ok to put the weak, infirm and dependent to death. It started with the discussion of Candy's aged dog. The book gave the impression that the dog's age made him no good to even himself, the "quality of life" argument that has ...more

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Linda

Linda rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

01/08/08

bookshelves: junioryearadvisoryreadingnovels

Read in January, 2008

Many people associate "friendship" as benefical and helpful, but in of Mice and Men, "friendship" is a subject worth reflecting upon. George Milton and Lennie Small has complete different personalities and characteristics. Through the use of Irony, the name, "George Milton" is best portray as supreme and honor, but he is not. Instead George is short, yet strong, intelligent, and very cynical. Lennie Small on the other hand is strong but live a limited life due to hi...more

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Tihira

Tihira rated it:

(review of isbn 0142000671)

05/08/08

recommends it for: anyone

Of Mice and Men was a very facinating movie for several reasons.

First, it showed how two men really cared about eachother no matter how the other one was. It showed that many people do honestly have hearts, meaning that in the movie and from what I’ve read in the book Lennie and George shared a bond and pretty much a dream that they once hoped to fulfill being pretty much poor with not really alot of money just enough for them to survive.

Second, I like the story because it showed t...more

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