Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

Paperback, 112 pages

English language

Published July 27, 2002 by Penguin Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-14-200067-0
OCLC Number:: 750699465

(31 reviews)

An intimate portrait of two men who cherish the slim bond between them and the dream they share in a world marred by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. Clinging to each other in their Loneliness and alienation, George and his simple-minded friend Lenny dream, as drifters will, of a place to call their own—a couple of acres and a few pigs, chickens, and rabbits back in Hill Country where land is cheap. But after they come to work on a ranch in the fer- tile Salinas Valley of California, their hopes, like "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men," begin to go awry.

Of Mice and Men also represents an experiment in form, as Steinbeck described his work, "a kind of playable novel, written in novel form but so scened and set that it can be played as it stands." A rarity in American letters, it achieved remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films. Steinbeck's tale of commitment, loneliness, hope, and loss remains one of America's most widely read and beloved novels. --front flap

97 editions

David Swinstead reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Great

5 stars

The famous Mark Twain quote "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one" is now considered to be a misattribution, that Twain never said.

Nonetheless, whoever did say it - this book made me think of it. Truly it takes skill, craft, and artistry to write well and also be succinct.

This book feels perfect not because there's nothing else to add, but because there's nothing else to take away.

This book captured my imagination in 120 pages. And now it will stay with me for a while.

Utsob Roy reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review of 'Of Mice and Men' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

স্টেইনবেক পড়লে বোর্হেসের মত হয়ত চিন্তার খোরাক আমার মেলে না। যেটা মেলে সেটা হচ্ছে বুকে ভার। আহারে জীবন, আহা জীবন!

Benjamin Hollon reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review of 'Of Mice and Men' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Okay, so this book was a two-sided coin:

First, I thought that it had some of the best writing I've seen. Really excellent characterization, foreshadowing, and plot development. It's also pretty short; I read it in 1-2 hours.

On the other hand, it's got one of the saddest endings I've ever seen. Read at your own risk.

Overall, I thought it was very worth the read.

Mike reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review of 'Of Mice and Men' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

First time reading since high school...still as good as I remember.

Literally Graphic reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review of 'Of Mice and Men' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Yet anther example of a book off the 1001 list that I probably would not have gotten to otherwise. That's not to say it shouldn't be a classic, or that it isn't really well written. It was just too straight forward depressing. There wasn't a whole lot of things to remember, or a lot of world building details to gawk at.

Of Mice and Men is a story about two fairly average guys, in a pretty nondescript setting, slowly being ground down by life as life is apt to do. So despite the fact that this simplicity makes the book that much more powerful and timeless, it just wasn't an engaging read for me.

I am glad I read it though, and I think my life will probably be richer for it. Not only because it gets referenced all the time, but also because it strikes me as being one …

lovmelovmycats reviewed Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review of 'Of Mice and Men' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Reading this classic as an adult reminds me of one of the reasons why it's hard to be somebody other than an able-bodied white cishet man in this goddamned culture. I was raised on these toxic stories, taught to appreciate them because Steinbeck describes freakin scenery prettily, while Curly's wife doesn't apparently deserve a damned name, and Lennie gets shot literally like a dog.