Of Mice and Men (1937)

Be gentle with small animals and loose women.

God, I love Steinbeck. ( )

A thriller that centers on two migrant farm workers, George and Lennie, the former smart and wiry, the latter a dimwit who doesn't know his own strength. ( )

Beautiful novel. Wonderful foreshadowing. Sad. ( )

Okay so not horrible, but it is definitely not my style or taste. The language, especially the slang, was hard to understand and it was a very boring read. The characters were inconsistent, boring and only slightly sympathetic. The plot was thinly veiled and I really wouldn't have noticed it early on if it weren't for the reader's guide. This wasn't a big plot book. I love great plot books. Character driven stories can be great too but only if the characters are actually good. Unfortunately, besides dreaming and hoping, these characters were kinda flat and not very interesting to read about. plus most of them were unlikeable.

The whole time I was reading this, I was thinking about reports that classics were rarely bestsellers when they were published and only become considered "good literature" after the fact and it made me think why would people make children read this in school? There's no way for anyone to really connect to the characters. My analytical mind was spinning on this, especially with the reader guide help, but honestly, unlike the epic film Endgame, this did not enhance my enjoyment because I can list off a gazillion mainstream books that deal with the same issues. And they're much more appealing. The only argument I could make is that this book is short and sweet and not covering anything up with a fun plot or lovable and I guess a teacher would lean towards that. but still, I chose to read this on my own time and only mildly enjoyed it. I pity the children who are being turned off reading because they are being told this is what "good literature" is. ( )

Skip everything else he has ever written. The man's books are about pain and pain and pain. Get that? Pain.

Of Mice and Men condenses his theme down into a quick bite size read with a chilling decision at the end. ( )