Of Mice and Men (Penguin Modern Classics)
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A thriller, a gripping tale that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick (The New York Times )
Product Description
'Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place.'
George and his large, simple-minded friend Lennie are drifters, following wherever work leads them. Arriving in California's Salinas Valley, they get work on a ranch. If they can just stay out of trouble, George promises Lennie, then one day they might be able to get some land of their own and settle down some place. But kind-hearted, childlike Lennie is a victim of his own strength. Seen by others as a threat, he finds it impossible to control his emotions. And one day not even George will be able to save him from trouble.
Of Mice and Men is a tragic and moving story of friendship, loneliness and the dispossessed.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
74 of 79 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Of Mice And Men is truly a special piece of literature that seems so simple whilst you are reading it but at the same time deals with a lot of complicated issues which all of us have to deal with at some point in our lives.
Its a story of two friends, Lennie and George, who wander from town to town looking for work in order to raise the capital to one day settle down in a farm of their own and count out their days. The one snag in this plan is Lennie, a giant of a man with the mind of a child who, although full of good intentions, finds himself trouble at every stop.
Steinbeck often tackles weighty issues (most evident in Grapes Of Wrath) and the theme of the future and the dreams of simple men is a hefty one but he handles this book with such poetic grace that you can't help but be drawn into the lives of these two men and as the book draws to its climax nothing can prepare you for the almighty hammer blow at its conclusion.
This is a book for all those who have a dream of the future or those who have found themselves somehow lost in life. It deals with how complicated the simple life can be and how elusive true contentment is. There has been many a film made of this film but believe me, nothing can compare to the vivid world that the pages of this book generates inside your minds eye and as you turn the final page it will stay there with you and be with you always.
Its a story of two friends, Lennie and George, who wander from town to town looking for work in order to raise the capital to one day settle down in a farm of their own and count out their days. The one snag in this plan is Lennie, a giant of a man with the mind of a child who, although full of good intentions, finds himself trouble at every stop.
Steinbeck often tackles weighty issues (most evident in Grapes Of Wrath) and the theme of the future and the dreams of simple men is a hefty one but he handles this book with such poetic grace that you can't help but be drawn into the lives of these two men and as the book draws to its climax nothing can prepare you for the almighty hammer blow at its conclusion.
This is a book for all those who have a dream of the future or those who have found themselves somehow lost in life. It deals with how complicated the simple life can be and how elusive true contentment is. There has been many a film made of this film but believe me, nothing can compare to the vivid world that the pages of this book generates inside your minds eye and as you turn the final page it will stay there with you and be with you always.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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. Mary Whipple
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. Mary Whipple
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Steinbeck's bleak tale of men on the margins and their dehumanising struggle for dignity amidst the uncertainties of day-labouring and casual work in 1930s California is a taut and nervy tale, but one that has withstood the test of time well. Brilliantly constructed, its tragic ending has a narrative inevitability to it, a shocking act in keeping with the brutalising ambience of the world its characters inhabit. Not a great deal `happens' in this short tale of savvy, paternalistically caring George and simple-minded Lennie, but you nevertheless get the feeling that Steinbeck loved people, and loved observing them: for everything happens in the little interactions between characters, whether it's glimpses of warm humanity surfacing amidst the hardness and drudgery of the casual labourer's day, or the mutual suspicions of men competing for affection. For all its tragedy, the ending is nevertheless a kind of assertion of what it means to be human, and of the value of action over passivity that redeems something of George's and Lennie's humanity. Superb.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Never again
Being forced to read this for school probably didn't put in the best light but I can't fathom why this book is so highly rated! Read more
Published 8 days ago by C.M
An beautiful classic novel
Of Mice and Men... Where do I even possibly begin? First off I should probably say that I've never studied it, although I wanted to, so I can't really say about the deeper... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Books Worth Remembering
of mice and men
the book arrived quickly i had brought for my son for his english assignment for his gcse's exam's this year
Published 1 month ago by foxy
excellent
a must read for everyone...a quite amazing book and one that if you missed as a child then you must read in mature
years
years
Published 1 month ago by P. Wilsdon
A trip beyond good and bad, into the depths of humanity
A story of friendship which takes places in california, during the Great depression, Of Mice and Men is one of the most touching novellas I have yet to read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by EvansJJ
"Guys like us.. are the loneliest guys in the world"
Of Mice and Men is a beautiful book of friendship and dreams and once again Steinbeck had created a masterpiece. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Madame Thenadier
very good
very good service and good exelent condition,my son's done school related work and the book was ideal for what he needed,manythanks.
Published 2 months ago by Toni
Touching Tale
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a touching tale of the friendship between two men. The novel opens with two workers who are crossing the country on foot to find work. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Victoria Oguntope
Compelling
Of Mice and men is one of the most beautiful stories about friendship. The story is about two Americans. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Te
Revisiting GCSE English
At 50 something re-visiting GCSE Eglish I found this edition of a classic novel a valuable help. It is a classic and should be read by more people looking to understand American... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. J. M. Kennedy
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