4/5

This won't be a "real" review, however I wanted to point out how I read this in Middle School and didn't enjoy it -- and now at 20 years old, I thought it was amazing! They're making kids reads this far too soon, in my opinion.

Regardless, Steinbeck can really write well. I'm going to have to read East of Eden soon!

n  “Me an’ you.”
“You  . . . an’ me."n

First published in 1937, I am glad I finally read and listened to this unforgettable story of dreams and beautiful friendship.

Set during the Great Depression in Soledad, California this is a story of George and Lennie two migrant workers traveling from job to job working on ranches in the Salinas Valley.

The audio read by Gary Sinise was perfect giving the characters their personalities. I know there's a film with the same name which Sinise also starred in and directed. Without reading the synopsis, I didn't know the basis of this story nor did I expect it to be an emotional journey.

A ReadAlong group with Lisa of Troy. Thank you Lisa!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is an American Literature Classic!

n  "...The best laid schemes of Mice and Men go oft awry..."~ Robert Burns 1875n

There's something about an American Literature Classic that's at once cautious and gritty, pure and raw, brilliant and dark. When it's a story that packs a punch with a glimpses at life during the Great Depression written by John Steinbeck, you're sure to be glued to every word.

George Milton and Lennie Small are two itinerant ranch hands traveling together, from place to place.

One is protecting and smarter than the other. One is larger and stronger than the other.

Lenny is misunderstood for his awkwardness and George is destined to explain and make excuses for him when things don't go quite right.

Some days are good and other days are bad. Time after time it goes like this until that one day when things went very, very bad...

Of Mice and Men is a short read/listen that's an emotional journey for the reader. The dire circumstances of living during a time in history when most have nothing, these two men have each other. Yet their relationship is a struggle for both of them and for very different reasons.

Then there's the ending... Yes, there's that, so be prepared for it...

How did Steinbeck do this? How was he able to dig so deep into the human experience and nail it with so few words?

The audiobook is narrated by Gary Sinise. I'll never tire of listening to the voice of this award winning American actor and humanitarian. He also narrates Steinbeck's Travels with Charley which I read in 2021. My review for Travels with Charley

Of Mice and Men is the perfect Classic to add to your reading schedule anytime. Just pop it in...it's short, it's real, it's a snapshot in time, and it's a masterpiece that I highly recommend!

5⭐

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a novella (around 72 pages) that focuses on two men in The Great Depression Era. George is a small man while Lennie is the bigger man. They are two farmhands who have a big dream to one day own their own small place. However, George and Lennie have just been run out of town. Is this ranch their second chance? Will George and Lennie realize their dream?

Of Mice and Men is a very dark novella. I mean dark. Steinbeck is a master at setting the scene. He begins each chapter with a few paragraphs about the landscape. This sets an eerie tone, almost like sitting on top of a powder keg.

The character development in this book is really second to none. Many authors will write characters as all good or all bad. However, Steinbeck’s characters are well developed. They are not perfect, and they don’t fit nicely into one mold. That leaves the reader wondering what the character will do because they haven’t been type cast.

Of Mice and Men is chock full of symbolism. George and Lennie are obsessed with The American Dream. However, is it ever attainable? Does society treat people as interchangeable? Are our social safety nets strong and working appropriately?

Do our social safety nets work? Please allow me to answer that question from the US perspective. It is a resounding NO. Here in the United States, we have something called Social Security Disability. If you can’t work because of a disability, you can apply for this program. It takes 3 months just to get someone assigned to your case. That is 3 months without being paid. Only 22% of claims are initially approved. The average process takes 27 months (2-3 years). This is someone who cannot go out and get another job. They are disabled! Who can go 2-3 years without getting paid? Who can not pay their mortgage, their car payment, their medical bills for 2-3 years?

This is a really fun book to talk about in a book club. It was part of the April Readalong. If you want to take a look at our discussion, take a look here.

Overall, I am happy that I read this book. I really enjoyed how Steinbeck set the scene and admire how he was able to set a super creepy tone. This book has some major depth with his use of symbolism. Of Mice and Men is not long-winded. However, this book was a bit too dark for me. Thanks for everyone who participated in the Readalong!

2025 Reading Schedule
JantA Town Like Alice
FebtBirdsong
MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
JultThe Shadow of the Wind
AugtJude the Obscure
SeptUlysses
OcttVanity Fair
NovtA Fine Balance
DectGerminal

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Of Mice and Men is the story of two men, George and Lennie, working toward their dream--essentially to retire by acquiring a farm of their own. The story brilliantly shows how easy it is to make dreams a reality, how obvious it is to have dreams and chase them.

But Steinbeck slowly turns things into a nightmare by introducing Curley and his wife. Just by getting in with the wrong crowd at the wrong time and having a few character flaws, Steinbeck shows how dreams are really made of nothing, held together by nothing, and can be torn apart seconds before they become real.

Steinbeck might not be known for moving fast, and although this story starts off slow with the signature lengthy landscape description, in only about 30 pages, the twists and turns begin, and once they do, the story reads like a character-driven thriller--with some of the most memorable characters in literature thrown in the mix.

The way all of the character flaws combine at just the right time to trigger an epic explosion is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. And being so short, and how it reads so easy, and how relatable it is to have dreams and have them ripped away for reasons almost uncontrollable, Of Mice and Men is a masterpiece unlike anything else ever written.

‎داستانی بسیار زیبا و خواندنی و البته خلاقانه از <جان استاین بک> که یادش گرامی باد
‎دوستانِ گرانقدر، داستان در موردِ دو دوستِ صمیمی به نامِ <ژرژ> و <لنی> میباشد که برایِ کار در مزرعه ای استخدام شده اند... <لنی> هیکل و اندامِ بسیار بزرگی دارد و از هوشِ کمی برخوردار است و به قولِ معروف شیرین عقل میباشد و حافظهٔ ضعیفی دارد، ولی با تمامِ این تفاسیر، قلبِ بسیار مهربانی دارد و زورِ بازویش بسیار زیاد است و از نوازش زیبایی ها و بخصوص حیوانات، لذت میبرد... ولی <ژرژ> اندامِ کوچک و قدِ کوتاهی دارد، ولی بدنش متوازن است و همیشه از <لنی> مراقبت میکند... قرار است این دو پولهایشان را جمع کنند و برای خودشان خانه و تکه زمینی خریده و برای خودشان کار و زندگی دست و پا کنند
‎با ورودِ این دو همسفر به مزرعه، اتفاقاتی برایشان رخ می دهد... پسرِ ارباب یعنی <کورلی> بسیار عقده ای است و از آنجایی که اندام کوچکی دارد، نسبت به کسانی که قد و قوارهٔ بزرگی دارند حساس است و همیشه باید به نوعی به همه گیر بدهد و البته قهرمانِ بوکسِ سبک وزن ها نیز میباشد... <کورلی> پا پیِ <لنی> بیچاره میشود... علاوه بر اینها <کورلی> زنی دارد که همیشه دوست دارد لایِ مردها و کارگرها بپلکد و بدنش را به آنها نشان دهد و البته زیر پایِ سرکارگرِ مزرعه <اسلیم> نیز نشسته است تا با او بخوابد... <اسلیم> مردِ خردمندی است که حواسش نیز به این دو دوستِ تازه وارد هم میباشد و از آنها حمایت میکند
‎دوستانِ عزیزم، بهتر است خودتان این داستانِ زیبا را بخوانید و از سرانجامِ این دو دوست و پایانِ داستان آگاه شوید
‎من در زمانِ خواندنِ این کتاب، مدام در حال دلسوزی برایِ شخصیتِ با مزه و مهربانِ این داستان، یعنی <لنی> بودم و با خودم میگفتم اگر <لنی> دوستِ من بود اجازه نمی دادم هیچ کسی آزاری به او برساند
---------------------------------------------
‎در هرحال امیدوارم از خواندنِ این داستان لذت ببرید
‎<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>

تجربه من در مواجهه با بعضی کلاسیک‌ها این بوده که این‌قدر درباره‌شان شنیده بودم فکر می‌کردم انگار آن‌ها را خوانده‌ام و دیگر چیز جدیدی برایم ندارند. اما وقتی می‌نشینم و می‌خوانمشان می‌فهمم چه اشتباهی کرده بوده‌ام و چه شاهکاری داشته از دستم می‌رفته. این تجربه را مثلا با محاکمه یا مسخ یا ژرمینال داشته‌ام.

موش‌ها و آدم‌ها هم از این همین دست بود. می‌دانستم کتابی است درباره رابطه دو دوست کارگر فصلی در دوره رکود بزرگ در امریکا و فکر می‌کردم خب دیگر می‌دانم چیست. اما خب چند سال پیش که ترجمه سروش حبیبی از این کتاب منتشر شد گرفتم و خواندم و واقعا لذت بردم. بی‌اغراق یکی از بهترین کتاب‌هایی بوده که خوانده‌ام. نمی‌دانم چه چیزیش این‌قدر جذبم کرد ولی هم محتوای کتاب برایم فکربرانگیز بود و هم نثرش لذتبخش.
کتاب کم‌حجمی است و خواندنش سه چهار ساعت بیشتر وقت نمی‌گیرد. اگر نخوانده‌اید پیشنهاد می‌کنم.

سروش حبیبی این کتاب را در سال ۵۶ که در امریکا بوده ترجمه کرده بود و وقتی خبردار شده بود پرویز داریوش هم ترجمه‌ش کرده ترجمه را گذاشته بود توی کشو. حدود ده سال پیش بچه‌های نشر ماهی وسط حرف‌هایشان با آقای حبیبی اتفاقی فهمیده بودند چنین ترجمه‌ای وجود دارد و راضی‌اش کرده بودند که منتشرش کند. که چه کار خوبی هم کردند.

Una historia terriblemente triste que narra muy bien la pobreza, precariedad y racismo existente durante la gran depresión en Estados Unidos.
Me ha gustado muchísimo como está escrito porque consigue ser crudo y evocador al mismo tiempo. Luego el tema de que este sea el segundo libro que lea de Steinbeck y sea el segundo en el que la mujer es el mal de males... pues uf.
De todas maneras eso no ha impedido que disfrutara muchísimo de esta novela corta y que haya perdonado al autor tras "Al este del Edén" por fin xD
No me puedo quedar sin hablar de esta IMPRESIONANTE edición de Edelvives con las ilustraciones de Rebecca Dautremer, una de mis ilustradoras preferidas desde tiempos inmemoriales, y que aquí realiza un trabajo para caerse del asiento. Estamos ante una auténtica obra de arte en todos los sentidos y creo que el hecho de haber leído el libro en esta edición ha conseguido que me gustara aún muchísimo más. Recomendadísimo queda.

Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella.

Well, fuck. I never knew a short book could drain me emotionally this much.

Of Mice and Men is a book that I think everyone should read, at least once. I read it yesterday, in one sitting, and I still can't stop thinking about it. Without a doubt, this book became one of my favorite classics.

Of Mice and Men is a story about two men, George and his simple-minded friend - Lennie, who have nothing in this world except for two things: each other and a dream that one day they will have a part on this earth that they will be able to call home. And I think that this is all a person should know going into this book. I went into it not knowing anything about what it is about, and it surprised the heck out of me. I don't think I've ever read a book that was just so real, and so heartbreaking at the same time. Even though it was short, every single character felt so realistic. But not just the characters. Everything felt realistic. Also, Steinbeck's writing style was so beautiful. I could picture the home that George was describing so nicely.

This truly is one of those books that will stay in my thoughts for a long time, and that I will go back to and re-read it many times.

Ce să spun? :). Nu prea am cuvinte. Cert este că m-a făcut să plâng. Mă bucur că măcar în cărţi mai pot întâlni asemenea personaje pline de candoare (dar care au să cadă, la urma urmei, în abisul fatalităţii).
Al meu alter ego tindea să creadă, parcurgând primele două capitole (fiind şase în total), că opera lui Steinbeck e dedicată exclusiv posterităţii americane. Însă, intrând mai adânc în subiect, am rămas cu totul fascinat. Esenţa romanului este constituită de caracterul lui Lennie şi mai puţin de relaţie de prietenie dintre cele două personaje antinomice: Lennie şi George.
Când acest personaj a început să se contureze în mintea mea, m-am dus direct cu gândul la filmul "The green mile" (1999, reg. Frank Darabont, cu Tom Hanks). Exact aceeaşi inocenţa este regăsită şi acolo, exact aceeaşi nevinovăţie şi exact aceeaşi crimă. Cred că Slim, din roman, intuieşte grăitor caracterul lui Lannie: "-E băiat bun, spuse Slim. Poţi să fii băiat bun şi fără să ai minte. Ba-mi pare chiar că-i tocmai pe dos. Ia-l pe unu' cu adevărat isteţ, să vezi că rareori e şi om bun".
Pe lângă caracterul lui Lannie, se poate sesiza în roman şi aspiraţia lor spre propria lor casă (cu un porc, o vacă şi câteva găini. Şi iepuri! Iepurii lui Lennie.), aspiraţie ilustrată monumental în penultimul capitol în antiteză cu aspiraţia soţiei lui Curley, care-şi dorea necontenit o carieră de actriţa. :).
Tema romanului este, aşadar, aceeaşi ca în "Micul prinţ", doar că, dacă acolo lumea este văzută prin ochii unui copil, aici este văzută prin ochii unui adult cu suflet de copil.

“Trouble with mice is you always kill 'em. ”

Breathtaking prose, touching characters and a heart breaking ending. Who said only lengthy novel can make an impact?

Well I finally got round to reading it, and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed. Steinbeck’s descriptions are such that you need no imagination. Touching and beautifully written.