در بین چند کتابی که از استاین بک خوانده‌ام موش‌ها و آدم‌ها را خیلی دوست داشتم. فوق العاده بود. ترجمه و موخره آقای سروش حبیبی هم بسیار عالی بود. دوستانی که کتاب را خوانده‌اند اگر اهل فیلم هستند فیلم اقتباسی این اثر
Of mice and men (1992) 7.5
را ببینند که جان مالکویچ هم در آن ایفای نقش می‌کند. البته گویا چندین اقتباس از این اثر صورت گرفته است ولی من این نسخه را دیدم و فیلم خوبی بود.

Published in 1937 this classic Of Mice and Men about two migrant workers during the Great Depression. George is the leader of the pack. While Lennie is a simple minded man that allows George to show him the ways through life on the road looking for work.
I very much enjoyed this classic. Two men trying to survive and make their dreams come true.

عزیز نسین: آدم‌ها به مرور زمان دروغ‌های خودشان را باور می‌کنند

همه‌مون می‌دونیم عاقبت سگ دو زدن به کجا میرسه ولی باز هروز شروع میکنیم به سگ دو زدن. چون یه امید لعنتی هست که میگه یک روز خوب میاد و ما خودمون رو بند کردیم به این روز خوب که هرگز هم نمیاد.
استاین‌بک اینا رو دیده و ازش کتاب ساخته اما خود کارگرا فک نکنم خستگی امونشون داده باشه که یه کم با مغزشون ور برن و به این حقایق برسن: به اینکه هرروز خدا(شایدم شیطان) باید کار کنن و وقتی حقوقشان را سر ماه گرفتن، تنها کاری که می‌تونند با این حقوق شندرغاز بکنن اینه که یه شب برن به عیاشی و قماربازی و پول و پله رو بر باد بدن. برای دمی خوش‌ند اما میلیون‌ها میلیون دمِ دیگر باز کارگرند و مشغول سگ‌ دو زدن

اگه این امید لعنتی تو وجودمون نبود الان شاید...

I needed a quick read because I stupidly forgot that the library would be closed yesterday for Veteran's Day. I'd exhausted my current supply, and I needed a short term fix to hold me until I could get some new product today. So I grabbed Of Mice and Men off the bookshelf last night.

And I'm glad I did because I'd somehow remembered that this was a depressing book. How wrong I was! Oh, sure there were some tense moments like when you think Lennie will accidently hurt Curley's wife in the barn. What a relief when George and Candy come in at the last minute and stop anything bad from happening! And isn't it nice that the scare changes both Curley and his wife so that they have a much better marriage and new appreciation for each other.

Plus, it leads to the great moment when Curley is so grateful that he fronts George, Lennie and Candy the money to finally buy the ranch of their dreams. Oh, and that last scene with George and Candy on the porch of their new home while Lennie tends the rabbits brought a tear to my eye.

What's that you say? I got the ending wrong? No, I'm quite certain this is what happened. No! Be quiet! I can't hear you! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Of Mice And Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck in 1937. It follows the experiences of George, and Lennie Small. They are two migrant workers durring the great depression and have many hair raising experiences. Lennie Small does not hav all his wits about him, so George looks after him and they have a great relationship. I will not spoil the end of the novella for you but to say that it is very sad and tragic. I highly recommend this book to all.

موش ها و آدم ها حکایت انسانها ست ، حکایت آرزوهای آنها ، امید به آینده و فردایی داشتن ، امید به آرامش داشتن ، خانواده داشتن ، امید به آزادی و در بند ارباب نبودن ، رویایی داشتن ، امید به داشتن زمین و کاری از خود ، در جایی ریشه داشتن ، امید به همدم و هم راهی داشتن ، رفیقی داشتن
امید به برادری و عدالت داشتن ،امید به اتفاقات محال داشتن ،

امید به معجزه داشتن

The narrative is strong and descriptive as is the case in most books written by Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men flows with dialogue and action. The scenes happen so quickly in the book that it sometimes takes the reader by surprise.

You feel sorry for the men. You want them to achieve what they wanted and you know that will not be possible. The writing is so strong that you empathize with them and that’s how a book should be written. The plot is complex but the writing is not and that’s the wonder of the book. Steinbeck almost structured the novel as a play and may be that is why it has been so easy to convert it to play and three movies I guess.

Steinbeck depicts the impossibility of dreams being achieved and explores brotherhoods in humans – the strengths, the weakness in man and sometimes the angst. Of Mice and Men is a classic in every sense that should not be missed.

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.

Have read this a second time for book Club and just as good second time around.

I just love Of Mice and Men and am delighted to have read my second Steinbeck book and enjoyed it so much. This is the story of two friends George and his large simple minded friend Lennie who are both drifters with nothing in the world except each other and a dream of owning land and settling down raising rabbits and "liven of the fatta da lan" and having peace in their lives. I love the characters of this book and how Steinbeck describes them, they get right inside your head. The plot of this novel is so simple yet very sharp and well written and the reader is drawn very quickly into the story. While reading this book I could see other book that I have read came from the characters and plot of this novel. This is a very small book just over a 100 pages but a wonderful read that leaves you wanting more of Steinbecks wonderful story telling. A 5 Star read.

Over the past year, I have rediscovered John Steinbeck as a master American story teller. Having read Cannery Row and its follow up Sweet Thursday, I realized what a prolific author Steinbeck was and hope to continue my reading with a number of his novels this year. One novella I did read while in school but have a fuzzy memory of is Of Mice and Men. With a square on this year's classic bingo board being read a group read that you haven't read yet, I decided that it was as good a time as any to revisit this work of Steinbeck's through adult eyes.

Near the Salinas River and Soledad, California, two nomadic farm hands named George and Lennie stake out their existence in life. George dreams of having his own farm house and acreage but it is during the depression and he has little money saved. He also promised Aunt Clara, really a family friend, that he would take care of her nephew Lennie, a dimwitted yet strong man. Steinbeck portrays George as an average man during his era who attempts to find work in order to make ends meet, yet he has the added burden of caring for and providing for Lennie's well being. Had this been written in contemporary times, Lennie would have been characterized as developmentally disabled or autistic, yet in the 1930s society could not pinpoint what ailed people like Lennie. They were dismissed as dimwitted with little future, preventing those caring for them in having many prospects for bettering themselves either.

The reader finds out that Lennie loves animals although with his limited mental capacity he does not have success in caring for them, killing one mouse, rabbit, or puppy after another. Steinbeck alludes to the fact that the reason that George and Lennie are in between jobs is because Lennie had felt a woman's dress meaning no harm, yet the act alarmed other members of their work team, forcing the duo to flee the premises. As the pair approaches yet another farm, George makes Lennie promise to keep his mouth shut, to do whatever George asks him to, and to please stay out of trouble. Despite the best of intentions, with Lennie's condition being what it is, he does not always remember to do what George asks of him, putting both of their futures in jeopardy.

As in past jobs, George quickly becomes friendly with the rest of the work crew, attempting to distance himself from Lennie. Lennie ends up attempting a friendship with the rest of the outcasts on the farm, including a Negro horseshoe hand, yet even this relationship ends in tragedy. When Lennie's actions result in tragic proportions, George must choose between protecting Lennie and thinking of himself and his own future, with the denouement coming to a upsetting climax. I could not help but thinking that if George and Lennie lived today with society's awareness of degrees of developmental delays, that both George and Lennie would have enjoyed a happier existence. The burden of caring for Lennie would not have been placed on George, and Lennie himself would have been taught the rudimentary aspects of self care and perhaps even been placed in a basic job. Yet, placing George and Lennie in modern times is hearsay and their relationship ended in tragedy with Steinbeck placing George in a precarious situation which he would have to dwell upon for the rest of his life.

In reading Steinbeck I have seen how he has done a masterful job in painting his characters as archetypes of the era in which they lived, usually depression era California. George and Lennie are two men looking to better themselves in a decade when one had little to be happy about. While rereading this tragic novella, I could not help but think if like other books I read for school if this is above most teenagers heads. Perhaps, teachers could discuss George and Lennie's relationship and where Lennie would be if he lived today, much as I did while reading. Yet, like other books I read at the time, Of Mice and Men gains a deeper appreciation while reading it through adult eyes. Another bingo square checked off, yet definitely not the last Steinbeck novel I will devour this year.

4.5 stars

n  ”We are lonesome animals. We spend all our life trying to be less lonesome.”n
—John Steinbeck

Five mind-blown stars!

When I started Of Mice and Men, I wasn’t sure I’d chosen the right read. The dialogue really was not what I expected and Steinbeck’s straightforward prose cut straight to the core of the matter. However, I stuck with it and the reward blew my mind!

Set in 1930s California, the story follows two destitute men as they roam, taking work where it could be found. George and Lennie had grown up together, and when Lennie’s Aunt and caretaker died, George bore the responsibility of watching over him, a man fully grown and built like a bear, but with the innocent mind of a child. Lennie, due to his ineptness, unintentionally creates situations that lead to trouble, and it was up to George to keep them both from being lynched on many occasions. George, though often frustrated with Lennie, dearly loved his friend. All they had was each other and a fanciful dream of owning their own farm. Life on the road can be desperately lonely, and to have such a good companion was a precious commodity. I was filled with respect for George who did everything in his power to take care of his dear friend.

This is not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. While it is graced with beautiful friendships and the milk of human kindness, the book also explores the darkest aspects of humanity, and the ugly racism in the book is really hard to stomach. Steinbeck writes with a raw realism that is admirable, but his honest depiction brings the cruelty that we all know exists in the world.

The story came together with such a crescendo that my heart nearly burst from my chest. I won’t spoil this for anyone who hasn’t read it, but the tale touched me so profoundly that I was left staring at the last page for ages before I could bring myself to close it.

I think I've been avoiding John Steinbeck, consciously or subconsciously, ever since I was a horse-loving teenager and thought that The Red Pony would be a nice, pleasant book to read.

  

I didn't read any Steinbeck books for years.

But I was in the local library, puttering around in the general fiction shelves, and happened to pull this one out and noticed how short it was--only 107 pages. I had just finished reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which was a 127-page overdose of cheesy 70's inspiration, and it occurred to me that by reading this book to offset JLS I could restore the cosmic balance in my life, or something like that.

Lennie and George are a unique pair of friends: George is restless, intelligent and often short-tempered; Lennie is huge and incredibly strong, although mentally damaged. He has a childlike sweetness but is easily confused and frightened, and that combined with his strength makes him threatening to others. Somehow, despite their differences, the two have formed a friendship. George tries to protect Lennie from the world . . . and the world from Lennie. It's a difficult task. But they have their dreams and plans of a place of their own, where they can tend a garden and raise animals. And Lennie can take care of the rabbits. It's the most heavenly thing he can imagine.

George and Lennie are hired as field hands at a ranch in California, and the foreshadowings of disaster start to come thick and fast. An old sheepdog whose usefulness has passed is unceremoniously shot. The owner's son Curley comes around to their bunkhouse, spoiling for a fight. Curley's young, bored wife comes around even more often, looking for a different kind of trouble. The hands are sure that they only need a month or two of wages to achieve their plans of a place of their own, but the best-laid schemes of mice and men gang oft agley.

I was expecting to read about shattered dreams, but I was surprised and touched by the strength of the theme of true friendship--not just the friendship between George and Lennie, but also the friendship and understanding offered by Slim, the ranch foreman. With all of the loneliness and cruelty and loss and disappointment that life can bring, it's this one message of hope that I choose to take away from this short but powerful book.