This is a story about George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States. George Milton is intelligent but uneducated and Lennie Small is extremely physically strong but mentally disabled.

After being hired at a farm, the pair are confronted by the Boss's son who dislikes Lennie. Another worker on the farm offers to help pay to buy a farm with George and Lennie. However, the next day Lennie accidentally kills his puppy while stroking it. After finding out about Lennie's habit, the farmer's wife offers to let him stroke her hair. When she starts to panic and scream Lennie becomes nervous and breaks her neck… This leads to a very tragic ending...

Of course, when reading a classic novel I have to research the author and find out "more."
This book was based on Steinbeck's own experiences as a bindlestiff in the 1920s. He got the title from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse," which read: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men." (The best laid schemes of mice and men)

I suggest this book to anyone that enjoys short classics that don't have happy endings.

the book that made me fall in love with steinbeck's prose.

I had read this back in high school when it was mandated. I vaguely remembered the story when I started reading it, many, many, many moons later and it is without a doubt a great classic tale.