Show More thoughts in the book might be different from someone who read it in school. It's quite difficult to review 'Of Mice and Men' in a way that will do it justice - such a complex set of reactions and feelings about such a little book - but suffice to say, I will be reading more Steinbeck soon! It's humorous yet heavy, everyday yet profound, all at once, particularly with the realities of ranch life and race issues thrown in. I liked the way there were two different emotional layers from very early on too: the top layer of Lennie's delightful innocence and the simple day to day existence of a ranch labourer, and the ominous undercurrent of foreboding and danger, which combine to create such a resonant atmosphere. I actually remembered a lot of what we'd learnt back at school as I read, which was a bit distracting, but Steinbeck drags the reader into the story of Lennie and George from the first couple of pages, and holds you there until he's ready to let you go. Second time round some of the urgency had ebbed away from the pull of the plot, but the tension was still there and I found it as moving as before.

I ended up racing home from school and borrowing my stepdad's copy so I could read to the end NOW (and was glad I did so it didn't catch me off guard in class!). Show More and was sure it wasn't going to be up my street. This author was a giant among men and I think that no matter how many times you read him, he will never cease to increase your knowledge nor your desire for knowledge. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love.' How simple and yet how profound.

In one of Steinbeck's journals he said: 'Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. It has moments of sweetness, moments of horror, moments of sadness so heartbreaking you can feel them. This is an unforgettable novel and it is so beautiful that you won't want to forget it. There is a purity and innocence about this giant of a man that could never be seen in a normal person.Įvery single character in Of Mice and Men is complete and one is able to understand their actions whether good or bad because it makes sense that that particular character would do or say that. In the literary world I doubt you will find a character who grabs your heart any tighter than Lennie. Show More and unable to make decisions and choices.

Of mice and men centennial edition