This is a well-constructed, tightly-crafted novella by Steinbeck telling the story of George and his simple-minded companion Lennie, who arrive at a farm looking for work so they can save enough money to achieve their dream of buying their own property. You know something is bound to go wrong.

Although much of the plot might be well-signalled before it occurs, I thought that it did not detract from the quality of the work. As a short piece of fiction should, it holds the reader's attention throughout. It also seemed to me that by this time, Steinbeck seemed to be producing high-quality work. "The Grapes of Wrath" were just around the corner.

G Rodgers

Steinbeck writes beautiful prose in this very short book. The story unravels rather quickly and the strong connection one feels with the characters is created from the very first pages. The story is about two friends that travel together looking for work on farms in California. Lennie is a very large man with a feeble mind and George is Lennie's keeper who dreams with Lennie about eventually having a small piece of land where they can have animals and live from it. The book is written using the slang of the 20's and Steinbeck uses incredible imagery throughout the book. The quick story is bound to touch your heart and linger in your mind days after the last page has been read. Enjoy!

What makes a big book? Not physical length. Knowing this novel's reputation as one of Steinbeck's masterpieces, I was astounded to lay hands on its mere hundred pages. Not scale of setting, either. The entire novella takes place in and around the bunkhouse of a California farm, and contains fewer than a dozen characters; it is so compact that it might almost have been made for film, television, or the stage (and it did in fact succeed in all these media). The people, furthermore, are by no means important or powerful; Steinbeck tells of ordinary itinerant laborers, bindle stiffs, living precariously from job to job. In this, the book is similar to THE GRAPES OF WRATH, but deliberately avoids its epic scope, preferring to show a few characters in intimate detail rather than to suggest the displacement of multitudes.

Yet I have no hesitation in calling the book big. Without any effort or overt symbolism, Steinbeck shows something simultaneously particular and vast. His characters are individuals, very real yet bound to one another and to us through their common humanity. The novel speaks to a particular time -- the American West in the late thirties -- and yet seems timeless. It takes a specific corner of California ("A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green") and makes it a kind of oasis of simplicity, as in the marvelous opening scene where the principal characters choose to spend a night sleeping under the stars rather than arriving too soon at the farm.

And nothing could be bigger than the heart of Lennie, the simple-minded giant who comes to the farm with his friend and protector George, but whose confused feelings and ignorance of his own strength get him into trouble. The bond between him and George is not fully explained, but it is palpably filled with a kind of love. Lennie's inability to articulate his feelings is shared by all the other characters to some extent; this is a world in which men keep themselves to themselves and move on alone. But their very inarticulateness gives their underlying emotions an almost primal power. Truly, this is a big book.

If you read some of Steinbeck's work, you will soon discover that he has some wonderful short stories, i.e.: his writing is much more extensive than a few good novels. The present work is somewhere in between a short story and a novel: it is a novella about 120 pages in length.

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath," has over ten million copies in print. Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.

I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his short stories, which are exceptional. In general, his stories are very detailed and descriptive, and it is clear that he had a natural flair or gift for writing. The present work is good and rates among the best, but do not stop with the present work since he has many more.

The story dates from 1937 and is about two migrant farm workers, George and Lennie, who have the goal of working together to save to buy there own small farm. The title is taken from Robert Burns's famous poem, To a Mouse: "The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry (or astray)."

The short story describes a few days in their lives as they work on a farm and it describes what can "go astray" in their plans. Will their hard work be for naught or will they reach their dreams? The story is made complicated by Lennie's slight mental disability. Many of the other characters are equally flawed, but in different ways, and when brought together the result is an interesting story.

This is a quick short read and an excellent introduction to Steinbeck.

If you read some of Steinbeck's work, you will soon discover that he has some wonderful short stories, i.e.: his writing is much more extensive than a few good novels. The present work is somewhere in between a short story and a novel: it is a novella about 120 pages in length.

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath," has over ten million copies in print. Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.

I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his short stories, which are exceptional. In general, his stories are very detailed and descriptive, and it is clear that he had a natural flair or gift for writing. The present work is good and rates among the best, but do not stop with the present work since he has many more.

The story dates from 1937 and is about two migrant farm workers, George and Lennie, who have the goal of working together to save to buy there own small farm. The title is taken from Robert Burns's famous poem, To a Mouse: "The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry (or astray)."

The short story describes a few days in their lives as they work on a farm and it describes what can "go astray" in their plans. Will their hard work be for naught or will they reach their dreams? The story is made complicated by Lennie's slight mental disability and the flaws of all the other characters in the story at the ranch. Many of the other characters are equally flawed, but in different ways, and when brought together we have an interesting story.

This is a quick short read and an excellent introduction to Steinbeck.

All the teachers still make you read this and I am glad they make it affordable.

There is not a wasted word in Of Mice and Men. An unforgettable and brillaint work by John Steinbeck. It is clear why this is a classic. Every emotion on the spectrum is represented somewhere in this concise and gripping story of the enduring and heartfelt friendship/guardianship between Lennie and George. I loved it, and to think this was first published in 1937, it feels like much more modern writing. Reflecting on novelists since, it is clear that Steinbeck was ahead of his time and an early pioneer of captivating American writing. Splendid and tragic.

There is not a wasted word in Of Mice and Men. An unforgettable and brillaint work by John Steinbeck. It is clear why this is a classic. Every emotion on the spectrum is represented somewhere in this concise and gripping story of the enduring and heartfelt friendship/guardianship between Lennie and George. I loved it, and to think this was first published in 1937. Reflecting on novelists since, it is clear that Steinbeck was an early pioneer of captivating American writing. Splendid and tragic.

I will not spend a lot of time in detail here, but I have always loved this story although the ending is hearth wrenching. That just goes to show you how real it is, realistic, dramatic and gripping tale set in an America that was not so long ago. If you are a younger person wanting to expand the fictional horizons of your library this would be a good book to start with. I first saw the TV movie of it when I was in Junior High and never forgot it. Years later I bought this Centennial Edition and now have probably read it four times. It is just one of those stories that has so much power with the power of love, but also carries a world of pain. Don't read my review any more just go read this novel if you have not already!

OF MICE AND MEN is one of those sadly rare, short, truly beautiful stories that stay with you forever, the sort of story that you can tell from the beginning -- if its reputation hasn't preceded it, that is -- will be terribly sad. The sort of story that depicts a cruel, unfair, appalling world in the most sensitive and loving way possible.

In short, a classic.

The story is of George, a small, sharp man, and his friend/protege Lennie, a huge, muscular gentle giant with dull wits, who wants nothing more than peace and quiet and little animals. His grandest dream is to someday own a farm with George, where they can have animals -- and Lennie can tend the rabbits. George and Lennie stick together, even after the unthinkable happens and Lennie's strength betrays them both. And when it does, George has to make the most difficult choice he has ever made, one that will haunt him forever -- a choice where there really is no "right" answer.

This is a read-in-one-sitting kind of book, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's light reading. It's powerful, immensely so. It shows, all at once, the hopelessness of human hatred, the helplessness of those caught in it, and the strength that can come through even despite these things. The ending may leave you crying, but it will not leave you depressed, even though all the things that happened are tragic, even though there is no escape now from the spiral of monotony and pointlessness that rules the lives of the workers. Somehow, the author pulls it off.

And for that, it is a classic.

this novel is just great and emotional. The ending is what makes the book great, its undescrible, because you can feel somehow that the whole story is real life. it is a tragedy.

What confuses me more than why I was forced to read this book in school was how anyone could call it a masterpiece or a classic for that matter. I'll admit the relationship between Lennie( mentally retarded) and George was sweet. Although as the book so uneventfully progressed, things turned terrible between Lennie accidentally killing Curley's wife and George shooting Lennie. As in both The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck seems to love writing about innocent people getting shot. Steinbeck is a pessimist to say the least and I will never read his works again.

I have mentioned previously in review of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath that he had an ear for the language and circumstances of the drifter, the loner, those who live on the edge in seemingly fabulous California. This is not the California of the Chamber of Commerce hype but it is part of the history of the West Coast nevertheless. Of Mice and Men is in that same vein although there is probably a little more pathos to the characterizations of Lenny and George than Steinbeck gives to those in Grapes. But the dreams are the same. And why shouldn't they be. It may very well be that the best laid plans of mice and men go awry but, damn, we don't have to like it and what it does to the human spirit. And neither does Steinbeck. Read this book, read all of Steinbeck's books.

Im sorry, I think this book and people in it are ugly. Cursing and rape talk and everything else. I know why I don't send my kids to school; to read this garbage. Why is is a classic, because someone says so? I say its garbage.

I first read this book at a young age, curled up on the couch. I found it on the shelf of my mother's bedroom. My mother was suprised to see I had taken it upon myself to read such a book at the age of 10. I wanted to read an adult book, and the slim package of this book seemed undaunting, and unintimidating. I think it opened me up to a world of literature at a young age that has made me love books for a lifetime.
Steinbecks masterpiece is a book you could never forget. It will make you cry, and and laugh.
As the two men in the book are faced with challenges, and the ultimate challenge you sympathize with each character, their struggles, and the consequences they each face.
It's a good book for a young adult, but anyone who has never read this must.

If you ever wondered what the ultimate devotion of a true friend is like, then Of Mice and Men is the book for you. In this novel John Steinbeck explores the interesting lives of two men, Lennie and George. Lennie is a man with a big body and an even bigger heart. Lennie is the kind of gentle giant who loves anything soft. George is the opposite of Lennie. George is a small dark man with sharp features. The two men travel to California in search of work. When they arrive at a ranch they find more then just work. They make new friends, new enemies and get into trouble. Lennie has a learning disability and is a little slow, and George said he would always watch out for Lennie. In their time at the ranch they meet a few different characters, one of which is a woman who happens to be married to the bosses' son Curly. Curly is a small jealous man who picks fights for random reasons. Curly's wife is a flirtatious woman who loves the attention she receives from the men on the farm. One event that shows Georges strength and the lack of his ability to make good judgments, was when Curly stormed into the bunkhouse accusing Lennie of having and affair with his wife. When Curly throws a punch Lennie catches his fist and easily crushes it. This event only added to Lennie and Georges problems. George and Lennie are working to save money so they can live a life they always dreamed of. After a series of unfortunate events the plot takes a sorrowful turn. This is a very entertaining book that has a little bit of everything: comedy, drama, action, suspense and tragedy. This book shows what a true friend would do for another friend. I would recommend this book to people of all ages. We can all learn from Lennie and George

I read it in the 9th grade which was about two or three years ago. I loved it. I thought it very well written. I love George and Lennie. I love George's hate/love relationship with Lennie, and how he takes care of him and look out for him even though Lennie gets him into a lot of trouble. I loved the ending and how Lennie was thinking of the farm that George and him have dreamed about. I cried at the end of the story it was so amazing yet terribly sad. You really connect with how the characters feel at or by the end of the novel.

thank you for your time,
Loran

I'm not a big fan of sentimental moments and happy endings, which is one of the reasons I like 'Of Mice and Men' so much. It's a tragedy, a bleak one at that, but it's also a deeply affecting novel that will stay with you long after you've read it.

This is a short but powerful novel about lonely people, desperately clinging to their dreams, even if they know deep down that they will never come true. Without dreams, they have nothing. The novel speaks to the emptiness that people feel in the absence of genuine friendship and how people will settle for whatever human companionship they find in order to fill the void.

In 'Of Mice and Men' Steinbeck has given us some of the most memorable characters in modern literature. The novel is deeply affecting without being overwrought or overly sentimental. Virtually all of the characters are lonely and desperate for companionship, but even so, given the opportunity they will seek out those who are lonelier or weaker than themselves and torment them as much as possible.

The foreshadowing that Steinbeck uses is very efective in the novel. The difficult decision that George must make at the end of the novel is similar to a choice that Candy is unable to make earlier, a decision the old man later regrets.

'Of Mice and Men' may not be the "feel good novel of the year" (of any year) but it is an extraordinary piece of fiction and one of the best novels of the 20th century. I highly recommend this novel (unless you're a sucker for happy endings).

Look, I know people love this book. "It brilliantly captures the working man's life during the great depression....vivid pictures of the surroundings...one of the best things you will ever read..." and so forth.

I didn't hate this book. It does tell a good story, and the overall feeling fo the novel is one I enjoy. I like some of the characters, Crooks is a particular favorite.

I just don't find Steinbeck to be a very good writer. Obviously he can weave a good tale, and he sets the mood well, but his descriptions are bland and unnecessary. He does exactly what one is not supposed to do when writing: he tells, he does not shoe. I don't need to know that the tar bucket hanging from the wall has a wrinkled old rag dangling out of it. The amount of flies buzzing through the air has no bearing on anything, and serves only to fill the otherwise descriptionless pages.

Each chapter follows the same style. There is that needless and boring description, followed by an introduction to a character. Usually these characters are doing something iconic or performing an act that defines them. Whether it be solitaire, reading or petting mice until they die, there is an overly symbolic paragraph about each character.

Then comes the dialogue. There is much of it, and it pretty much fills all those 108(?) pages. The novel is written more like a play, with each character taking turns to speak and then listening patiently and apparantly thoughtlessly. You never get to see inside these characters heads. They simply speak and sit around. There are only faint allusions to the actual work that they do.

But hey, this book is a classic, and all the intelligent people love it. Maybe it is cool to praise it beyond its merits, because look, it says Steinbeck on the cover. I want to fit in. I want to be considered educated. Let me try to slurp Steinbeck a little:

This book creates a breathtaking backdrop of loneliness and hopefulness. The painstakingly detailed bunkhouse serves as metaphor for the isolation that these poor working men faced. As the characters fight to survive in a world of hardship and hard labor, they learn that friends are more important then money, and that dreams make life worth living. One of the top 3 books I have ever read.

That was difficult. Now I am simply a mindless drone, a sheep following the crowd. At least I fit in with the intelligent people. Maybe I should go reread THE SUN ALSO RISES. Another timeless classic, right

This book is one of the best books that I have ever read. It had plenty of humor and plenty of good lessons that one can use for the rest of their life. Steinbeck did an excellent job. I recommend this to anyone that wants to enjoy a good book.

Undoubtedly one of the finest works to come out of 20th Century America, John Steinbeck's celebrated classic remains one of the best things you'll ever read, period. We all know the story by now: George and the dim-witted but well-meaning Lennie are making their way across the American wasteland in pursuit of a dream. Naturally, things end up taking a wrong turn, with some very tough decisions to be made for almost everyone involved. Steinbeck's story still packs a punch, and the interplay between George and Lennie is arguably some of the best written dialogue between two characters, well, ever. The subtlety of Steinbeck's themes are wonderfully understated, and the final act is one of the most haunting scenes you'll ever read. That being said, if you've never read Of Mice and Men, you have been missing out. There is a reason that this book is revered as much as it is. Of Mice and Men is a masterpiece of classic American literature that everyone should read, and by the time the book gets going, you won't be able to put it down.

borrowed it for holiday and lost it before i read it, have yet to read it

I gave this book a one star for the cursing! I was shocked to see that the book has a good amount of cursing and that the school recommended this book to be read.

I'll try not to spoil the book. A great novelette by one of the greatest American authors. The book, while funny at times, is far from being a comedy. The author is able to depict tragedy and compassion in a few short paragraphs. The emotions it should bring out in the reader are powerful and complex. One can also read this book as a commentary on the consequences of man's actions to his fellow man. Such an amazing book that can be read in a few short hours!

It took me a measly three hours but yesterday afternoon I read for the first time John Steinbeck's classic tragedy `Of Mice and Men', a novel that, while written in 1937, still holds so true today. Steinbeck's accounting of sheer loneliness and desperation is so brilliantly captured that the reader is brought to tears (for me in a literal sense) to realize that this is all these people had to live for, a pipe dream that refused to die. The story focuses mainly on George Milton and Lennie Small, but as you read you'll notice that a few supporting characters play a big role in the heartbreak that this novel conveys.

George is a small framed man, lean and dwarfed in comparison to his companion Lennie, the tall large strong man, but what Lennie has in strength and size he lacks in smarts. He is, for lack of another word, mentally retarded. But Lennie does possess a simple soul and a heart of gold, which alone makes this tale all the more tragic. George, in fulfillment of a promise he made to Lennie's Aunt Clare, takes care of Lennie, taking him with him to work in the fields bucking wheat and the like. When they make it to their next job they find that they aren't the only ones trying to find a better lot in life.

First they meet Candy, an older man who's been injured on the job and thus kept around for sympathy's sake. He sweeps the living areas and lives his life one miserable day at a time. He's slipping into uselessness and the very thought of amounting to nothing digs deeper and deeper into his soul. Crooks is the negro stable hand, an outcast from the others not only because of his skin color but also because of his disability, being crippled due to a horse accident (he was kicked in the back) and thus he spends most of his time alone in his room. They also meet the boss's son Curly, a jerk of a man who is so insecure about his size and his marriage that he's willing to throw it down with anyone he sees, and he sets the blunt of his rage on poor Lennie because of his size and his demeanor.

To me the most interesting and even heartbreaking character is that of Curly's wife. Ostracized by the working men because of her husbands temper and disregarded by her own husband because of his carelessness and blatant jealousy she's left all alone with no one to talk to and no real place to call home. She's regarded by the men as a tart, a floozy who wants all the wrong kinds of attention but in all actuality she just wants any kind of attention she can get for any kind is better than no kind. After the tragic circumstances involving Lennie and Curly's wife the author makes a statement that to me sums up this poor woman when he says that "all the meanness and the planning's and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face." She was alone and desperate just like everyone else.

The one thing that kept these stock of characters going, Lennie in particular, was the prospect of getting out, of getting their own place where they could plant and cultivate and "tend rabbits" and be their own men. When this idea is shared between Candy and Crooks they too jump at the idea of getting away from it all and feeling whole again, feeling complete and being far away from the loneliness of it all. The worst kind of loneliness is the kind you feel even when you're around other people for its then that you know you're truly alone in every sense of the word.

Most people are aware of the horrific ending, but in case you are not then I will say nothing further on the subject. Just know that this novel is one of the finest pieces of American Literature and is sure to bring tears to your eyes. While this is just barely over 100 pages it still magnificently captures every emotion and feeling that can possibly be provided here. The characters are brilliantly crafted and their innermost demons are bared all for us to see and to relate. I will never forget this masterpiece and will recommend this to anyone who enjoys good reading. It's a quick read, but it's not one to soon be forgotten.

This is my favorite Steinbeck novel. It is a beautiful story and a must read. One of the few books that I would like to read again. Simply put, this is the story of a TRUE friendship between two men, one of whom is mentally challenged. Read it!!

This is my favorite Steinbeck novel. It is a beautiful story and a must read. One of the few books that I would like to read again.

Steinbeck was a celebrated american author and nobel laureate. This tale is short but provocative ideally suited for a light read before bedtime.

The author's style is simple, in the spirit of Hemingway, and narrative like Faulkner. Interwoven in the story are themes of isolation, racism and euthanasia told in the relations between two drifters, George and the mentally challenged Lennie, looking for farm work.

The story is captivating and tragic with an uncanny realism allowing the reader to identify with the characters and their emotional state.

Wowza! This was probably te only book I actually finished in High School because I just really love it. I have never read a book before with such an inspiring message about friendship and how much it is important to have a support system in your life. Sure the ending was sad... i almost cried... but in weird way george had to do it to save Lennie from worse. This book was sooooooo great and everyone should read this!

Always ends with a twist...you'll never be bored with Steinbeck.

I thought this was worth the read, and loved the style. I was absorbed in the reading, and I thought the dialogue and characterizations were excellent. Great book!

When I started college 2 years ago my English professors have always said to read, read, read. So I did and recently I've been making it a point to read mostly classics.

Of Mice and Men was a great read because it's a small (unintimidating for anxious people like me) and it was meaningful and exiting.

This is a tremendous book. After reading "Grapers of Wrath" I wanted to read more from Steinbeck as that was one of the most haunting and engrossing books I've ever read. "Mice and Men" is just as compelling as we follow two migrant workers on their journey of friendship and trails and tribulations. Steinbeck's narrative is what makes the novel and his characters make it all too real. You won't be able to put it down once you begin to read it. I also like the novel "Any Man" (Louise Corum) in addition to this one.

My child read it as a literature assignment and really enjoyed and got a lot from it. This edition was easy to read and a great addition to the educational experience.

As always Penguin dose justice by the (not that) old clasics.
A pleasure.

"Of mice and men" is not a very fun book to read it has very bad racial and verbal langauge. for a book to do a report on it would be a very good selection it definitly shows the characters piont of views by explaining thier body language as you read so you can imagine how they feel. it gives importance of characters by putting them in situations that require them to take action.
It is mostly a very good book with very interesting characters.

"Of Mice and Men" was first published in 1937 and has been adapted for the stage and screen. It's set in mid-1930s California and opens beside the Salinas river, a few miles outside Soledad. The book focuses on Lennie and George, a pair of migrant workers who earn a living on the state's farms. George is the dominant character of the pair, as Lennie isn't quite capable of looking after himself properly. Although big and strong, he has a poor memory, panics easily and doesn't always understand what's happening around him. All he wants out of life is to have his own farm with George, look after some rabbits and "live of the fatta the lan'". As the book opens, the pair are on their way to a new job; they had to leave their previous job and go on the run after Lennie was (falsely) accused to rape. Things don't go smoothly for the pair when they arrive at their new place of work. It's clear that the farm owner's son, Curley, and his wife are going to be the source of a great deal of trouble.

"Of Mice and Men" is a very short book - a great deal shorter and much easier than I'd expected. I had a great deal of sympathy for Lennie, who was based on a real person : in an ideal world, he shouldn't have been leading the life he was living. Similarly, I think George was placed in an impossible position at the end of the book - though I couldn't help but wonder how George himself saw things. As I was reading the book's climax, I couldn't help but think of something Candy had said to George earlier in the book, regarding his dog.

I'd definitely recommend this book, particularly the Penguin Classics edition if you can get your hands on it. Susan Shillinglaw's introduction for this edition really set things in context for me. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading the introduction first - it does contain a couple of spoilers.

Okay, you may think that I do not appreciate the so-called classics, but I have to be honest--I simply cannot stand this book. The language is so bad, and even the ending is horrible. The only good thing I can say about the whole thing is that it's very short. It's only a few chapters long, and that's it.

I read this book with my English class in high school, and reading it once was more than enough for me. Not to diss John Steinbeck or anything like that, but this book is one of the worst books in all of literature. I don't even understand why they call this lame piece of work a "classic".

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. n Mary Whipple

I think "Of Mice and Men" was an good book. It had some good parts in the book along with some bad parts in there. I thought that the book taught a good story of people living a different life. Then also it was a sort of racial and had a lot of cursing in it. I think that older people should read this book and not young kids.

The book, "Of Mice And Men," is one of the best books I have ever read. It is about two men, Lennie and George. They ran away from thier old ranch, Weed because Lennie is mentally retarded and he grabbed a ladies dress because he likes soft things. He got accused of rape. Later, they found a ranch in Salinas, California. Many events occured at this ranch, Lennie got in a fight with curly. Curly is a little man unlike Lennie and he is jealous of big men. You will have to read the story to find out the best ending. If you like breathtaking, loving, but yet harmful books you should read this book.

This book is a great book that will keep hold of you until the end. Steinbeck does a fabulous job describing the farm where the book takes place. Lennie is hillarious and keeps on asking Geogre"Can I still tend the rabbits?". George and Lennie are wanted for rape and also need to find a place to get a job.

This book has some memorable characters such as the swamper Candy and the boxer Curly. Lennie is a big, strong, retarded giant that always gets in trouble. George is small, weak, smart man that has to put up with Lennie.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to find out how hard life was during the Great Depression.

of mice and men was a terrific book. all the characters were amazing.george and lennie were two different personalities. george was short but he was tough and mean.lennie was soft and emotional. george and lennie ar 2 hobos that lived during the great depression and george told lennie stories about them living about the fatta the lan. they had been kicked out of the town of weed because of an incident, os they left to find a new job. they went to a ranch where they worked.

when they got there they had trouble,curly didnt like them and his wife was trouble. even though they had trouble with certain people, they still made friends with the other ranchers. if you want to know more about the story you have to get it at your nearest library or purchs it on hear.

John Steinbeck is a FANTASTIC writer.Of Mice and Men is a wonderful story. I can picture myself in the mid to late 1930's hitchhiking along with George and Lennie. This story takes place during the Great Depression, in Salinas, California. George and Lenie are hobos driven by a dream to live off " the fatta the lan'" Meet Geroge,a skinny fellow who gives tough love and takes care of Lennie. He won't let anything or anybody hurt Lennie. Meet Lennie, a retarded fellow who loves to touch and pet soft things. He loves everything and wouldn't hurt a soul purposely, unless Geroge told him to.

This story includes love, hate and murder as to hobos travel driven by a dream to live better. But soon things go for a turn for the worst and a bad thing happens only for the better. I fully recommend Of Mice and Men to everybody. PLEASE READ ITS WONDERFUL!!!!!!

This book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinback, was a very interesting and breath-taking book. It takes place in Salinas, California. The main characters were Lennie and George. Lennie was a big, retarded guy, who always gets himself and his friend George in some kind of trouble. The other main character, George was a tiny, smart guy. George was taking care of Lennie because his Aunt Clara had asked him to when she died. My favorite character was Lennie, because he was very funny. I really enjoyed this book because you never really knew what was going to happen next, kind of like a mystery. Lennie and George have always had the dream to move on a farm and "Live off the fat of the lan'." For anyone who likes shocking, breath taking and mystery-like books, I would urge you to read this book.

The book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, is a very heartwarming and shocking book. The setting takes place in Salinas, California. I could not picture the story taking place any where else. I enjoyed reading this book because I was never sure about what was going to happen. The two main characters are two men. A short, boney man named George. Along with his friend Lennie. Who was a big, retarted man. George was asked by Lennies Aunt Clara to take care of him when she died. And they've been together ever since. Concidering Lennie is always getting himself and George into trouble, they've been on the run and in search of money.
My favorite character in the book was Lennie. He is so sweet and innocent. Even though he gets in to trouble, he dosent mean any harm in anyway. He's just like a big kid. All Lennie wants is to live in George's and his dream farm and tend the rabbits. He always reminds George.."And I get to tend the rabbits, right George?"
I liked this book especially because the author, John Steinbeck made it as if the reader was actually there with George and Lennie the whole time sharing their adventures. I would definatley reccomend this book to any person that loves a heartwarming but yet very surprising story.

of mice and men is a great book.my favorite character is lennie. lennie is my favorite character because he is so kind, he listens to george and he loves rabbits. lennie is always talking about livin off the fat of the land and tendin the rabbits. lennie is always getting himself and george into trouble and george always get them out. george has to take care of lennie because he has no one else. lennie has to be careful on the ranch because the bosses son curly sufers from little man sindrom and he hates leinne because he is so big. this book is filled with suspence so i would recommend you to read it

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was the best book I have ever read. The characters, the mentally retarded Lennie and the tough George, are on the run from people from Weed. Lennie was accused of trying to rape a girl in a red dress when he actually wanted to touch it since it was so soft. After that, they find a ranch in Salinas, California to work on for a while. There are conflicts and solutions all at the same time.
My favorite character was Lennie because even though, he was really mentally retarded, he was kind and did nothing out of harm. He knew that George loved him by giving tough love while on the ranch. All he thought about was the rabbits. "I get to tend the rabbits" was my all time favorite quote because he always said it to remind himself what he was going to do when they got off the farm. Sometimes, I always thought he was rather hopeful even when he was sad.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinback is a MUST READ kind of book. It takes place in Salinas, California in which John Steinback was born. At first George and Lennie are in the woods along the Salinas River. It was in the time of the Great Depression. It was obiviously in the past which you can tell by the way they talk and their actions. As you read, you feel like you are there with them, standing and talking with them. You can picture their actions and almost hear their accent.
George and Lennie are an odd pair. Lennie is very big and strong, but has the mind of a child, for he is retarded. George is small and quick-witted. George takes care of Lennie, but Lennie always finds ways to get them in trouble. Lennie is obsessed with rabbits. "You forget every thing, but you remembe' every word i sa'" was my favorite line. It shows how Lennie will do anything for George. George and Lennie have always traveled together.
Lennie and George have always dreamed of having land of their own. Lennie would have rabbits. By golly Lennie should have the rabbits. George and Lennie work at the ranch hoping to get a little money. George tells Lennie about this small place they would have, but he says it so many times, he starts to believe that it would happen. Then trouble starts on the ranch with Curly's Wife and Curly. Curly thinks everyone one is messing with his wife and always starts things. So there is trouble on the ranch and Lennie is always in trouble.

The story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a wonderful story full of characters that you feel you know from the beginning. George and Lennie, the two main characters are different in many ways but are great friends. Lennie is a retarded guy who is big and strong as a "bear" While George on the other hand is small and smart. Lennie and George walk together as friends trying to get jobs that Lennie always end up making them loose it.

When George and Lennie get a job at a farm in salinas california everything seems to be fine. Then along comes another character that is out to mess with Lennie and George and ruin their dream of "livin of the fatr of the lan" which you just got to find out your self. Of mice and man is a book you must put out some time to read because its just such a wonderful book that will leave you asking whats next?