Of Mice and Men

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Summary: "you're on your own, with no direction home"
Review: ...P>The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry and many times it is due to the uncontrollable longing that nearly everyone has to belong somewhere, to have something we can call our own. We can say too that our failures may be due to a state of mind or the wish to fill an endlessly yawning hole in the psyche. Inner loneliness often drives us in our several directions towards fulfillment. For drifters like George and Candy, it's a little piece of land that beckons; for Lennie, it's something soft and close---a dead mouse, a puppy, a piece of velvet. For Curley's wife, that ultimate destination was love, attention, and recognition; for Crooks, respect and justice. In OF MICE AND MEN, nobody gets what they want. The novel, like life, is an unmitigated tragedy and we are our own worst enemies.

This is an American classic in the real sense of the word. Though Bob Dylan's verses may not be totally precise in summing up the story, they certainly sum up my mood after putting down OF MICE AND MEN. "Nobody tried to say a word, when they carried him out in jest. Except of course the little neighbor boy, who carried him to rest. And he just walked along alone, with his guilt so well concealed. Muttering underneath his breath, "Nothing is revealed." Amen

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Summary: Brillinat
Review: I just finished reading Steinbecks of mice and men, and it is possibly one of the greatest books i have ever read, and i've read A LOT. For a while, you just crusie along, falling in love with the cahracters, then BANG!!. you never know what hits you. It's brillinat. I'll say it again. It's brilliant. Brilliant. brilliant.

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Summary: A Story that Emphasizes the Importance of Companionship
Review: Last summer, this book was a required book for entering eigth grade English. It was short so I figured, "I'll just read this first and get it over with. I mean like, it seems kinda boring." It just didn't seem to make much sense from what i read from the descriptions. When I read it, the first chapter was so relaxing and the setting was described so perfectly. Automatically, I was whisked away back to the 1930's in a quiet farming area in the rural areas of CA. I absolutely loved reading this book. It was such a good book! There were many themes that could be easily picked up. And from those themes, it helped explain certain attributes about different characters and the kind of society Lennie and George entered. In the end of the book, George makes a very large sacrifice that effects himself and a lot of the people he works with. It may also bring you to tears. It definitely brought me to tears. I don't think I saw it coming. I guess it was sort of... ironic. Enjoy your read!

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Summary: book review
Review: The story is about two guys that are working together as ranch workers. They go around from job to job trying to build up a stake. One of the main characters is George. George is a small, strong man, with a keen eye, and a stolid expression. The other main character is Lennie. Lennie is a tall clumsy man, but at the same time he is strong as an ox. He has a sort of childish behavior and no sense of self-control. Everywhere they went, Lennie seemed to get into trouble with someone. It seemed that Lennie's lack of self-control would force both Lennie and George to quit their jobs early and try to find work elsewhere.
I think that if I had to relate myself to one of the characters it would have to George. I think George and I have a lot in common, we both are always trying to solve other people's problems instead of our own. I usually do things that other people want first and what I want to do second. I also think the same way George does. We both have a dream of one day owning land and not having to pay rent on it. I too would one day like to like to not have to work for some one else. To be able to step outside and look as far as I could see and know that it is all mine.
I really enjoyed the book. I think that the message of being loyal to your friends is a solid one that will never fade away. I enjoyed just being able to lay back and read about what trouble Lennie was going to get into next. My favorite part was the big fight between Lennie and Curley. I think that that fight had a lot of action and really made the book interesting to read, but at the same time kept it within reason so I wasn't disgusted by it. I really don't think there is any part that I didn't like in the book. I don't think that I would change any part of it if I had the chance to. The book was written so well that changing any part of it would alter the whole story.
I would recommend this book to students in high school. It has some bad language and a little bit of adult content, but I think that students at that age can fully understand the story and really appreciate its message. I think that anybody with a small sense of humor and a good sense of adventure would really enjoy this book.

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Summary: Mice and Men is Great
Review: Of Mice and Men is one of the best books I have ever read. I can not believe Steinbeck can write a 107 page book and make the reader feel like they have known the character their wholes lives. It is sad to see how someone like Lennie can be treated, but great to know that there is always someone like George to be there for them. The ending is very good. I high recommend this book to others.

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Summary: George, Lenny, and some dead mice.
Review: This book was required reading in high school, and we all made fun of it. I guess it's an O.K. book but I don't recall it having much of an impact other than humor value. But I'm not a big Steinbeck fan. I guess we all have our prejudices.

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Summary: A Classic
Review: I should have read this book in the 9th grade, but like most of my fellow students, I ended up skimming the book and tossing it in the corner after the final exam. Steinbeck just was not relevant to me at that age. Actually, no literature was relevant. I firmly believe that for some teenagers, a lack of life experience makes the reading of literature an exercise in futility. Of course, this doesn't stop its being assigned, much to the consternation of millions of kids (many of whom are more suited to rap videos and other mind-numbing pap). Literature is a capricious thing; you will either learn to love it, and approach it on your own terms, or hate it and ignore it for life.

That being said, this is a book I wished I had read years ago. One of the things I am learning to appreciate about Steinbeck is his ability to convey multi-dimensional messages with prose that is the height of simplicity. There is no fat on his literary bones. "Of Mice and Men" is such a book. Themes of friendship, oppression, and duty jockey for position in this simple tale about two itinerant laborers (one a simpleton; the other his caretaker) drifting through California looking for their slice of the American dream. I don't think it is necessary to go into further detail about the story. Many have read it, and those who have not won't benefit from a detailed description. Heck, the book is short enough that any details thrown out in this review might spoil it for the uninitiated.

The introduction to the edition I read made one good point (the rest of the introduction was cutesy-wootsy to the point of nausea) that I had not noticed about the book: "Of Mice and Men" was an attempt by Steinbeck to see if he could craft a novel that closely resembled a play. When read with this in mind the story does resemble a work made for the stage; there are few set pieces in the story, but an enormous amount of dialogue. It is no wonder there are several stage and film versions of this book floating around.

Finally, this book is depressing. There is no happy ending here, as death and danger stalk the pages of the story. I would be lying if I said I was not affected by some of the events in the book. I did not burst out crying, but I did feel gloomy and a little cranky after I finished reading. If you are attempting Steinbeck, you will have to visit this little novella at some point.

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Summary: Unbelievably good!!!!
Review: The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about two guys named Lennie and George. Lennie and George are the best of friends and have been for years now. George and Lennie are looking for a job and have found one but they have to walk there because the bus driver dropped them off saying that where they want to go is only a couple of miles down the road. It ends up being ten miles that George and Lennie have to walk and so the end up having to spend the night outside because they need to rest. After walking all of this way the two men are starving but all they have to eat is beans because it is the great depression and not many people can afford much else.
George and Lennie are the best of friends because they look out for one another. Well it's mostly George looking out for Lennie because Lennie is a little slower than most and doesn't always understand things the first time around. So George and Lennie go from one place to another looking for work because most people don't respond very positively to Lennie because of the way that he is. Lennie just likes to touch soft things and that is what makes him happy and feel warm inside. Since Lennie is so big and he doesn't know his strength and ends up killing the little animals that he loves to pet so dearly. So that is how George and Lennie ended up on the farm, and there is where everything came to an end.
George and Lennie got there to work, and while there Lennie fell in love with some puppies that were barely born. Lennie couldn't stand to be away from those puppies when he didn't have to. While spending time with the puppies Curley's wife went into the barn to talk to Lennie and she found out that he liked to touch soft things and had him touch her hair. Lennie liked it's softness so much that he didn't want to let go and got scared and accidentally killed Curley's wife. This was a very bad thing and he knew it so he went to hide in the brush like George told him to do if he ever did a bad thing. When they found the body everyone knew that Lennie was the man responsible so they all went looking for him to kill him. George knew that the only way that Lennie would not be really punished for what he did was if George killed him himself. That is exactly what George did and it was the only thing that could have been done to really save Lennie. The book was very serious and stayed that way throughout the novel.
This book talked about very serious subjects and didn't change throughout the book. George and Lennie just want their own farm and the ability to do whatever they please from the beginning and that doesn't change throughout the book. In the beginning of the book George expresses that he is tired of having to always worry about Lennie and that George would be much better off by himself. Throughout the novel George doesn't change and while he does take Lennie with him everywhere he goes he still feels the same, and he knows that even though at the end when he has to kill Lennie it is the best for everyone because if he wouldn't have done it Lennie never would have been able to live a truly happy life with no worries.
During the end of the book when George knew that he had to kill Lennie and just let Lennie keep talking about his dreams of the rabbit farm and George killed him was the most moving seen for me because there is nothing worse than killing someone you love not because you want to but because you have to. I think that the author was trying to give everyone who read this book a feel for what it is that people who are like Lennie have to go through. The author I think was trying to make everyone realize that they are people too and they really don't know some of the things that they should and it isn't their fault. I learned that you should always give people chances no matter who they are or what battles they may be facing in their lives at that time. This novel didn't really remind me of anything it just showed me that everyone deserves a chance and the ability to express themselves in any way they chose and no one should judge them for that.
I felt that this book was very well written and overall just a great book. It shows you how judgmental and naive some people can be and why you shouldn't be like that. This gives you a perspective of how people like Lennie feel and what obstacles they have to go through because people won't give them the chance to get to know them. I learned that know matter who you are you are no better than the people you think are, they in fact are better than you because they unlike you are willing to give you the chance that everyone deserves.

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Summary: Of Mice and Men
Review: The Setting for this story is Salinas, California during the 1930's. On the Salinas River, George and Lennie are camping out before they get to the ranch where they're going to work.

The Main conflict of the book is that George thinks that Lennie is going to say or do something to get them fired from their job just like the job that they had before. This problem was easily solved by George telling Lennie not to talk to the boss and that if he did he would not be able to tend the rabbits when they get their own farm.

The tone of this novel is kind of slow at first, but it eventually changes. When you are reading, you are thinking something is going to happen something different and more suspensful happens.

Lennie Really doesn't change that much from the beginning to end. George, however, changes a lot. George starts off as a pretty good friend to Lennie, but eventually turns his back on him.

To me the most moving scene in the novel was when Lennie was hiding in the brush and he invisions his Aunt Clara and a rabbit telling Lennie how he betrayed George by what he did to Curleys wife.

I feel that John Steinbeck's purpose in the book is to show that even your closest friends can turn their backs on you.

I learned, from this novel, that human nature is hard to deal with when you lose a close friend by backstabbing and betrayal.

This novel reminds me of the time I lost a close friend from arugments, backstabbing and arugments.

My overall feelings for this book are that, it is a great book to read. Even though it is kind of short, you get a lot out of it. You mainly learn about good and bad friendship. I strongly reccomend this book to anyone.

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Summary: An awesome book... must read!!!
Review: After being chased from one job, George and Lennie find themselves alongside the road walking to their next job. Day after day George takes care of his friend Lennie who is a monstrous man with a mental illness. Lennie can hardly remember but one thing and that is the rabbits he hopes to tend.

The hard times that George and Lennie have earning the little bit they can is hard enough, let alone this novel is during the Great Depression. The struggles they have can pull you into the novel. Would this novel be as good as it is if Lennie did not have a mental illness?

I feel that this novel would not be the novel it is without the illness Lennie has. when George and Lennie get to their next job there are all kinds of things that are waiting to get them in trouble. First they show up late to work because of the bus driver, then they meet a small man that has an attitude whose name is Curley. Then Curley's wife comes around. She is a big flirt that catches Lennie's eyes. Lennie has a problem keeping his hands off of pretty soft things. These two people alone cause George and Lennie the most trouble. On the other hand George is able to become friends and gain trust with another worker named Slim.

Being the way that Lennie is Curley finds some way to pick a fight with him. This creates some tension within the novel. Then when things seemed to be settled down Lennie finds himself in the barn talking to Curley's wife. If Lennie had enough sense he would not have gotten into a struggle with her. Because of this Lennie and George find themselves in the same situation they were in before. George finally realizes that this can't go on any longer and has to do something himself.

I find this to be a very excellent novel to read. The characters are very likable and you can become easily attached. Without Lennie being the way he is this novel would just be some novel about two guys that worked on a farm. Lennie's character makes this novel as memorable as it is.