Of Mice and Men
1937
- contemporary fiction
- literary fiction
- classics
- labor trilogy
- psychological fiction
- male friendship
- goal (psychology)
- western stories
- fiction
- vida ranchera
The story
The second book in John Steinbeck’s labor trilogy, Of Mice and Men is a touching tale of two migrant laborers in search of work and eventual liberation from their social circumstances. Fiercely devoted to one another, George and Lennie plan to save up to finance their dream of someday owning a small piece of land. The pair seems unstoppable until tragedy strikes and their hopes come crashing down, forcing George to make a difficult decision regarding the welfare of his best friend. The novel is set on a ranch in Soledad, CA. Author Frank Bergon recalls reading Of Mice and Men for the first time as a teenager living in the San Joaquin Valley and remembers how he saw “as if in a jolt of light the ordinary surroundings of [his] life become worthy of literature.” Steinbeck works to propagate the notion that meaningful stories emerge from the marginalized; that even those on the fringes of society can make deserving contributions to the literary canon. Source: http://www.steinbeck.org/about-john/his-works/ ---------- Also contained in: - [Cannery Row / Of Mice and Men](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23172W/Cannery_Row_Of_Mice_and_Men) - [Grapes of Wrath / The Moon is Down / Cannery Row / East of Eden / Of Mice and Men][1] - [Novels and Stories 1932-1937](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23167W) - [Short Novels of John Steinbeck](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23185W/The_Short_Novels_of_John_Steinbeck) - [Steinbeck](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23183W/Steinbeck) - [Steinbeck Pocket Book](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL16051131W/The_Steinbeck_Pocket_Book) [1]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23165W/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_The_Moon_is_Down_Cannery_Row_East_of_Eden_Of_Mice_and_Men
What it’s like
Spare, sunlit prose that opens on a riverbank in the Salinas Valley: sycamore shade, sand the color of old bone, a green pool where deer come down to drink, and the restless heat of late afternoon. The voice is plain and rhythmic, with long descriptive passages that slow everything down, then quick, loose-jointed dialogue in ranch slang that carries the scenes. Inside the dusty bunkhouse and along the dry roads the world is rough, close, and tactile: sweat, cheap tobacco, the smell of hay and horses. The mood is tender and wistful, a warm melancholy shot through with dread, and it suits an unhurried afternoon, a quiet evening with the lamp on, or a reread when you want something short that stays with you. The novella moves briskly, and its people are a pair of unlikely companions, one protective and one childlike, whose bond is the emotional center. Violence is brief but brutal, arriving suddenly near the end and landing hard without gore, and there is a dog's death and some period-typical coarse language and prejudice. Sexual content is minimal. It is written for readers who want emotional weight, a sense of place, and a story about loyalty and the hopes ordinary people carry.
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