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Of Mice and Men (Pocket Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
$9.51 - Save $4.78 33% off - RRP $14.29 Free delivery worldwide (to United States and
all these other countries) Usually dispatched within 72 hours | |Short Description for Of Mice and MenStreetwise George and his childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But do dreams come at a price!
Full description- Publisher: PENGUIN CLASSICS
- Published: 01 March 2007
- Format: Paperback 128 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Contemporary Fiction | Classics
- ISBN 13: 9780141023571 ISBN 10: 0141023570
- Sales rank: 825
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Reviews for Of Mice and Men
- Top review
A gem of a modern classic
I came across this book by chance and having no intention of starting a new novel but being drawn in by the thinness (a little over 100 pages) of what I knew to be a great American classic I relented and spent an evening reading through it; and am I glad I did!
Granted, the novel does seem to start off slow, it is a book heavy with foreboding, biding its time to a conclusion that the reader senses will not be a happy one, after all, before you so much as open to the first page you know whatever plans found therein are about to "go awry." Nonetheless Steinbeck achieves remarkable characterisation in very few words; within moments of meeting the respective characters we know Lennie to be a gentle giant cursed by his own strength, George to be a sharp-witted fellow with a compassion and kindness he need not actively show, Curley to be a repulsive and egotistical character and Slim (who I found to be one of my favourite characters despite having only a few lines describing him throughout the whole novel) as a good-natured sort. Throughout each page there is an increase of suspense and fearfulness for each of these characters being the sort of novel where one unwitting action dooms all else, arguably the sort of which are the hardest to write and the most engrossing to read. Steinbeck has introductions and scene-settings be done with quickly so the reader can simply enjoy reading the tale, seeing the subtle nuances of each character, being drawn in, and consequently all the more heart-stricken by the end.
In my opinion this book is on equal standing with To Kill A Mockingbird when it comes to tackling the issue of the underdog of society, equally as well written, equally as compelling, just as heartbreaking.
I have also discovered that this is on the GCSE reading list for certain exam boards and while I can understand that it's slow pace may put some students off, compared to my set text a few years back, it's a vast improvement. All I can say to reluctant GCSE readers is; stick with it, kids! Once you've finished, reached the brilliant conclusion and realise you've read one of the great American classics I'm sure you'll find that you actually enjoyed reading it. by Leigh
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