Book Review (Rucksack): Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Written by John Steinbeck in 1937

The Racoon: Of Mice and Men tells the story of two friends struggling to find jobs and keep them amidst the Great Depression.

UNMASKED: As a novella housing a mere 107 pages, Of Mice and Men struggles to move forward.  Rather than the many experiences most characters of classic literature face, leading them to develop their views and subsequently change their actions, Steinbeck is unable to offer more than a small slice of George and Lennie’s lives.  While every great book leaves the reader craving more, Of Mice and Men feels incomplete; I am left with several unanswered questions.

However, it is the fun-sized packaging of the book that shapes it into a literary stuffed animal.  Steinbeck’s work is something to carry with you for comfort; it will provide an unchanging, loyal anchor as you evolve and move through life.

Strengths:

• When Candy and Crooks, two characters that George and Lennie meet on the ranch, overhear George and Lennie’s aspirations, they choose to join them in their dreaming, adding their own contributions and ideas.  These scenes are simply beautiful.
• The scene featuring Crooks illustrates all of the hardships of African Americans living during the early 1900s.  He is a strong character with multiple layers.

Weaknesses:

• All but one of the characters are one-dimensional and do not grow throughout the story.
• There is very little explanation of events before and after this section of the characters’ lives.

Rating: 12/20 rabbits

Ideal Setting: Read this while stroking your pet, snuggling your fluffy blanket, or casually rubbing your thumb against the dead mouse in your pocket.