Of Mice And Men

Written by John Steinbeck

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Sarah

    

Of Mice and Men tells the tale of George and Lenny, two lifelong friends trying to make a living in Salinas, California during the Great Depression. Together, they face many obstacles while working as farmhands at a ranch where everyone seems to only fend for themselves. From a short but passionate fighter who has always had it out for the big guy to a crippled black man who has isolated himself after years of being tormented on the ranch, everyone has a story to tell. Lenny and George hang on to their dream of living carefree lives on a small farm of their own as the characters get wound up in conflicts of pride, women, and truths that are hard to bare.

Although this novel was hard to swallow at first, I found myself strongly attached to its characters, the problems that they faced, and how they all contribute to a larger message about our society. The people of the ranch were plagued by racial, gender-based, and socioeconomic problems that ruled over their lives. Many of the characters succumbed to their problems and did horrible things because of them. Yet, in the chaos, George and Lenny maintained a beautiful friendship until the end, as they always looked out for one another through thick and thin.