Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition) Summary and Reviews

Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)
by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)
List Price: $14.00
Our Price: $6.95
You Save: $7.05 (50%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.34 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: John Steinbeck
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-01-08
ISBN: 0142000671
Number of pages: 112
Publisher: Penguin
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780142000670
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)

Book Review: "A guy needs somebody to be near him....A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody."
Summary: 5 Stars

Written in 1937, when the Depression was still affecting all aspects of the farming community, this powerful novel depicts the lives of migrant workers--grim, pessimistic, and offering little hope for an improved future. Focusing on two characters who arrive in the Salinas Valley during peak season, Steinbeck creates touching scenes between Lenny, a big, severely limited worker who does not know his own strength, and George, a whippet-thin man who serves as Lenny's constant companion and protector.

Both Lenny and George have dreams of one day living on their own farm, where Lenny, who loves the feeling of soft things--even dead mice--wants to take care of rabbits. George hopes one day to benefit from his own hard work on his own farm and to create an environment where Lenny can be safe from his own impulses. As Steinbeck brings the characters on the ranch to life, he shows how every person there has dreams of a different life but few opportunities to change the lives they already have. Some are physically handicapped from accidents on farms, while others are emotionally handicapped by lack of opportunity or their own personal limitations.

Life is lonely, uncertain, and harsh but George tries to make life for Lenny more bearable by allowing him to have one of the new puppies in the barn. When Curley, the boss's son, brings his flirtatious wife to the farm, he introduces a new element which eventually leads to a tragic ending. Women are considered dangerous to the status quo, as they reinforce the need for "soft" elements in lives that otherwise offer little softness.

Giving vivid pictures of the natural surroundings while also creating vivid pictures of the interactions of these men, Steinbeck shows that even among those whose lives offer little hope, there is a desire to take advantage of each other. Crooks, the black stable hand who is forced to live alone in the barn, undermines Lenny. Carlson takes advantage of Candy's love for his old, smelly dog and causes pain to Candy. Lenny's puppy, Candy's dog, a heron capturing a water snake, and dreams of their own farm all become symbols which add to the drama of the conclusion. In this powerfully sad novel, Steinbeck offers little hope that the lives of these men will improve and even less hope that they will ever be able to control what happens to them. n Mary Whipple

Classics Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Classics Books
Native son ImageNative son
by Richard Wright
Perennial Library; Published: 1987; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.75
Native Son: And How Bigger Was Born ImageNative Son: And How Bigger Was Born
by Richard Wright
Perennial; Published: 1993-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $60.00
Raphael and the Noble Task ImageRaphael and the Noble Task
by Catherine Salton
Harper; Published: 2000-10-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.49
Price in other shops: $20.00
Island (Perennial Classics) ImageIsland (Perennial Classics)
by Aldous Huxley
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2002-07-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops: $14.99
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ImageA Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
Harper; Published: 2001-11-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.09
Price in other shops: $23.99
The Great Divorce CD ImageThe Great Divorce CD
by C. S. Lewis
HarperAudio; Published: 2003-11-25; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.22
Price in other shops: $22.00
Great Expectations ImageGreat Expectations
by Charles Dickens
Macmillan Pub Co; Published: 1979-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $12.10
This Side of Paradise ImageThis Side of Paradise
by Fitzgerald
Scribner Paper Fiction; Published: 1988-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.95
Price in other shops: $6.95
Black Coffee (Poirot) ImageBlack Coffee (Poirot)
by Agatha Christie
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2002-12-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $68.32
Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1960s) ImageSlouching Towards Bethlehem (1960s)
by Joan Didion
Flamingo; Published: 2001-04-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.25
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Animal Farm: Centennial Edition ImageAnimal Farm: Centennial Edition
by George Orwell
Plume; Published: 2003-05-06; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.71
Price in other shops: $14.00
The Great Gatsby (A Cornell Edition) ImageThe Great Gatsby (A Cornell Edition)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Scribner; Published: 2006; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.00
East of Eden ImageEast of Eden
by John Steinbeck
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2002-02-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.89
Price in other shops: $17.00
Cannery Row: (Centennial Edition) ImageCannery Row: (Centennial Edition)
by John Steinbeck
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2002-02-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.60
Price in other shops: $15.00
Fahrenheit 451 ImageFahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
Ballantine Books; Published: 2008-04-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.91
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Catcher in the Rye ImageThe Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
Back Bay Books; Published: 2001-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops: $13.99
Lord of the Flies ImageLord of the Flies
by William Golding
Perigee Books; Published: 1959-07-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops: $9.99
The Grapes of Wrath ImageThe Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck
Penguin Group USA; Penguin Classics; Published: 2006-03-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.50
Price in other shops: $16.00
The Great Gatsby ImageThe Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Simon & Schuster; Scribner; Published: 1999-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.59
Price in other shops: $15.00