What do you think about "of Mice and Men"?

[truth_forest]

Oh! I've just read it. I really love the novel. I love Lennie so much. Everyone blame him but me...
He is so cute. I love the way that he did with the pets.

Anyway, the ending makes me so sad. George kill Lennie by himself. He was sure that he can let Lennie died happily...like Candy did with his old dog.

[melancolia]

Ah, I loved that Steinbeck novel, I had read it when I was in grade 7. Now I wish I hadn't given it to my friend since I cannot get it back :(...
I do remember crying at the end of the novel.. it was indeed quite sad...
Has anyone seen the film adaptation of the novel?

[mono]

I remember reading Of Mice And Men in middle school, too, and loved it! Unfortunately, I have not read anything else by John Steinbeck, except several of his short stories, yet this novel truly explored many psychological and sociological aspects of deviance, poverty, compensation and conformation (especially in friendship), and the corruption of innocence (as cliché as that may sound).
How George and Lennie reciprocate each other always fascinated me. George, an intelligent, witty, yet petite man, compensates for the childish, mentally-impaired, yet immense physical strength of Lennie. In the end, to me, the plot functions much like evolution and the so-called 'survival of the strongest;' in John Steinbeck's time, born following the Industrial Revolution, the term and definition of 'power' seemed in flux. Suddenly, humankind did not have to rely entirely on the actual physical strength of humans, but, with intelligence and diligence, could create industrial machinery to replace hard labor.
Though Steinbeck replaced the concept of physical strength with someone mentally impaired seems to represent the unintended sacrifice of a previously-valued attribute in individuals preceding and during the Industrial Revolution. Much like the classic evolutionary statement, 'only the strong survive,' this implies that the word 'strong' must not always mean physically strong, but also the strength of thought, even at the sad, unfortunate cost of innocence.

[TEND]

Wow Mono, that's a very insightful thought. I read this back in grade 8 and like Mono it was my first and only experience with Steinbeck, though it left a fantastic impression. The bond between George and Lennie that was so strong George would rather kill Lennie himself if it meant him dying peacefully, and in happy thoughts than allow any atrocities to be commited against him. The bond that was so strong, George no matter how much trouble Lennie would get the both of them into, would always stay with him. This was one of the first novels (along with Catcher in the Rye) that got me interested in Literature, and it also has one of my strongest memories relating to a novel. I can remember sitting in the back of my class, and weeping as my teacher read the last chapter, and just hoping no one would turn around and shatter my tough image :lol: .

[Matilda]

Has anyone seen the film adaptation of the novel?
I've seen the film in school, it inspired me to read the book. The film is very true to the book, since the novel is so short, and has very much dialogue they haven't had to make very much changes. I think the film was good, but the book was better!

[melancolia]

The book was indeed much better Matilda :nod:

[Mary Sue]

I read "Of Mice and Men" when I was about your age, and I too loved it. It's pretty sentimental stuff for Steinbeck, but then he was making a point about how society treats the misfits. George's mercy killing of Lennie really broke my heart.

[SFG75]

Just finished it about a week ago. This is defninitely one of Steinbeck's best in regards to getting the reader to "buy into" the story. Character development was superb IMHO and it was a pleasure to read.:D