"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck - Book Review

What I liked about it...

I was surprised by how much the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck resonated with me. When I was in high school I read "The Grapes of Wrath." I really disliked that book at that point in my development and it felt like a large waste of time. However, after reading of "Of Mice and Men," it really struck me in a powerful way.

The first thing that I liked about it was the symbolism that seemed so poignant. Did Steinbeck intend there to be so much symbolism? I'm not sure, but I saw a lot within it. The first thing that I noticed was the dysfunctional friendship between George and Lennie which are the two main characters. They have this odd codependency because Lennie is a bit slower and George seems obligated to care for him or "think" for him. Lennie seems to want to please George or keep him from getting upset with him. Another thing that I find interesting is how several of the other characters that George and Lennie meet seem to find it odd that they travel together which indicates stigmas of two men living and traveling together at the time. I would say that George and Lennie symbolize dysfunction in relationships/friendships/partnerships in general. The irony with them is that the main driving force that keeps them going in life is the vision of one day getting a home with stability and "living off the fat of the land." This concept makes me think of the American dream, or a simplified version of that at the very least. Curley and his wife also embody dysfunctional relationships within their marriage.

Another major symbol that I noticed was how Lennie caused death even though that was never his intent. He had a good heart, pure-minded. There was not ever evil intent in any of his interactions with animals or people. With this symbolism, there was also a lot of irony as well. It's a bit graphic to think about because he killed mice, a puppy, and then Curley's wife who is never named, interestingly enough. Every time that a death occurred by Lennie's hands, it was always an accident. In reality, Lennie possessed a very compassionate, kind heart. He was just a big guy with brute strength. Sometimes in life don't we sometimes feel like everything we touch doesn't work out quite right? Maybe, we have have days or seasons of life like this. I, at least, related to this quite a bit. A scripture passage that came to mind when I read this part of the book was Genesis 3:17-18 which says,

"Then to Adam He said, 'Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: 'Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it . All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field."

Another ironic facet that I picked up on was that, while Lennie was the one causing deaths due to accidents, Carlson and then George were the ones who intentionally caused deaths for their own misguided, self-justified reasons.

Another thing that I really appreciated about this book was the beautiful scenery descriptions that Steinbeck wove within the storyline. For example, this quote depicts such a beautiful scene.

“Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones.”

Overall, I am very glad I finally took the time to read this book. I don't recommend this book for children or even high school age readers. I think that this type of book would be appreciated by mature adults who have had more life experience and who possess the ability to delve into thinking about symbolism. The harsh language and graphic imagery would likely not be best for a younger reading audience.