Wow. What a powerful story. Poor George. I cried. Steinbeck told so much in so few words. Of mice and men, indeed. And rabbits. I haven’t ever seen the movie either. Are they all this good? Should I read The Grapes of Wrath?
Comments wanted.
I’m jealous. To read a masterpiece like that for the first time must have been quite an experience. This book is quite Zen-like in that, like you say, it tells such a great story in so few words. Did you observe how it almost reads like a play? I’ve heard it makes the transition to a stage almost effortlessly. I know that it makes a wonderful film. I like the version with Lon Chaney as Lennie best.
A good proportion of Steinbeck’s books are stupendous. Absolutely, positively yes you should read “The Grapes Of Wrath.” It was one of the best novels of the twentieth century, if not the best. Be prepared for a powerful, mind-bendingly good read, and that story will be with you the rest of your life. This book, also, made a great movie, starring Henry Fonda.
We’ve just discussed his two best works; I also think the following titles are awesome, although not as powerful:
Tortilla Flat. Very funny, and Steinbeck does a great job capturing the characters and flavor of a Latino community near Monterey. Poetic, too, as the conversations among the characters (written in English) mimic the rhythm of spoken Spanish.
Cannery Row. Also very funny, and it introduces Doc, a wonderful character based on Steinbeck’s great friend Ed Ricketts. Lots of good stuff about marine biology, drinking, whores, freeloading and philosophy.
East of Eden. Good historical drama, although less effective than the above three titles. It’s based on Steinbeck’s own family, and I believe the Catherine character is based on his second wife (any confirmation of this from Steinbeck fans?).
There are lots more, but this will keep you busy for weeks (months?). Have fun! I’m jealous.
Dolores: Not all of Steinbeck’s books are that good, but he wrote some masterpieces of American literature.
“Grapes of Wrath” is excellent, but be warned: it is as downbeat as “Of Mice and Men.” “In Dubious Battle” explores many of the same issues as “Grapes of Wrath,” but from a more explicitly Marxist viewpoint.
“East of Eden,” IMO, is his masterpiece – a subtle tour de force in which he interwove his family’s history with fictional characters.
On a lighter note, I recommend “Tortilla Flat” and “Cannery Row.” They are both hilarious novels.
I liked “The Moon is Down,” but James Thurber savaged it in an old New Yorker review.
“The Long Valley” contains some excellent short stories.
“The Winter of Our Discontent” was a good novel also. I think I am going to reread it soon as some of its themes are more timely than ever.
I hope you read more Steinbeck. He is this country’s greatest writer, IMO.
I know you didn’t ask me for my opinion, but I’ll give it to you anyway. I thought “Of Mice and Men” was good, but when I finished it, I just sat there for a few minutes not doing anything, almost numb and unable to think. Very powerful ending, the only thing that makes me rather uneager to read much more of Steinbeck’s work.
Well, okay, I did. “The Pearl” is one worth reading, and nice if you haven’t got much time. Pretty short, but it’s a great story, I found it to be very true-to-life.
I thought it was a great book. And the movie with Gary Sinese and John Malkovich was very good too.
I think the fact that I reread the ending to Of Mice and Men (Lenny’s whole vision thing up to the end) three times in a row, twice out loud, is enough to say how awesome that book was. If not, e-mail me privately and I’ll make it clear. 
The Pearl wasn’t nearly as powerful (the only other Steinbeck thing I’ve read) but from what I remember of it, I liked it well enough.
Many of the other are good, especially Cannery Row, but none of the others deliver quite the emotional impact that Mice and Men does so compactly. Steinbeck always seemed that he dealt with similar subjects, but in completely different styles.
Funny…I couldn’t get through “The Grapes of Wrath”. I loved “Of mice and men”, but the other one…the halfdozen or more pages at the beginning describing the dust in Oklahoma…I found it very long and tedious. Also, I had trouble with Hemmingway…“The Sun Also Rises” has got to be one of the worst books I’ve ever read…the only good thing that came out of it is I met my boyfriend when I was avoiding reading… 
Maybe I’m just not the modern-American-literature-type person…
Steinbeck was one of my favorite authors that I was forced to read in high school. There’s something about telling kids to read classics before they’re ready to accept them that makes me cringe. But “Of Mice and Men” was a great book.
In college, I picked up “Travels with Charley” which is a great Steinbeck piece not just in what’s written, but in the entire concept. Write a book about what everyone dreams of doing: abandoning everything and hitting the road to explore. Highly recommended.
Delores, if you wanna explore the book further, all you gotta do is ask. I’ll keep my glove on, waiting.
IMHO, as a once marine biologist: “The Log from the Sea of Cortez” is definately his most underated. Now that you read of M&M, read “the Log”- it has some very funny moments in it, you will need it. The 2 Cannery row books are nice lite reading- but they are deeper than many think.
damn. here I am, Senor Macho and all getting a bit misty thinking about the time I read OM&M. I must bore you with the full story…
Sixth grade. The Language Arts (read: English) teacher shows us the film version of OM&M with Robert Blake as George (don’t remember who played Lenny). Liked it. Thought it damn funny when Lenny said “I like catsup on my beans, George.” (Direct quote, like I said, I really liked it.) Thought it kind of queer that he kpet the dead mouse in his pocket. In the barn with the girl… I just knew it would turn out for no good. (don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it - YET).
[wow, as I reflect and type, I realize that I liked the movie at age eleven because I could identify with both characters in specific ways. here’s Lenny, completely pure, in that he’s not been tainted by the world’s evil and here’s George, shouldering the “unfairness” of having to take care of his brother and fixing all the “fine messes”, but doing it with the utmost love. If anyone out there has been involved with Hospice or nursing a dying relative there is a bit of identification.]
fast forward to age 30. After many years of undergraduate and graduate school, I realize that I haven’t read a work of fiction since ENGL 101, freshman year (Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter). Gotta read fiction. Possibly classics. I was a teacher back then, so I went to the English Dept. store room and got some books to read. One was OM&M. WOW!!! It was wonderful. I thirsted for more. Read Cannery Row - good but not quite as good. Tried to compare it to The Pearl which I had read in high school. OM&M is much better.
I can say, without hesitation, that based on my rather limited exposure to “classic” fiction, OM&M is my fav book of all time. FTR, #2 would be To Kill a Mockingbird and the rest would probably be Kurt Vonnegut stuff Time Quake is just plain awesome. KV has the uncanny ability to make fun of you and make you laugh at it as if he were making fun of someone else.
If you, gentle reader, have stuck with me thus far, please take the next sentence more as a prescription than as advise.
**Read Of Mice And Men; you’ll be a much better person for it. (not that you aren’t wonderful now :))
I’ve rambled long enough…
Thanks for all your comments and reviews. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this. (I’m 42.) I’ve decided that just reading Stephen King and John Grisham wasn’t broadening my horizons that much, and that I should read some of the more classic literature. It has to be entertaining though! I’ve tried to read Moby Dick twice, and I can’t get through it. Steinbeck’s style is so homey and natural sounding that it’s like a friend telling you a story. I will definitely at least read “The Grapes of Wrath.” We recently got American Movie Classics added to our basic cable, so I’ll try to catch the movie with Fonda. I’ve also given the book to my son, and ordered him to read it.
pugluvr: There is a foreword in my copy that mentioned how easily it transferred to the stage.
mnemosyne: I had to do a report on Hemingway in Community college many moons ago, and I chose “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” It was hard at first, but an extremely gripping tale.
<quote from Enderw23> Delores, if you wanna explore the book further, all you gotta do is ask. I’ll keep my glove on, waiting.
With or without vaseline?
Thanks, everyone.