Reviews with content warning for Rape - Of Mice and Men

Title was very misleading, no mice. Tbh was pretty boring. The entire book is just dialogue and nothing happens for the majority of the book. Was disappointed. The book felt pointless and stupid. Terrible classic. (forced to read for school)

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jzargo_thebird's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book is definitely not the big behemoth that many people put it up to be. But I can't argue against the fact that it is such a pure and raw showcase of emotions and character that I have ever read in a book. They use literally next to nothing in terms setting or plot devices etc. But its just a bare bones story. And I think it's just one of those books where I have no notes.

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yellow_star's review against another edition

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sad

Strong character development? No

2.0

This ruined my day. Classic books can teach you something about humanity and a time period without being depressing. Prepare tissues.

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siebensommer's review against another edition

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3.5

Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other.

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kiwij96's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After having to leave their previous town, George and Lennie find themselves on another ranch as a stepping stone for their own future ranch.

This is the first time I've read this book independently since leaving school. School definitely made this book feel longer but it was a quick evening read of 120 pages.

Reading it in Secondary School, I used to think Curley's wife was the villain of the story. But having read it now as an adult, there are no villains. It is just a concise social commentary on life in 1930s America:
1. Sexism: Curley's wife didn't even have her own name and based on her conversation with Lennie, she didn't even have her own life - she just married Curley to get back at her mother. Dreamt of being an actress and making a name for herself.
2. Racism: Crooks also didn't even have his own name. He lived on his own, segregated from the rest of his colleagues based on the colour of his skin. He put up with racist slurs being hurled at him constantly.
3. Ableism: Crooks' nickname comes from his injury. Candy and Lennie get left out of the men's outing to town. And George frequently tells Lennie that Lennie is a burden.

The book is not well-written by modern standards for sure: racist, misogynistic and ableist terminology is rife. The repetition also becomes a bit painful at times. But in little over 100 pages, you understand the characters and there is no need to continue it much further than where it ends.

The story is wanting the American Dream. Everyone in this story wants it, dreams of it, works for it. But in the end, no one really achieves it.

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kearneth's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I do understand why some people would love this (I guess), I truly hated the experience of reading this novel. I found the characters to feel performative and hollow, and I truly was not able to get anything beneficial out of reading this novel.

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eliya's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i was really hoping that this was gonna end with the five of em living their best lives. this is hopelessly devastating.

the scene that steinbeck paints is very well done. heavily descriptive just up to the point where it sets the scene, no further, which i appreciated bc i get dizzy with too much detail.

quick read, horribly packed with internal conflict. poor george. poor lennie. poor mae. i strongly believe that steinbeck was not “demonstrating bias of the period” so much as participating in it heavily.

i’ll think about this book for a while.

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meggg508's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

this book made me feel so angry and conflicted and now i’m like AHH

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