Review by: Jade Davidson
March 2008
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
I usually cannot get interested in any book I read, so when I was told we were
required to read Of Mice and Men for eleventh grade English, I was not excited.
After reading the first few chapters in class, I found that I was actually
interested to find out what would happen next. This book is a literary classic
that will keep your interest through the entire story.
The main characters, George and Lenny, are partners in this novel. Lenny is the
slow but strong character. George keeps Lenny out of trouble as much as he can.
Their goal is to fulfill their dream of buying a house together and having
rabbits for Lenny to call his own. Lenny often asked George to tell him the
story of their dream home on the hill. The two pretend to be related and find a
job, though the boss is suspicious of them, since George does not allow Lenny to
speak for himself. They are on their way to being able to buy their home, until
Lenny gets himself into trouble again. George gave specific orders for Lenny to
go by the river if anything were to happen, so George knew exactly where to find
him when he received the news. A fatal mistake will change the hopes, dreams and
fate of George and Lenny forever.
I enjoyed reading this book because the suspense was continuous throughout the
story. I also was extremely surprised how everything turned out. If you decide
to read this book, I am sure you will be stunned by the ending.