Friday, October 23, 2015

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men


I've not read this before and it's probably been on my list of must reads for longer than anything. Probably since I read the Grapes of Wrath at school. Brilliant characterisations with parallel tracks of hopelessness whether it's people working on farms, itinerant labourers forever hoping to get enough money for land, those who own the farms in their isolation and also the place of blacks in society. The big man personifies these dreams and hopelessness despite physical strength. There are many parallels to be made with the human nature and society here, more than I could write up I'm sure, but at it's basic level this is a beautiful story of two men who are joined at the hip and the care that the one takes of the other. The ending is a bit rough though. I suspect it will be one I'll read again and again like Cannery Row. Now where is my copy of that...

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