‘Of Mice and Men’ has turned out to be the kind of novel that I had to read in one go and could put down only after reading it whole.
Brief and concise, it is a book that does not waste any words on unnecessary descriptions and dialogues. It goes straight into presenting George and Lennie, the main characters, and into depicting their individualities, relationship and conflict. It achieves this through a language that is so authentic and genuine that you can almost see the two men conversing on the riverbank, at the farm or again on the riverbank in the dramatic closing pages of the story.
Under the creative and writing abilities of John Steinbeck, the language of migrant ranch workers and of those who lived on Californian farms during the Great Depression catches life (and fire) and makes the characters look and sound like they are standing three feet away from you.
All throughout the novel, I had the impression that I was actually watching a film or a theatre play that it had inspired.
That is why I recommend this book to all those who love reading and the fantastic experiences that it enables. This novel in particular will make you stop breathing.
Irina Writes 