Old Books, New Readers discussion

Sorry it has taken me a little long to get this up, I have been sick. But here is a good book to read while I get better! Chosen in our poll by most of you lovely people, we will be reading "Of Mice and Men" this month. Enjoy!

I've wanted to read this book for a while...this is the excuse to lol

I know, I have been putting it off, but I am going to grab it at the library after work this week end. I am determined to read this months book.

I know lol! I didn't read Taming of the Shrew yet :( it's still sitting on my dresser lol

This is a great book, and not very long.

Oh, I'll be interested to hear what you all think of this book. I read it quite a while ago for school, and honestly I didn't like it... I won't say much until more people have finished, but I'm curious about how you all will feel about it!

I've read a few review about it, and it seems like a drama...so I'm waiting until I read it to form an opinion fully.

It is a little bit like a drama. And I definitely agree that you should wait until you read it to decide; I don't think people should form an opinion of a book until they've read (or tried to read) it for themselves. I've never been a fan of John Steinbeck, though, or novels set in that time period, so that definitely has something to do with me not enjoying it as much as some people do.

Hey guys! I don't usually post here because I haven't had a chance to read one of the monthly books (I've promised myself to read all of the ones I own, and haven't read yet, before reading something new- it's going to take forever lol), but I actually finished reading Of Mice and Men a couple months ago, so I can finally get involved in a discussion!

I also won't give anything away until more people have read it, but unlike Haley, I really liked it. It's not written in my favorite style, but I think it had a lot to say about humanity. I enjoyed how much this book made me think and analyze. I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks- maybe I'll be the only one who likes it lol.

In fact it has been made into a drama -- by Steinbeck himself, which means it is very true indeed to the print work. I saw a grand production of it at the Arena State in Washington DC about ten years ago.

I too had been waiting for an excuse to read this book. I ordered a first edition so that I could read it with the group. These are old books and pdfs can be found easily on the net but having a book in your hands makes the reading much better, I feel. I have seen the movie and am guessing the book must be much better.

I agree with having the book in hand. The Taming of the Shrew was free on goodreads, but I still haven't read it because for me, it is not the same as a book. Also I cannot read as long because computer text hurts my eyes.

As for Of mice and Men I usually steer clear of drama books, or ones that have a lot to say about society because I usually disagree and it stresses me out when a lot of people like a book and I cannot stand it. But I am going to read this one anyways.

I haven't read our January's Book, The Taming of The Shrew. But, I like to read this one. And I have this book, translated into my language. Probably I'll starting to read this in next week since I know it's not too thick.

I read Of Mice and Men about 2 months ago and loved it! Great book! And Christa I hope you are feeling better!

I actually can´t wait to start reading it. It´s on my "to read" list for quite a long time already.

Christa - Ron Paul 2016 wrote: "Sorry it has taken me a little long to get this up, I have been sick. But here is a good book to read while I get better! Chosen in our poll by most of you lovely people, we will be reading "Of Mic..."

I hope you are feeling much better. Take care. :-)

I think I read it in high school but high school was a while ago :-) so I don't remember exactly. I am looking forward to reading this book with the group since this will be my first group read here in Goodreads.

I am feeling much better thank you all.

I got the book yesterday from the library and read the first three chapters before bed. It was kind of boring and I dislike how much cussing was in it especially about the Lord, but I thought the story looked really sweet so I made a huge mistake and skipped to the end!

Now I have really gotten myself into a mess. I hate this book. I hate hate hate sad endings! They make me lose all faith in humanity. So now I haven't read all the book but I don't want to either because I know how it ends, but I don't know how the end comes about. It is driving me crazy!

Christa - Ron Paul 2016 wrote: "I am feeling much better thank you all.

I got the book yesterday from the library and read the first three chapters before bed. It was kind of boring and I dislike how much cussing was in it espec..."

In my review, I mentioned that I didn't finish it this time around (except in high school long ago) because of all the cursing too. I understand how you feel. The story itself is very powerful and if the main characters hadn't used the Lord's name in vain so much, I would have finished it.

I'm just starting the book now, I've only had a chance to read the first couple of pages sadly. It's an interesting writing style, but takes some getting used to.

Is anyone else just starting it? :)

I just finished a few minutes ago. It is such a sad book! I'm sorry to all you folks that haven't read it yet but I cannot hold it in. Poor poor George. And that stupid woman with no name! Did anyone else notice she has no name? Just "My Wife" or "Curley's Wife"? I thought that was rather interesting to have such a big charter with no name, all the other guys had names even if you only met them for a minute. But she had no name. Why do you think John did that?

I've read this book several times as it is one of my favs and I am a serious Steinbeck fanatic. I'll be interested in what you all think. This book is quite beautiful although terribly sad.

Good question Christa because she did have such a big part. I'd like to understand that too. Maybe because of the episode it would be more potent without naming her? Weren't there many descriptions of her character?

The book described her several times as being all dressed up, and mention the color red a few times, but nothing really descriptive of like what she really looked like. Mostly it just described her charter of being a skank.

Yes, that's the "character" image I remember.

Ah yes, the nameless woman, the foul temptress that steals and corrupts innocence. A favorite theme in Steinbeck's novels. East of Eden has a similar thread, though very much less potent than the powerful jolt this story delivers. The bad language, too, is meant to carry the reader into a brutal world. This is a terribly brutal story (sorry) where simpleness, kindness are destroyed through ignorance and intolerance. I love this book. Give it a chance everyone!

I always thought she had no name to show the difference in importance of men and women those days. All the men had names because they were the ones working and the ones who made decisions and whatnot, so i always figured Steinbeck was showing that then people thought that the most important thing about the woman was that she was a wife. Kind of like she wasn't good for anything else, but at least she had managed to get married. That kind of thing.

And usually I don't mind sad endings, and I guess I didn't even mind the ending in this so much as I just don't like the whole book. So the sad ending was just kind of the cherry on top.

Maybe Steinbeck just couldn't come up with a name evil enough for her since "Satan" was already taken. Didn't look like she was good fro anything, not even a very good wife.

I agree with you Denise though, as much as I disliked the fowl language it was very important to create the charters. And that's how they talk, and more than likely still do. If George hadn't cursed he wouldn't have felt as real, and would have been looked down upon by the other men charters. Like he thought he was better than everyone else.

Curley's wife is in a truly depressing situation. She is obviously uneducated and has no mental life or prospects of intellectual improvement. She is married to Curley, ew! She has no role in the operations of the family business, and does not seem to possess to moxie to muscle in, or the smarts to learn the ranching trade. It is a rural ranch with very little society. (And I am sure I do not need to point out that she has no email, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, etc. -- all the things that would make a similar situation more tolerabe in 2013.) At least the men have some agency -- they could walk off down the road to the next ranch, for instance. She's in a dead end.

That is a good point. She was obviously wanting a "fun exciting" life in a city. But I still don't feel too bad for her. She said she ran away from her mother for an imaged slight. I think her mother was trying to protect her, after all mom kept daughter from running off with a show at fifteen, and the daughter hated mom for it. So to show up mom daughter ran off and married the first person who would have her, she made the wrong choice and suffered for it.

I do feel a little bad, but she went to the same grade school as any man would have gone to. It's her own fault for being silly.

Perhaps she has no name because she represents every-woman. She has no use or purpose except to gratify her vanity. She has no agency except to drive men off task and to embroil the world in corrupt and desperate acts. She has more power than any of them - even George, who knows to stay away from her, gets swept up in the consequences of her actions. It's a misogynistic view of women, to be sure, but also a statement on the weakness of men. No one, not even Lenny, comes away from this story without blood on their hands.

Yes, it's a true tragedy, with everybody (even the dog!) dead or sad at the end.

I feel so sorry and angry at George. On one hand Lennie



SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!


One hand Lennie kill that woman so the idea of George and Lennie just running away again is wrong. George


SPOILER AGAIN!!!!!


George killed Lennie out of kindness, because Curley was really going to hurt Lennie out of spite, but I hate George for doing it. Two wrongs don't make a right. And I get the feeling the George was never going to get that land, just drink away his life morning Lennie. It is so sad all around.

You know...I don't think I want to read this book anymore lol....

Hey I warned you of spoilers!

Well, just reading without looking at spoilers...it seems like a pretty depressing book...

I confess to being depressed, or at least my version of it, when I was done. I hope we get a happy book next month. But it is good sometimes to read sad books. Once in a long while of course. It helps with seeing how others might see things and reminds me that not every story has a happy ending. Something I could never believe when younger.

Yeah...I just think I'll skip this month haha!

Hahaha I have it on record that you said you were going to read this month since you skipped last month.

"I know lol! I didn't read Taming of the Shrew yet :( it's still sitting on my dresser lol"


See you did say that :D I'm just joking though, you don't have to read it.

Haha I know....Xp

My boyfriend read this book two days ago and said: I feel sorry for George!
Seems like some people pity on him, right?

I do! I feel very bad for George.

An interesting question is why George takes care of Lenny. Are they relatives? Was Lenny left in George's care by somebody? The thematic analogy is with the old man Candy and the dog. Even though the dog is useless and smelly, Candy takes care of it. When he is forced to shoot the dog he is not relieved, but grief-stricken.

I´m currently reading it and so far it makes me sad, especially (view spoiler)[George throwing the mouse (hide spoiler)]
I cannot stop feeling sorry for Lennie too. Poor guy, forgets everything, loves mice but (view spoiler)[kills them (hide spoiler)] every time.

I have a pet mouse myself. His name is Gregor and is almost 2 years old (will be in March). I can´t possibly imagine to (view spoiler)[throw him like he´s stone, not even if dead. (hide spoiler)] Well, I´m sure it is not important but ... my mouse loves to be stroked and receive kisses. He´s the most intelligent animal I´ve met in my whole life. You have to see how creative he´s as well. We´ve bought him a little house, with a roof, window and door - a real small house, and he made himself a bed of hay and a carpet of leaves. He made curtains of hay and even closed the door. So when he´s in sleeping mode, he just closes everything: window and door so he won´t be disturbed. I don´t know how much you know about mice in general, so I´ll tell you that they´re really clean animals. My pet has a plastic box that it´s actually a rodent toilet. I place rodent sand in it and Gregor uses this toilet. He even place all the trash he can possibly have in his living space in that box, like the food he doesn´t want to eat or shells of the seeds he ate. And, sometimes, he likes to sleep in my bed, under pillows - I do allow it, he´s a family member as anyone else. And he loves to play with our rabbit (his name is Casper).

I know this was off topic, but I can´t stop thinking about my mouse while reading this book. I know lots of people are actually afraid of mice (don´t know why) so I guess I just wanted to describe their behavior a bit and I would like to ask you, please don´t kill mice or rats. Just let them go. They´re not the bad guys, I promise.

I understand feeling bad about pets in books. I am always sad when dogs die in books or movies. Most other things I don't care about, not even when the main charter dies, but kill a dog and the tears began to fill up.

Brenda I was also curious as to why George would help Lennie. Maybe Lennie's Aunt(I forget her name) took care of George too, and George felt like he had to take care of Lennie to repay that debt.

It's actually better that we don't know the details. It is possible that they are actually half-brothers (the same mother or father). Not knowing gives everybody room to make up their own backstory.

Oh my, the language is driving me crazy!
English is not my native and when is so ... what is the right word, so shortened and used in "Steinbeck way" - I have a hard time understanding it. ):

And how comes that Lennie remembers everything that has to do with animals but has problems with memorizing other stuff? Do we find out later in the book? If yes, don´t tell me the answer then, please. (:

Lennie is obviously learning-disabled, as we would say it. He can do some things pretty well, and other things he's ... retarded with. Another question that is never answered is how he got this way. Was he born with a congenital LD? Perhaps his mother was an alcoholic. Or maybe he was simply dropped on the head in infancy.

I like this story but didn't love it. I like the way Steinbeck describe everything on this story. The place and the character of each one of them.
However, I feel bad for Lennie. He's such a good guy.

I just joined the group. I read Of Mice and Men 18 months ago and I thought it was a really good book. I can still imagine the scene of them all in the hut, the picture is still in my head.