Welcome back to another issue of my ongoing series named Books of Great Impact. Today, I’ll be discussing the fantastic novella titled Of Mice and Men, written by the legendary author John Steinbeck and published in 1937. Surely there has never been so much pure gold packed into just over 100 pages.
Of Mice and Men is a touching and tragic tale of the friendship between two men set in California during the Depression of the 1930s. As many of Steinbeck’s books do, it centers on the modest hopes, unrealized dreams and steep challenges of hard-working laborers in America as it grew. It is both powerful and tender. It is also tremendously sad, yet it wonderfully describes the undying yearning for some to lessen the hardships of life and delivers a deep meaningful message of friendship and devotion.
The two protagonists are desperate, looking to find work after being chased out of a town by an angry mob. George Milton is intelligent but has grown cynical of the world. He faithfully looks after and takes care of Lennie Small, his traveling companion. Lennie is strong physically, a giant of a man, but mentally he is highly challenged and almost child-like intellectually.
They find work on a ranch and begin to dream of owning a small farm together. The ranch they are working at though presents new characters, some of whom will stand in the way of them realizing that dream. Curly, the ranch boss’s son begins picking on Lennie and taking advantage of how unknowing and gentle he is. Curly’s wife only brings more trouble, of a different kind.
I will stop there because I don’t want to play the spoiler for anyone who has yet to read this absolute classic. I read this way back in my early twenties. I was a bit of hardnose and a tough guy back then, but after I read Of Mice and Men, I remember clearly closing the book and crying like a little boy. Good thing I was alone, or it would have ruined my reputation…a reveal of how shallow I was, but the memory is true. If you have never read this absolute gem, please do. I’ll state the following confidently. You will experience the finest that the written word has to offer, deep heartfelt emotions and crystal-clear life messaging.
I can’t end this post quite yet though. As is the case so many times with other novels and other authors, the author profile and the backstory hold as much fascination for me as the story itself. Mice and Men, like many of Steinbeck's written works is set in central California, the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges. His stories frequently explore the predestined and ill-fated lives of the lower class and the injustices visited on them by society and the world. Steinbeck had true compassion for his fellow man, especially those with crushed dreams and no hope, the downtrodden and the desperate.
His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, served as the Monterey CA, County treasurer. John's mother, Olive was a former school teacher, who shared Steinbeck's passion for reading and writing and urged him on. Steinbeck grew up in a small rural valley about 25 miles from the coast. He spent his summers working on nearby ranches and also labored alongside migrant workers on crop farms. He was a wanderer with a talent for observation, the people and landscapes around him as well as human traits and frailties.
After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Standford University and studied English literature but ended up dropping out before he earned a degree. Odd job after odd job resulted in nothing. During the Great Depression, he bought a small fishing boat but that too didn’t pan out. He had a young wife, no money and no prospects.
Then in 1929, his historical fiction titled Cup of Gold, based on the privateer Henry Morgan, was published. This began 4 decades of excellence, producing Novels and Novellas that even the most casual readers recognize and have read. Just a partial list of his book titles includes: The Red Pony, Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, East of Eden, The Pearl and oh yes, there was this other novel titled The Grapes of Wrath.
He won a Nobel Prize for Literature. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Grapes of Wrath and then in 1964 he was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom. John Steinbeck was simply an incredible author and for me personally, he is the one who stands out - and above so many other greats. He remains to be and at this point in life, will almost assuredly continue to be, my absolute favorite.
Well, that will wrap up this latest edition of my series Books of Impact. I hope you enjoyed it and appreciate all of you reading as always. If you should happen to make a small contribution, I would be forever in your debt. If you should happen to pass this post along, I would be thrilled and if you would care to comment I would of course love that. Until next time, take care. - JW
I love Steinbeck. Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row wowed me, The Red Pony gutted me (I don’t know if I can say I loved that one because it HURT). I have yet to read Of Mice and Men, probably because of the ouch factor. The emotions these books stir are big. Brilliant writer.
One of my faves. Haven't read it in a long time. Same with Grapes of Wrath. We had an edition that had all of his stories in one. Big book, long gone now, unfortunately. I do have him in ebook format now. Great essay, Jim!