Reviews with content warning for Death - Of Mice and Men

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

308 reviews

haremenot's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

cheyenneh's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

eva_berglund's review against another edition

5.0

emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a story about two migrant workers in California. The story starts with George and Lennie on their way to a new farm to work. The two travel together because George watches after Lennie, a large man with a disability that has caused developmental delays. Lennie got in legal trouble in the last town they worked in due to a misunderstanding. While resting for the night in a clearing in the woods, George tells Lennie that if he gets in trouble again on the farm, he should come back here and wait for George. They also discuss their dream of making enough money to own their own farm where they can be independent and Lennie can raise and take care of rabbits. Lenny loves animals and petting them, although he has killed small pets before because he doesn’t understand his strength. Once they get to the farm, they meet the other workers, such as Slim, Whit, Bill, Crooks, Candy, and Curley. Slim’s dog has just had puppies. Lennie loves animals, and petting soft things. Slim lets him visit the puppies in the barn when he can. George gets to know the other workers pretty well, except for Curley, who is newly married and always mean and on edge. Curley is frequently seen looking for his wife, who likes to roam around and flirt with the men on the farm. One day, Candy overhears George and Lennie discussing their dream again, and he offers them all of his life savings towards the land if they let them join him, which they accept. Slim also offers Lennie one of the puppies once it is old enough to leave its mother. Everything seems to be falling into place for George and Lennie, but a horrible accident causes Lennie to have to flee back to the clearing from the beginning of the book. George and the other men from the farm go out looking for Lennie, and George is left with an impossible decision.

This book is appropriate for middle schoolers and older. Of Mice and Men is rated at a 630L, which is in the average range for late elementary school to early middle school readers. The language in this book, including spelling, mimics the speech patterns of characters during dialogue, which can prove difficult for readers who have dyslexia or struggle to decode words. The thematic content in this book is challenging, which is why I do not recommend it until later middle school. Some prior knowledge of the Great Depression, migrant work, and societal beliefs in the 1930s US is needed. Also, there are some themes that are not appropriate for younger adolescents. Readers who enjoy books that focus on characters and relationships will enjoy this book, but readers who want action and a complex plot may find less to enjoy here. Readers who want to explore themes of life, hope, and reality will find lots to think about. Readers in a classroom will find a wealth of literary elements and themes to analyze. Questions that might be asked include: “How do literary elements shape a reader’s experience with a text?” and “What does it mean to be a good friend?” Readers who enjoy books that focus on characters and relationships will enjoy this book, but readers who want action and a complex plot may find less to enjoy here.

This book fit my reading needs by bringing up questions about society that are still relevant around 90 years after this book takes place. I read this book while taking a course that was discussing the history of the disability movement, and this book made me examine how ableism has changed, and largely how it has not. This work is realistic fiction, and suits my interests. I like to read about what it was like to exist in different cultures over the course of history. Reading this book was also my first time reading as a teacher and judging a book by its educational opportunities. I think this book could be interesting to many students and appropriately challenging for older adolescents. One strength of this book is that it is a short read, which will help maintain students engagement. One weakness of this book is that it might be boring for students who like action. Teachers will have to find other ways to engage these students (such as through varied activities).

Content Warnings

blomfy's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

so thats where that tiktok meme comes from 😭 loved it though, made me cry

Content Warnings

sproutreadsbugs's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Poor lenny💔

Content Warnings

ragamucky's review against another edition

4.75

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

theloudmanself's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

luxxltyd's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

livlovis's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Jag tyckte språket var väldigt mysigt men speciell & fast än att boken var kort tyckte jag att den var så bra, kanske också pga just att den var så kort men ändå fick mig att känna för karaktärerna.
Mycket fin berättelse om ansvar och vänskap.

Content Warnings

bjohnson78282's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It was well written. The character development was profound and the ending left me heart broken. The illumination of human rights was something worth reading.

Content Warnings

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