Reviews

It has been so long since I've the last time I read this book. It hits differently now than it did then. It is still very well crafted and sad tale. It is almost perfect in how it is crafted and a testament to a master storyteller. I was not a fan of Steinbeck back in school but the his books have grown on me in recent years. I really like that this book is an allegory for the American Dream. I like how Steinbeck is able to capture the character and voice of the time period. Even though I really liked this book it is sad and depressing. As a read this book I noticed connections to many other famous works that this inspired. It is amazing how much story John Steinbeck packs into so few pages. There is a sense of foreboding looming over the story from the start. The foreshadowing from the beginning and throughout leading to the inevitable conclusion is perfection. This is a book that everyone should read whether you like or not is irrelevant but it should be experienced. For the rabbits Lenny, for the rabbits. Me and you, you and me.

willie_g's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

2.5

lguzzie's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head.” -Crooks

“No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.” -George

A very succinct story, coming in at just over 100 pages with somewhat large print. I feel like it would have greatly benefited from another 50 or 100 pages. Certain characters like Slim are introduced and heavily characterized and described just to really have a couple page impact on the story. But hell, what is there to say that hasn’t been said before?

berrycreampuffs's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A short, but soul-crushing book. The duo, George and Lenny, are victims of the tragedy of the tough times and tough circumstances. Steinbeck leads you to a picturesque image of precious brotherhood and hopeful outlooks on a better world; then, he cruelly pushes you down a rabbithole of depression as the characters face the pitiless depths of masculinity, disability, and the inescapable hold of the status quo. A great introductory book to Steinbeck! I hope to ready more of his works.

moodreadingwithmaddy's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Have you ever read a book 10 years ago and then reread that book 10 years later for a summer reading challenge? You have minimal memories of the plot, but still some significant memories nonetheless… And you move through the story thinking, “This is not at all how I remember this story going… Maybe they re wrote the ending? It doesn’t sound like it’s going to end how I remember it… Surely I am not remembering correctly…” Only for the story to end how you remember it ending and you hope that you don’t have to reread the story for at least another 10 more years… Anyone?? Just me?? Cool cool cool.

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