Welcome to Litsy!

Lennie and George have a plan to work to earn enough money for a little plot of land of their very own. But things start to go wrong as soon as they‘ve reported for work.

I can understand how this became a classic. Steinbeck is a pro at setting a scene and creating engaging characters. But god this is a desolate little novella. I‘m just left feeling sad. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

#AboutABook #ShortButPowerful
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

The best laid plans of something, something (the tagged book is under the strawberry).

Actually probably the closest I‘ve been to getting a Bingo. And I DID complete my #Bookspin and #Doublespin this month!
#BookspinBingo

#StorySettings
#farm
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

"We gonna get a little place ...we'll have a cow, an' we'll have maybe a pig an' chickens...and down the flat we'll have a little piece of alfalfa, for the rabbits. An' you get to tend the rabbits. An' live on the fatta the lan'."

An almost-perfect novella, really. But it's got a bleakness to it that made me feel like I wanted to take off into the woods & never find civilisation again. It's a pick, if you want to ponder why it is people do the things they do to each other. Was there a time when people were intrinsically valued for just being, instead of whether they were of any use? An objectively good book but now I feel like shit (well, more than usual). Thanks, John 😢

This book is more than the words on the pages. There‘s so much more to understand, so much more to learn, and so much more to fall in love with. It‘s ridiculous the hold this book and it‘s characters has on me. George and Lennie will always have such a special place in my heart, their relationship is one in a million. Steinbeck was an incredible author, and I might even go as far as to say that he is my ‘favourite‘ author.

Obviously, 5⭐️!

Engrossed from beginning to end. Steinbeck‘s Of Mice and Men transforms the bond of friendship displaying that the search for happiness is happiness itself with a friendship, even one so inverse as the relationship between George and Lennie. The ending could be thought of as the antithesis of friendship but was depicted on my humble opinion a kindness paid in the hardest way possible.

#2023Book35
I didn't really like this book when I read it in high school. Re-reading it as an adult, though, I have a new appreciation for the relationship between George and Lennie.

This was my pick for #authoramonth for March. I‘ve always wanted to read Grapes of Wrath but I had so many other books I wanted to get to in March that I chose this one. O how I wish I could have enjoyed it more. It just wasn‘t for me.

#AAM First time reading this, and wow does this little book, pack a ginormous punch. This writing is spare and lovely. The story is of friendship, poverty, brutality, loneliness and the so-called American dream, and an ending so heartbreaking it will stay with me long after finishing the story.

I just finished going through this book with a couple of friends. I really enjoyed it! It is sad at the end but it is a great short story! I really like how Steinbeck creates each character with a very different background. I also loved the mystery in some of the characters backgrounds!

I've been teaching this novella for 17 years and it never gets old. Every year, even the hardest pupils, react to the ending... I love seeing my students react to literature 💛

I often heard references to this book,and because of the #authoramonth2023 #johnsteinbeck challenge, I now understand all the buzz. George and Lennie travel to the Salinas Valley in California to work on a ranch during the Great Depression. Lennie is a man of tremendous size,but has the mind of a child. George is small and quick, and does his best to protect his friend. Spare, beautiful writing. Tragic. Unforgettable. #1937 #192025

I haven‘t read this in years and years, but it still has the effect on me that it did then. George and Lenny are friends in a world of migrant workers where no one has friends. There is a lot of fear and sadness and meanness in this one. Although I‘ve read other Steinbeck books, this one always comes to mindfirst.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#authoramonth

These are my two reads for #AuthorAMonth. I feel that classics have an advantage over historical fiction in situating the reader in a certain time. Mice in particular was insightful into the conditions of Depression-era work and views on intellectual disability. It‘s my first time reading Steinbeck since high school, and while I enjoyed these, two is enough. 😉 Both were well narrated, especially Gary Sinise performing Mice.

Short book with a big punch. There are a lot of themes to consider in this novella. It‘s depressing and bleak and tragic. Definitely not for everyone, but I like Steinbeck a lot because his writing gives me perspective.

#AuthorAMonth
@Soubhiville

I haven‘t read this since I first did in the 7th Grade. I didn‘t remember much. Reading it now, I‘m horrified this was taught at my school without any context or nuance. This was truly painful to get through. I understand Steinbeck is a product of his time but it‘s not for me. #AuthorAMonth

A quick read this one, but very sad and hard hitting at the same time. While short it does pack a punch and does get you thinking through a whole host of issues. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

2nd book finished during #MarvellousMarch
4th book finished during #MarchMadness @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Starting off my reading for this month‘s #AuthorAMonth with this all time classic.

First read this 42 years ago when I was 15 so be interesting to see how it stands up to the test of time.

@Soubhiville
#MarchMadness #MarvellousMarch @DieaReader @Ghabi4Roses

How many Steinbecks do you reckon this counts as for #AuthorAMonth ??

1 or 6?? 😁😁

It has nice Deluxe rumply edges 💕

We read this for class and I loved it. Steinbeck‘s writing is so unique and intriguing. I fell in love with the story from the first page. Lennie and George were such lovable characters and they reminded me of my brothers. It was a quick and easy read, yet so emotional. I‘m excited to read some of his other works.

Can you believe I got through 13 years of education without ever having to read Of Mice and Men?! I have mixed feelings. It‘s so well written and Steinbeck brings the hard, lonely life of the drifters to life with the lightest of touches. But I found Lennie disturbing and didn‘t like how he was presented as a sympathetic character - even though he had sexually assaulted one woman and killed another. Lots to talk about at book club tonight!

Of Mice And Men is messed up. M.E.S.S.E.D. U.P!

It‘s a short novel, but it‘s brutal and terribly sad. It‘s masterfully written – no notes on that front! – but it‘s far from an enjoyable read. Devastating. Nightmare fuel. I am exceedingly glad I was not compelled to read it as an angsty adolescent, as I‘m quite confident I never would have recovered. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck/

Believe it or not, here is some fun with OF MICE AND MEN, if interested:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTU8VR_Cokq-IVWDslQNbTfYrOG58yg8...

Oh, this novella! I don't know if I cried harder reading this or THE RED PONY. Another must when I taught junior American English. The kids always wanted to find another way for the ending, which made for excellent debates in class. Showing the 1992 movie version in class, I'd always have extra Kleenex handy. Guess who cried the hardest? The boys.

#manicmonday @CBee

📕 Tagged
✍️ George Orwell
🍿 One flew over the Cuckoo‘s nest
🎤 Ozzy Osbourne
🎵 One~Metallica

Here‘s my review for a book I just finished reading. I understand that it‘s set during the Great Depression but I still didn‘t like the book.

Here‘s my reading progress for this book that I started listening to. So far, it‘s interesting. I have 1 hour left in the audiobook but I‘m not going to listen to it anymore tonight. If I don‘t end up liking this book then I‘m not going to read anything else by this author.

#Alphabetgame #LetterO @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

One of the few books that had me sobbing! A book you will never forget

Another classic I felt guilty I hadn't read yet.
Lennie's heart-wrenching tragedy and the Great Depression with its devastating impact on rural communities will stay with me for a while.

About halfway-through Of Mice and Men, as one of the few readers who hasn't studied it at school. I'm rather underwhelmed so far. I know because I read the introduction that it was written as a play/novel hybrid, so I shouldn't complain, but there's too much dialogue and not enough depth for my liking.

“A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green”

#Firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. If you want a book that just socks you in the gut, this slim story is the one for you. I couldn't believe how much Steinbeck packed into 107 pages. I had never read this one before but it was my March #BookSpin draw so I just sat down and read the whole thing yesterday and can't stop thinking about it. Brilliant writing about everyday tragedy.

The title of “Of Mice and Men“ is an allusion to a Robert Burns' poem, which points out that the plans of mice and men often go awry. The author uses this allusion to foreshadow the events of the novel, cluing in the reader that some plan of the characters in the novel will go awry.

#OnThisDay in 1937, Of Mice and Men was published. Originally titled "Something That Happened" its final title was taken from Robert Burns' poem "Of a Mouse". Lennie was based on a real ranch hand he worked with (yes, the pitchfork thing happened. To a ranch foreman, not a girl, Steinbeck was a witness). One of the most challenged books of the 21st c., it almost didn't see publication when Steinbeck's dog Max ate the first draft. #HistoryGetsLIT

I don't think I can put into words how this book made me feel.

#2022Book8
I didn't really like this book when I read it in high school. Re-reading it as an adult, though, I have a new appreciation for the relationship between George and Lennie. And, while I usually find Steinbeck a bit too long-winded, I actually wish he'd made this story longer.

Wishing everyone the best for 2022!
2021 for me meant getting used to wearing masks, shields and PPE in my job as an ICU nurse and spending my time at home doing the things I love like reading, sewing and gardening💚
I read some wonderful books and grew a lot of vegetables 🌶 🌽
Stay healthy and happy in 2022🌻✌🏼
#2022 #happynewyear

Great

Someone I babysit for let me borrow his copy - it‘s good so far & I love Lennie

Hard to read because of the way it‘s written. The storyline and twists were worth it, though. Gets into deep themes and helps you ask relevant questions. Love the twist and the ending.

Excellent and very accessible. A short novel and a very quick read.

This short story captures such understanding and loyalty between friends. On a big-picture societal commentary level it has such a sadness to it by putting dreams next to despondent realities. You know how the story is going to end from the very start. You can‘t help but feel the weight of apathy creep in.-