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Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men
Audiobook3 hours

Of Mice and Men

Written by John Steinbeck

Narrated by Gary Sinise

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men remains one of America's most widely read and beloved novels. Here is Steinbeck's dramatic adaptation of his novel-as-play, which received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play in 1937-1938 and has featured a number of actors who have played the iconic roles of George and Lennie on stage and film, including James Earl Jones, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.From the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, this classic story of an unlikely pair, two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression who grasp for their American Dream, profoundly touches listeners and audiences alike. George and his simple-minded friend Lenny dream, as drifters will, of a place to call their own—a couple of acres and a few pigs, chickens, and rabbits back in Hill Country where land is cheap. But after they come to work on a ranch in the fertile Salinas Valley of California, their hopes, like "the best laid schemes o'mice an' men," begin to go awry.

Of Mice and Men also represents an experiment in form, as Steinbeck described his work, "a kind of playable novel, written in novel form but so scened and set that it can be played as it stands." A rarity in American letters, it achieved remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 13, 2011
ISBN9781101530900
Author

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (Salinas, 1902 - Nueva York, 1968). Narrador y dramaturgo estadounidense. Estudió en la Universidad de Stanford, pero desde muy joven tuvo que trabajar duramente como albañil, jornalero rural, agrimensor o empleado de tienda. En la década de 1930 describió la pobreza que acompañó a la Depresión económica y tuvo su primer reconocimiento crítico con la novela Tortilla Flat, en 1935. Sus novelas se sitúan dentro de la corriente naturalista o del realismo social americano. Su estilo, heredero del naturalismo y próximo al periodismo, se sustenta sin embargo en una gran carga de emotividad en los argumentos y en el simbolismo presente en las situaciones y personajes que crea, como ocurre en sus obras mayores: De ratones y hombres (1937), Las uvas de la ira (1939) y Al este del Edén (1952). Obtuvo el premio Nobel en 1962.

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Reviews for Of Mice and Men

Rating: 4.342629482071713 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

251 ratings297 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summary: The book starts with George and Lennie, two friends and travelers, looking for work because they got into trouble with the head rancher at their last job. Both George and Lennie go everywhere together, but since Lennie can't take care of himself, George helps Lennie by taking care of him and keeping out of trouble. Both men want to own a piece of land for themselves so that they don't have to worry about earning money. Once they get to their new ranch, George does the interview alone, fearing the boss won't hire them because of Lennie's mental disability. However, George secures the job for both of them.Once at the ranch, they meet the boss's mean spirited son, Curley and his wife, who tries to flirt with all the men on the ranch. George and Lennie make a deal with the old ranch hand, Candy, that, in exchange for his savings, they can live together on George's farm. Curly's wife tries to flirt with Lennie. Lennie pulls to hard on her hair, and she starts screaming. Lennie accidentally breaks her neck while trying to get her to stop screaming. Once the men on the ranch realize what has happened they organize a lynch party. Lenny runs away to the field where George told him to go if there was ever any trouble. George finds his friend and tells him that they will run away together to their farm. He tells Lenny to face away from him and imagine the farm. When Lennie tells George he can see it, George shoots him dead. George tells the lynch party that Lennie killed himself. Then, he leaves without another word.Review: This book is one of the best I have read because of its bitter-sweet ending that makes you question the fine line between right and wrong. Even though the ending was saddening (and shocking) the more I thought about what George did it made me realize he really was a true friend. Out of love for his friend, George wants to save him from a frightening and painful death of the lynch mob. Just like a loved pet, George puts him out of his misery leaving with thoughts of their dream of living on the farm.This was one of those books I will think about for a long time. I can see why John Steinbeck was an award winning author and will look into reading more of these classic books. All of these reasons make this book and easy five out of five stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Yes, somehow I'd made it to middle age without ever having read this book. Though I knew what it was about, of course, and what happens in it. Who doesn't? This is probably one of the top five most spoiled works of fiction in the English language. At the beginning, I thought this was going to be a problem, finding it a little difficult to concentrate on the story itself with a zillion crude parody versions sitting between it and me in my mind. But it's a testament to the sheer power of this story, the vividness of its characters, and the universality of its themes, that all of that quickly faded away. All the goofy parodies I'd seen didn't make the story less painful or poignant, and never mind that I've seen the ending played out facetiously at least a dozen times, it still wrecked me.This is the first Steinbeck that I've read, and I'm deeply impressed by his writing. The prose here is never showy -- pretty much the polar opposite, in fact -- but it is perfectly crafted.This is one that deserves its reputation.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I still don't like rabbits.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    ?A guy needs somebody?to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick.? The novel, which takes place during the Great Depression near Soledad, California, where two migrant workers, Lennie Small and George Milton,two migrant workers travelling around the country working on ranches in the hope of making enough money to buy a piece of land and a home for themselves. They have recently escaped from a farm near Weed where Lennie was wrongly accused of rape. In both looks and personality Lennie and George are polar opposites. Lennie is a mammoth of a man, gentle but mentally deficient whereas George is small, wiry and sharp. George moans that he is being held back by Lennie's dependence on him but in truth both need each other. Whilst migrants are far from unusual they are usually loners so having a travelling companions is pretty uncommon.Most of the characters admit to dreaming of a different life,to loneliness and being oppressed. George and Lennie?s dream of owning a farm offers them protection from an inhospitable world, represents a prototypically American ideal. However, Steinbeck does not allow the characters a happy ending. Rather a touch of realism where for the many of the populace paradise,freedom, contentment, and safety are not to be found in this world.This is little more than a novella, only about 100 pages long, but it is a book of such depth of feeling and meaning. The reader wants them succeed yet knows instinctively that they are doomed to failure. I first read this some years ago but felt that it was time to revisit it and it truly is a little gem worthy as being regarded as a classic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of those must-reads that really lives up to its reputation. Brilliantly written, evocative, poignant and disturbing.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Better after it's read than while reading it, like an okay aftertaste.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well every man and his dog has written a review on this so I won't bother. This was part of my high school curriculum and I thought I had come up with a good thesis that George, who had told Lenny that they were saving money for a farm and was thus holding onto Lenny's money, was in fact spending Lenny's money on drinking (George does indeed go out drinking during the novel). When Candy offers to go thirds in the farm, George seems reluctant, which would be in line with someone who didn't actually have money saved towards a farm. When I outlined this thesis to my English teacher, thinking that at least he would be pleased at my initiative at coming up with something outside the norm. Instead, he just said "What a stupid suggestion" and moved on. Well done, Mr whatever your name was, for encouraging independent thought.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    my first Steinbeck. a modern classic oft- referred to with hushed tones? that may be hyperbolic but the name of Steinbeck is often dropped like a bomb in the midst of literary discussions like it?s supposed to be a profound experience.

    what i found was a fable. a modern fable; a compelling little vignette of life.
    like most of these kinds of ?classics,? they must be seen within their historical context to truly be understood as classics. to compare them side by side with some other writings/writers means that they will pale and fail.

    however, written in 1937, this tale of lower class itinerant workers and their troubles would have been enlightening and provocative to most people used to reading about upper classes, royalty, and the society-wide struggles of those going to wars. Of Mice and Men centers on the everyday life of those people who tended the agricultural fields. people for whom no ?real? drama or poignancy of life could exist, according to the stereotyping pop culture of the time. using people like George and Lennie to relate a tale of tragedy which means something to itself -that is, nothing greater than themselves is harkened to like war or politics or religion- meant that they, too, lived lives of purpose and feeling and substance. it was a break with the Great Man theory of history.

    within the first couple of pages, i realized that this must be where the big, dumb lummox type in the Bugs Bunny cartoons came from: ?duh, gee, George??, ?which way did he go, which way did he go,? and most definitely, ?i will love him and squeeze him and cuddle him and call him George.? that last ultimately ending up as a modern line in Finding Nemo. i am no Steinbeck scholar and so know nothing of the actual impact of this work but maybe people did not truly get it...

    the story itself is meaningful and thought-provoking on its own. similar but different levels of meaning play out against themselves and shadow and foreshadow parts of the story. the killing of Candy?s hounds fulfills such a role. the story, too, asks bigger questions and does not presume to tell us anything as great literature is supposed to do.

    nevertheless, i give it 3 stars only because i was not engaged with nor did i truly enjoy reading this short story. Steinbeck?s writing (ie his prose) is clear and well done but not eloquent or a pleasure to read for me. it simply is a tool by which he conveyed to us a picture. simple but not beautiful.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I like the internal conflict of George (one of the main caracter) all through the story and the loneliness as a feeling is very well felt amongst those men. The writing technic is very good.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book sometimes makes me cry. I love the characters of George and Lennie. It is so tragic what George feels that he has to do in the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Tell me about the rabbits again George." I read this book in the ninth grade as an assignment for English class. At first I wasn't thrilled about the teachers pick, but then I found myself reading way ahead of the rest of the class. This book is that good. Great story about what true friends will do to keep another out of TRUE harms way. George is faced with the ultimate choice, one that others would crumble under, and he was strong enough to carry through.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This heart-wrenching American classic holds my interest every time I read it. Only great writers like Steinbeck can make you feel all the same things over and over again as if you've just read the book for the first time. It's funny how I always let myself think things might turn out differently; only to be surprised as the drama unfolds "just like it had always done before."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A classic that is short but poignant. I listened to this in the car as an audiobook. The writing is beautiful, the characters well-developed, and the storyline moving. What more could you want?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent story; gets to the hearts and minds of lonely men and friendship; as well as trying to do the right thing when confronted by meanness and just purely bad people; very sad but memorable; would love to see a modern movie remake of this if done well
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow. This book was emotional, bleak, and very, very sad. But a book that can emotionally move a person to this extent is without a doubt a well written and good book.

    At it's heart, this book is all about dreams. Lennie and George have their dream of their future - a future that is very unlikely, but that keeps them going through their difficult lives. Curly's wife had dreams of being something more than she was, of seeing the world and having the attention she doesn't get from her husband. Candy and even Crooks find strength and hope in George and Lennie's dream, for a moment daring to dream of something better than what they have.

    This was also a theme of "The Grapes of Wrath" - the idea of the power of human hope, the idea of dreams as a sustaining force.

    Wonderful, fantastic book, despite the less-than-happy ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Once again, I am in awe of John Steinbeck! Though it is only 118 pages, I feel like this story sucked me in and gave me a complete view of the time, place, and feel of the time in which it was written/set. Totally engrossing! I liked Lennie so much, and was so sad for him with everything that happened, and his inability to really comprehend it all. And I was sad for George to, especially at the end. A friend through and through. Wow, what a great book! Too bad about the rabbits...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Reads quickly and the ending is very touching.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    George and Lennie are two labourers wandering through California from job to job during the Dirty Thirties dreaming of finally owning their own piece of land. But on their newest job, events are set into motion which will alter George and Lennie's dreams forever.Steinbeck is one of a few authors that I have strong negative feelings about due to some junior high English class encounters with The Pearl and The Red Pony. But I decided to pick up another Steinbeck as an adult and see if my opinion would change and as Of Mice and Men is a novella of just over 100 pages, it wasn't a scary commitment. So what was the verdict now that I'm not doing question sheets on every chapter and analyzing a brief book to within an inch of its life? Let me just pick up the scattered pieces of my heart and I might be able to tell you. I doubt it's a spoiler to say that a Steinbeck novel doesn't end well for its characters (do they ever? Seriously, I'm asking) but this one tore my heart out and then jumped up and down on it for a while. Steinbeck creates beautiful prose, deftly provides insight into the internal lives of a handful of characters, and builds towards a devastating climax that lingers long after the last page. I appreciate the artistry of Steinbeck's work, but I'm not sure I could handle the emotional wringer of another one of his books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was another book that we were assigned to read in high school. It was alright. I am not really a huge fan of fiction.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a classic...I'm kicking myself for putting off reading this book until now. It was very good and yet, heartbreaking and harrowing. I read it from cover to cover in about two hours and wasn't bored for a second. A one of a kind, great read. 9.5/10 Stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book far too quickly but the characters have stayed with me and this to me is a testament to the skills of the author to develop characters in a way that they creep up on you. Like some people that you meet I can't quite make up my mind how I feel about the two main protagonists. I will give it some more thought and edit my review later.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was required to read this book for school, and loved it. It was short, but very thought provoking.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It just was a sad story. A person may be sad because he's poor, has no family, has no clear future, or has a troubled family/friend. Candy, his old dog, George and Lennie... The story tells me well of the sadness of those poor people who work at a ranch without family or a real friend. And life, its worth & its end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow. Gut-wrenching, suspense-building, heart-breaking and all in under 100 pages. Genius.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this one and think it might deserve a 5th star once I've had some time to reflect on it. It's a really short and simple story but told amazingly well and in a manner that made it impossible for me to look away. Lennie and George are two excellently developed characters and I loved all their reactions. The book is both witty and sad and extremely powerful. The ending wasn't what I expected and came as a shock. Overall it's a well told story that is sure to stick with me for a long time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Depressing, but very very good. First read it when I was doing my GCSEs, and never got to finish it, as far as I remember -- the class decided they preferred To Kill A Mockingbird, which was pretty good too, but I'd already read it. Sigh, etc. The trials of high school.

    One thing I noticed reading it this time is the level of detail. It just quietly builds up such vivid pictures.

    The last few pages are the biggest kick in the stomach ever.

    It's quick to read, but easy? I wonder.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read it in a day, stopping to catch up my girlfriend on the plot a few times. It's not going to end well, I told her, it's really, really not going to end well. She hugged me at the end, when I cried like a big baby.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    George and Lennie are reflected as migrant workers through life and dream of a better future. The work is hard. Drag from farm to farm, from harvest to harvest. The tall and burly, but mentally retarded Lennie combines a comradely friendship with the skilful and clever George who constantly looks after Lennie. At the campfire he tells Lennie how difficult he finds it to have to constantly take care of him. But serving as Lennie, only to move on, George takes back everything he'd rather stay with Lennie. He noted that migrant workers as he and Lennie are among the loneliest people without family, without a home, the hew their savings right back on the head. But with Lennie he wants to invest his earnings one day in a piece of land, with house, cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits.They find work on the farm of Curley and soon realize that this will only bring trouble. There they meet Slim and Crooks, but even both accept Lennie they can not turn him away from his fate.I was very touched by this story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Depression sucked. Hard.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    George and Lennie travel together. In this short but powerful novel, John Steinbeck tells a story of loyalty. This is a true classic in that the issues dealt with remain relevant in spite of changing cultures and social norms.