Product Description

MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independ ent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions. MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #373 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-08
• Released on: 2002-01-03
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

From AudioFile
Gary Sinise's reading of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is nothing short of magnificent. Moving effortlessly from an eloquent, understated narrative voice to each character's quite particular presence, Sinise demonstrates a true command of the medium. At times, Sinise is so convincing that one is hard-pressed to believe that a single reader could be responsible for so many varied characterizations. Thanks to such a skilled reading, this audio edition captures every nuance of Steinbeck's austere prose and the full power of the novel's tragic denouement. Top to bottom, it's a masterful retelling of an American classic. R.W.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Novella by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The tragic story, given poignancy by its objective narrative, is about the complex bond between two migrant laborers. The book, which was adapted by Steinbeck into a three-act play (produced 1937), earned him national renown. The plot centers on George Milton and Lennie Small, itinerant ranch hands who dream of one day owning a small farm. George acts as a father figure to Lennie, who is large and simpleminded, calming him and helping to rein in his immense physical strength. When Lennie accidentally kills the ranch owner's flirtatious daughter-in-law, George shoots his friend rather than allow him to be captured by a vengeful lynch mob.

About the Author
No writer is more quintessentially American than John Steinbeck. Born in 1902 in Salinas, California, Steinbeck attended Stanford University before working at a series of mostly blue-collar jobs and embarking on his literary career. Profoundly committed to social progress, he used his writing to raise issues of labor exploitation and the plight of the common man, penning some of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century and winning such prestigious awards as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He received the Nobel Prize in 1962, "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception." Today, more than thirty years after his death, he remains one of America's greatest writers and cultural figures.

Customer Reviews

I Was Not Left Speechless; In Fact, I Have a Lot to Say
Before I begin my criticisms, I will mention that my focus of this review is not on my personal preferences regarding characterizations, settings, themes, authors, etc. I understand that I cannot expect all authors to write a story that I personally enjoy and can relate to. Even if the subject matter of Of Mice and Men had interested me, I still would have given the novel a one star rating because of my criticism that I will explain in this review.

I am giving this novel a one star rating because it has a lot of vulgar dialogue. There is an average of about 4 profanities per page.

Secondly, even if I were to set aside my moral views of this novel, I still would choose to give this novel a one star rating. In my opinion, the plot structure is not all that good. The climax and resolution could have followed directly after the first 1/3 of the novel. There are too many conversations that seem to fill up space with unnecessary dialogue which describes the backgrounds of characters and personalities that do not play a significant role (if even a role at all) in the outcome of the story.

Furthermore, Of Mice and Men has too many characters for its very simple plot. In my opinion, the advantage to having a lot of characters is to create intricate subplots which play a significant role in the outcome of the story

I do not insist on reading action-packed stories. In fact, I sometimes prefer stories that are mainly comprised of dialogue. However, I do always want to see that there is a CLEAR DIRECTION in the conversations that progressively leads to the climax. In my opinion, the dialogue in Of Mice and Men did not meet these criteria. In fact, mid-way through the novel, I really felt as though the story was approaching a dead-end, and I think that John Steinbeck probably felt the same way. Therefore, he made the climax take a sharp turn off course just so the plot would not slam into a wall.

Due to the offensive content and weak plot structure, I do not recommend Of Mice and Men.

Reliable Steinbeck
"I'm finding Steinbeck to be just a really reliable author. I've enjoyed everything that I've read of his. This short novel was engaging and meaningful - I especially enjoyed the richness of the characters and the themes of companionship, dreams, and dissapointment."

Must read book
The book, Of Mice and Men, has to be one of the good books I've read in a long time. The good parts about it are at the start, you get to meet the characters on how they act and the way they get along. Of course, there are some bad parts in books. One of them is when one of the bunk mates picks a fight with Lennie, because he is taller than him!
Of Mice and Men, Lennie Small and George Milton take a bus, after getting chased by a mob, to a new job. After a couple hours and a lot of walking, they get to the job only to get the job, get in a fight for no reason, and work for good money. About the characters, George and Lennie, George is a quick-witted man that became friends with Lennie back when they were younger. Lennie was told to go with George to get a job by his aunt Clara. They both have a dream of a ranch, where their friends can stay, and people they don't know can leave. Lennie dreams of tending the rabbits. After a while, George and Lennie meet Candy, a nice old man that said he would help in the dream ranch. The dream ranch may work out; they have most of the money, but somewhere along the way someone messes it up, and it falls back to the way it was. Do you think they get the dream ranch? Read the book to find out what all happens.