Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck – 1937
Reviewed by: Lale Date: 30 September 2001
Another GLB (Great Little Book) from Steinbeck. It is a famous story, so we all know how it will end; but it is told so movingly that you are gripped with suspense even if you do know the end. I am amazed how so much sadness can be conveyed with so few words. The guys’ accent and way of talking is brilliant, you can almost hear them say those words, in that certain way of theirs. It is written like a play (maybe that’s why is has been put on stage so many times, I first saw it in a theatre). While reading it, I was always constructing the scene, putting up the props, “George and Lennie enter, bunk beds, apple boxes on the walls”…
George and Lennie are the two main characters, but I will talk about Candy, the old man with the old dog. He had had his dog when it was a puppy. Now it is very old, cannot walk, cannot eat. They’ve been together for many years, twenty or so, I suppose. It is time for the dog, but Candy cannot let go. The men in the bunker complain. “It stinks” they say. They convince Candy that it is better off shot. Candy cannot do it himself, so one of the guys takes the dog outside. Then, the gunshot is heard.
They shoot horses, don’t they?
It is a recurring theme.
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