Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

     I was quite sure I wanted to read something by Steinbeck for the Classics Challenge but for the longest time I couldn't decide between Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. I went with Of Mice and Men because I read somewhere (probably Wikipedia) that it is one of the most frequently censored, banned and challenged books of all time. Apparently, it’s been challenged for obscenity, racial slurs and misrepresentation of the community. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about but frankly, I don’t see it. The language is positively mild by today’s standards and it’s plain to see that Steinbeck was not condoning racism.

     Set during the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men follows protagonists George and Lennie to a ranch in Soledad, California. George is small and clever; Lennie is strong but has the mind of a child. George is protective and very mindful of Lennie and the relationship between the two friends is really the backbone of this story. The two men share a dream of someday owning a piece of land where they could live and work as they please. When they both find employment at the ranch in Soledad, their dream suddenly, seems very attainable and within reach. However, as the title suggests, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry.

     What struck me the most about the book was the characters. Every single one of them is very distinct and well drawn although the descriptions and back stories are kept to a minimum. There is a thread of loneliness that connects these men (and woman) but nobody including the author harps on it. The setting feels very stark and cheerless, emphasizing this loneliness.

     Having said all of that, I’ll be honest with you; this wasn't my favorite classic of this year. I can see why it is such a classic and there definitely is a lot to this book, but I just couldn't connect with it. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the plot, I grew a bit fatigued with it towards the end, which is crazy because it’s such a short book. Don’t let that dissuade you if you were planning to read this because, like I said, there is a lot to like here.  

A Classics Challenge- November

Last month I read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and hopefully I'll get down to doing a review of it soon. That leaves me with just one more book to go before I'm officially done with the challenge. My last classic for 2012 is going to be The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Anyone read it? Nice?

Moving on to this months questions, here they are:
Of all the Classics you've read this year is there an author or movement that has become your new favorite? Which book did you enjoy the most? Or were baffled by? Who's the best character? The most exasperating? From reading other participants' posts which book do you plan to read and are most intrigued by?

My favorite classic of the year, hands down, is Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and Clarissa Dalloway is my favorite character.  Animal Farm was wonderful too BUT I just felt really strongly about Mrs Dalloway. I can't think of any character that exasperated me but I did feel that the character of Daddy-long-legs was not quite as enigmatic as he should have been. Karen's lovely post about Villette reminded me that this book has been on my to-read list for far too long. I definitely intend to get to it in 2013.