Title: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Written: 1937
Pages: 106 Pages
Structure: 6 chapters, split into three “Acts” each consisting of two “Chapters”
“Of Mice and Men” is a heartbreakingly beautiful novella by John Steinbeck.
It follows two outsiders in search of work during the great depression. Despite the cruelty of the world, they have each other, and hope.
It took me a couple of hours to read – it’s only a hundred pages. So reading the book is like watching it on the stage or screen – except more vivid. It is honest writing.
I won’t quote from the book. But Steinbeck wrote later in his journal:
In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.
Thanks Andrew Bysterveldt for the suggestion.