By: John Steinbeck

1937

I didn’t expect such a book! It is the first book of steinbeck I have read and I was really amused. there are some points which I love so much in this book. First of all, It is plain. It is simple and the events go on smoothly. You can’t tell why but there is something ehich pulls you. You go straight to find out what is next. It is not like many books which I have read that there is something special hiding and you continue reading it in order to find what is that which is hidden. But this book does not pull yo by just intrupting the chapter in the middle of some interesting story. Every thing just passes and you are pulled by a reason you don’t get.

The interesting point is that when many stories are told you caan predict that this guy is gonna be important. I mean when the writer tries to describe the important roles in the story they give such a precise description you can just imagine the guy. For example you could see such a description in “DADDY LONG LEGS”. Before it is shown that Jervey Pendelton is daddy and you can predict it simple by reading his first description in the story. I mean Judy never describes Jimmy McBride so precisely.

But, look at here. what Steinbeck has written:

” They had walked in a single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong feature. every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arm, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man , shapeless of face, with large pale eyes and wide sloping shoulders and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little. the way a bear drag his paws. His arm did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.”It is a precise description actually but not the routine type  for the principle roles in a story.

George and Lennie start  shapeless but they soon get the readers attention and you share in their dream about their own house and rabitts and all that stuff and you want them to make the dream real. you really want them to get rid ofg Curley and his wife and you know from the very first chapter that it is impossible. and they both know it too.

the story is about 2 guys, Lennie and george. They are going to work in a ranch, after they had to leave Weed, their previous working place. Lennie is sort of retarded but he isn’t mean at all. He is a nice fellow. He just likes to pet every soft and nice thing for example mices and pups and…

And this is the reason they got out of Weed. He just wanted to pet a girl’s dress and the gir thought he wanted to rape her. So they had to escape.

George and Lennie have a dream:

“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no fambly. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”

Lennie was delighted. “That’s it—that’s it. Now tell how it is with us.”

George went on. “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit-in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.”

Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why? Because . . . . because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” 

” “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no fambly. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”

Lennie was delighted. “That’s it—that’s it. Now tell how it is with us.”

George went on. “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit-in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.”

Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why? Because . . . . because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.””

hey are going to have their own house and cow and rabbits and alfalfa and vegetable patch and such a thick cream they have to cut it by a knife.

lennie and George go to this new ranch and all of a sudden this dream comes near true. There is this guy, named candy who has saved some money and although they don’t beleive in it themselves the dream is coming near true. They are all excited and the new life is glowing infront of their eyes.

On the other hand, the master’s son Curley gets in their way. He doesn’t like Lenneie from the very first day because Lennie is strong and he is not.This is his charachter. He covers his weakness by this way. And he is always the winner wether he licks or he gets licked. He is the winner because if he licks they gonna say he had licked a strong guy and if he gets licked they say the big guy ought to pick a guy in his size and gang up on the big guy.

Curley fights Lennie one day just because Lennie was smiling to his own dreams and Curley assumed that Lennie is laughing at him and his hand is got injured.

Curley has a wife which is just trying to attract other guys attebtion and show herself to them. Curley is so sensitive about her.and he doesn’t want anybody talk to her. The girl doesn’t like Curley and she thinks that she deserves a better life.

George warns Lennie about the girl, esp because of what happened at Weed but the girl comes in Lennie’s way.

Lennie just wants to pet those nice and soft hair of the girl which she is showing it to him, herself. But God knows how he pets., She gets furious and yells to stopLennie but Lennie is scared and grabs the girl tighter and…

She dies. She is killed by Lennie. Lennie escapes and Curley goes after him . No chance. Curley is so angry and no way, if he takes Lennie, Lennie will be lynched. Everybody knows that and George knows that good well.

So George goes to Lennie and describe their mutual dream once more …. and shots Lennie in head and after that he can just look steadily at his right hand that had held the gun.

“A guy goeas nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is”

Great novel. A lovely great novel, But dark as hell. and here it is. This is the real life. the real cruel life.

You feel sorry for Lennie and George and you really want them to achieve their dream and how you yourself know that it is fake!!!