1937
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck · 1902–1968 · United States
Why it matters
Two migrant workers dream of a small farm of their own, until a gentle giant's strength dooms them both. Steinbeck's tight, tragic parable of friendship and the American dream's cruelty.
At a glance
tragedy
Difficulty 3/10fast pace107 pagesShort, plain, dialogue-driven prose makes this Steinbeck's most accessible book.
Deep dive
How George and Lennie's nightly recitation of the little farm — the rabbits, the vegetable patch — functions less like a plan than like a prayer, and what that says about who's allowed to dream out loud on this ranch.
Where to go next
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John Steinbeck · 1961The Winter of Our DiscontentLvl 5Medium pace
Barbara Kingsolver · 2022Demon CopperheadLvl 4Fast paced