Title: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Publication date: 1937
Genre: Novella
What’s it about?
George and Lennie, two migrant workers during America’s Great Depression, start work at a ranch and dream of earning enough to buy a homestead of their own. However, Lennie soon gets into trouble, and it is up to George to find a solution to their problems once and for all.
Where did I get hold of the book?
This was another one from the university library, probably picked up en route to the latest Calon Talks Books show…
- Find the book in a library near you (worldwide).
- Support local independent bookshops by buying the book from Hive (UK).
What did I learn from it?
When I started this book challenge way back in January 2015, the aim was for me to incorporate reading into my daily life again, in the same way I used to read so avidly when I was younger. I decided to give myself practical reasons for picking up a book, so that it didn’t feel quite as much of an indulgence – and I’ve certainly read more in the last 15 months than at any other point in recent years.
However, I still can’t quite say I’ve got back into the reading habit. They say that work expands to fill the time available; and I’m beginning to think that, for me, ‘not reading’ also expands to fill the time. Although I chose shorter books this year in the hope I’d get through them more quickly (and have more time left for others), it’s merely resulted in my postponing my reading, in the knowledge that it won’t take me very long when I do get round to it.
In other words, instead of granting myself more time for extra reading, I’m simply filling that time with other things. It’s not all bad – it’s still creative stuff – but I seem to have learned the very important lesson that old habits are hard to break. Giving up on action and settling into the leisurely life of a bookworm doesn’t appear to be on the cards for me any time soon.
How did it make me see the world differently?
There were two main things I took away with me from this book. Firstly, as I reached the last few pages, I was astounded to see similarities with an episode of one of my favourite TV programmes: The Walking Dead. The episode ‘The Grove’ originally aired in March 2014, and although back then I wasn’t in the habit of trawling social media for updates on my favourite shows, it seems that a lot of WD fans had instantly spotted the connection with Steinbeck’s book and were happily chatting about it.
This realisation reminded me of why I love sci-fi and fantasy and will defend it against charges of ‘unreality’, ‘escapism’ and the like. It’s just as possible for a SFF story to deal in themes as meaty as any covered in serious literature; it will simply have its own take on it. Whether you’re looking at a mentally troubled young girl in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, or a mentally challenged adult man on a farm, the individuals’ problems, reactions, thoughts, feelings and desires are what the story is about. The setting is almost incidental, or serves to illustrate the theme being played out.
The second thing I brought away from the book was the sense that throwing in your lot with other human beings is the only way to stay sane in this world. George and Lennie, although very different and seemingly odd companions, are able to cope with an itinerant life better than men who go it alone, because they have each other to look out for. Indeed, not only do they keep each other going, but their dream of having their own farm seeps out and gradually infects other workers on the ranch, who, in turn, start to hope and dream a little more for themselves.
We don’t need a zombie apocalypse to realise the value of human companionship. However independent we may be, and however other people’s personalities and habits may drive us mad at times, we still need them.
What changes will I make to my life as a result of it?
Two things, based on the above observations:
- For ages I’ve been meaning to do a bit more blogging on sci-fi and fantasy, specifically about the connections I see between stories, real-life themes played out in alternative universes, and essentially why it is a valuable genre that has much to offer anyone looking to change their life. So I’m going to try to set aside some time to do a bit more reading and reflecting in this area, with a view to blogging once a month, at least to start with. (I’m hoping this might also fix my earlier problem of ‘still not reading much’…!)
- As an introvert, I’m not very good at going out to see people and make those human connections. Now that I work from home I don’t have in-person work relationships (but that’s OK); I’ve also quit my am dram group to pursue more solitary activities (which is also OK). However, both these things have left a human-sized hole in my life, which, even as an introvert, I need to fill. So I’m going to seek out some people I haven’t seen in a while, and try to get a few visits in, just as many as I need to feel connected again without overwhelming myself socially. (And then, when the zombie apocalypse comes, I’ll have a band of comrades to team up with. Result!)
A musical interlude
Initially I struggled to think of a song that resonated with me for this one. No songs about mice, or even rabbits, came to mind. So then I broadened my thinking to the general theme of the book, and lo and behold! this one popped into my head…