I have been meaning to read this book for decades, having read and enjoyed other Steinbeck novels. I have to say, even though of his works my undying love is given to Cannery Row above all the rest, I still really enjoyed this. It's so tragic, and so awful, and there's really no other way that it could have ended. What I appreciate most of all about Steinbeck is how much he prioritises compassion in his work, and how interested he is in building friendships and relationships between his characters. And the thing is, that terrible, merciful ending... it can only occur, and only occur believably, because the friendship between George and Lennie has been so well-defined, and its emotional resonance made the rock on which the rest of the story is built.