I read this in solidarity with my nephew (it was his summer reading). Ugh.

Thematically, sure, it was good. Exploring the impossibility of the 'American Dream', the friendships of men, fear, violence, and more, I can understand how there would be a lot to discuss. But themes alone are not enough to redeem a book. There are other books to explore these themes that are far better (both in terms of writing and plot).

I had some major issues with this book, including:

1. There is no character growth. Or real character development. I know it is a novella, but still. The characters are not flushed out enough to be impactful.

2. The only female character is unnamed and depicted poorly.

3. Almost nothing happens in the story. There is a bit of action at the end, but even that is lackluster. 

4. There is a load of problematic content. And you can argue that that was "just how it was back then" 0r whatever. This is still read because of its status as a classic. Being a classic doesn't automatically make it a good book.