I must admit, I read this back in high school and completely hated it at the time. That was half my lifetime ago, so I figured I'd give it another shot. Also, it is one of my dad's reads this year, so I figured I'd read it too so we could complain about something together (aka: bonding). Much to my surprise, my reaction to it was very different on this second read through.

The first time I read this book, I completely hated how characters were likened to animals, though given it is called Of Mice and Men, I should not have been surprised. I think Lenny's ultimate comparison to the old dog, made me especially angry, as I felt it was patronizingly belittling to his character. Additionally, my teenage self could not stand how the characters, in general, seemed to entrap themselves to the the sorrows of their stereotypes and perceived destinies.

Reading it now, I can better understand the 1937 context of this tale, and am no longer enraged by the entrapment of characters, but am now sympathetic to their plights. My adult self understands the cruelty of poverty, as well as the innate difficulties of escaping socioeconomic disparities. I can also more clearly see how Steinbeck's narrative message was to express the universal desire to be heard and understood. He purposefully created flawed characters that were separated by social means, each desperately wanting have a voice and audience, but never quite getting there.

That said, the isolation and brutality were still hard to swallow, even as a jaded adult. I can clearly see the literary merit of this novel now, and even appreciated it, even if I did not love it. I would definitely recommend it, at least now as an adult, so take of that what you will.