Reviews tagging 'Death'

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

216 reviews

pikkumarja's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

2.25

Kirjan pituuteen nähden (noin 140 sivua) lukemiseen meni tuskaisen kauan. Tämä ei ollut minulle, enkä ihan suoraan sanottuna ymmärrä klassikkoasemaa, koska kirja kuvaa ihmisyyttä niin vastenmielisellä tavalla, ettei samaistumispintaa ihmisyyteen edes ole näin lukijalla. Toisaalta saattaa olla, että ihmisille, jotka eivät tiedä mitään vammaisuudesta, kirja uppoaisi paremmin. Ja ehkä sellaisille henkilöille, joille riittää yksi nainen kirjan hahmokaartissa ja ei haittaa, vaikka n-sana mainitaan aika monta kertaa.

Ei tämä siis kyllä ihan umpisurkea ollut ja onpahan nyt luettu.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Ableism, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, and Animal cruelty

laurenn_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Good book, it goes downhill so quickly it’s not even funny.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Death

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

mosspussy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, and Death

paulavdg's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, and Animal death

cassius_orion's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Death, and Murder

jzargo_thebird's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is definitely not the big behemoth that many people put it up to be. But I can't argue against the fact that it is such a pure and raw showcase of emotions and character that I have ever read in a book. They use literally next to nothing in terms setting or plot devices etc. But its just a bare bones story.  And I think it's just one of those books where I have no notes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Racism, Animal death, Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, and Slavery

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Men have to do what men have to do?

(I read an edition with notes, which was quite helpful and let me getting more out of this story than expected.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Racism, Animal death, Murder, Sexism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Ableism, Death, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

garbagebarge69's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Sexism

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Misogyny, Racism, and Death

Minor: Violence, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

ed_moore's review

dark emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ is the short tale of two immigrant workers, George and his mentally disabled giant puppy of a friend Lennie. It follows the pair finding work on a ranch and trying to hold down the job as Lennie struggles to navigate what is socially appropriate and constantly speaking about his dreams to tend his own rabbits. 

The prose of the novella was really well written in places, especially descriptions in the openings and conclusions, and in such a short story Steinbeck brings so much life and personality to each character. He does fall into stereotypes, Lennie’s inability to understand the concept of death relating mental disability to psychopathy, whereas the very fact such theme was addressed at the time of writing in 1937, and even not completely undermined and handled with some form of gentleness and sympathy, even though highly flawed, is a merit. Matters of race and gender in the characters aren’t treated so well however, the figure of Curley’s wife is the only woman in the book and remains unnamed in addition to fulfilling the stereotypes of a whore, and many racial slurs are used in relation to the only black character. Note ‘Of Mice and Men’ very liberally uses the ’N’ word. There is also, in Lennie’s lack of comprehension of death, a large amount of violence towards animals.

Parts of ‘Of Mice and Men’ were sweet and parts disgusting, parts brilliantly written and parts quite poorly written. In relating it to the other Steinbeck I have read exploring similar themes of a false American dream, seeking work and agriculture, ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ was a much stronger piece of prose, but for how short ‘Of Mice and Men’ was (I read it in a single evening), it has its merits.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Animal death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racism, and Death

lizcheyenne's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, and Death

Minor: Sexism