Of Mice and Men

Acompellingstoryoftwooutsidersstrivingtofindtheirplaceinanunforgivingworld,JohnSteinbeck'sOfMiceandMenincludesanintroductionbySusanShillinglawinPenguinClassics.Driftersinsearchofwork,GeorgeandhischildlikefriendLennie,havenothingintheworldexcepttheclothesontheirback-andadreamthatonedaytheywillhavesomelandoftheirown.EventuallytheyfindworkonaranchinCalifornia'sSalinasValley,buttheirhopesaredashedasLennie-strugglingagainstextremecruelty,misunderstandingandfeelingsofjealousy-becomesavictimofhisownstrength.Tacklinguniversalthemesoffriendshipandsharedvision,andgivingavoicetoAmerica'slonelyanddispossessed,OfMiceandMenremainsSteinbeck'smostpopularwork,achievingsuccessasanovel,Broadwayplayandthreeacclaimedfilms.JohnSteinbeck(1902-68),winnerofthePulitzerPrizeandtheNobelPrizeforliterature,isrememberedasoneofthegreatestandbest-lovedAmericanwritersofthetwentiethcentury.DuringtheSecondWorldWarSteinbeckservedasawarcorrespondent,hisjournalismlatercollectedinOnceThereWasaWar(1958),andhewasawardedtheNorwegianCrossofFreedomforhisportrayalinTheMoonisDown(1942)ofResistanceeffortsinnorthernEurope.Hisbest-knownworksincludetheepicsTheGrapesofWrath(1939)andEastofEden(1952),andhistragicnovellaOfMiceandMen(1937).JohnSteinbeck'scompleteworksarepublishedinPenguinModernClassics.