Von Mäusen und Menschen

Geschrieben von Ulrich Pleitgen und John Steinbeck

Erzählt von Ulrich Pleitgen

Die Meistererzählung des amerikanischen Nobelpreisträgers John Steinbeck
George und Lennie ziehen als Erntehelfer durchs Land. Zusammen träumen sie davon, eine kleine Farm zu besitzen und Kaninchen zu züchten. Aber so weit wird es nie kommen, denn Lennie zieht die Probleme nur so an. Er ist zwar bärenstark, aber geistig zurückgeblieben. Was er streicheln will, macht er mit seinen ungelenken Händen tot. Und als ihn die junge Frau eines Gutsbesitzers auffordert, sie anzufassen, ist die Katastrophe vorprogrammiert.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: OSTERWOLDaudio
• Erscheinungsdatum: 17. Feb. 2014
• ISBN: 9783844910124

Rezensionen für Von Mäusen und Menschen

[bonniemarjorie · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

“We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. [...] But not us.”Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why? Because… because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.”Of Mice and Men is the prominent classic set during the Great Depression about the friendship between two men, George and Lennie. Lennie has a big heart but doesn’t possess the mind of a mature adult and after an incident in the last town they lived in where he was accused of rape after touching a woman’s dress, the two have to travel to find new work.George and Lennie share big dreams of one day owning their own land and from the very beginning the reader is painted a despairing picture despite their constant optimism. It’s a simplistic and saddening story of day-to-day survival; of individuals forever hoping to achieve their unattainable dreams. The novel, published in 1937, showcases the mindset and struggles of people during this period in history. It explores in depth yet with few pages how the Great Depression affected society and also the prejudices, sexism and rampant racism. The end of George and Lennie’s story brings a loss of hope, a loss of purpose and an abandoning of dreams that is nothing short of a tragedy.

[stephenbarkley · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I'm going to go ahead and assume you've already read this book. If you haven't, go and read it then come back. It's a classic for a reason!I spent the day after I finished to book wondering how I became so emotionally involved in the story. It wasn't the murder, although the pathos is rich. It wasn't the injustice of it all—although the renegade "justice" made me cringe. It was the death of a dream.This book is riddled with characters with crushed dreams: the woman who could have been in pitchers [sic], George's little plot of land, the boss's son who was still thought of himself as a famous boxer. I think what disturbed me so much about this book was this certainty: when George pulled the trigger in the last chapter he wasn't just murdering a friend—he was destroying the part of him that kept his dreams alive. Now there's nothing left but despair.The book is brilliant and moving. It's short enough to read in a couple hours. Everyone should read this one.

[fearshop · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Always stuck with me from when I read it in school. The ending always haunted me in a way when I was younger.

[vitaly1-930762 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Fucking Curley

[rbeene-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

This book sometimes makes me cry. I love the characters of George and Lennie. It is so tragic what George feels that he has to do in the end.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Another of the ones read for my classes. This is a slow read, but it is still deeply moving and the ending still makes me quite sad. It's a good display of the time period, economically, sexually, racially. George and Lennie will forever have my heart, and the ending, every single time, kept my heart squeezed and saddened.

[maowangvater · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

If the title, taken from Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse: on turning up her Nest with the Plough, November, 1785” did not warn you that trouble was coming, the first few pages of this novella certainly would. From the moment the reader first encounters itinerant ranch workers George and Lennie in the scrub country around the Salinas River, “a few miles south of Soledad,” Steinbeck sets the scene for tragedy. Lennie is a large, strong, hardworking fellow, but he’s not too bright. He depends on his friend George to help guide him. George warns Lennie about why they had to leave their last job in a hurry and tells him to throw away the dead mouse in his pocket. Lennie has a bad habit. He loves to pet soft things, but because of his mental disability and his inability to judge his own strength, he often pets them so hard they die. George’s scolds Lennie for that, but also consoles and tries to control him by repeatedly spinning a tale of the little farm they’ll own as soon as they save up a little more money. There will be plenty of food, land and security for them and most importantly rabbits that Lennie can care for and pet. With realistic detail and dialog Steinbeck carefully presents scene after scene using the interactions between clearly drawn characters at George and Lennie’s next job to a climax. There’s enough foreshadowing for the reader to anticipate a bad outcome, but not the full extent of the pathos in this short thrilling masterpiece.For those not familiar with Burns’s poem here is the critical stanza from another book well worth reading: The Best Laid Schemes: Selected Poetry and Prose of Robert Burns.But Mousie, thou art not thy-lane, [not alone]In providing foresight may be vain:The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, [go often wide of the aim]An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, [and leave] For promis'd joy!

[jazz1987-395186 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is truly an American classic set in the Salinas Valley, California during the Great Depression. It was a powerful ending of a very sadden friendship. Oddly thought, the novella has been referenced by Looney Tunes ad Merrie Melodies several times; if you're familiar with the cartoons the sometimes will have a dimwitted character calling the other character "George". Also, the tile makes sense towards the end because Lennie is a lovable but dangerous man who like to pet soft things but often harms them.

[jwhenderson_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

When you read John Steinbeck you read stories in which the place is as important a character as the people. His novels are alive with the feel of the place whether it be Oklahoma or California or America as in his late book Travels With Charley. In rereading Of Mice and Men I was immediately taken with the opening paragraph, for he does not immediately introduce George and Lennie but rather he introduces the Salinas River valley and it is lush with willow trees and golden foothills and animals that enjoy the evening without an apparent worry in the world. The scene is broken by a path "beaten hard" by footsteps of boys and tramps and it is this path that is the source of the entry of two new men into this idyllic setting. These men are George and Lennie, simple working men who are heading for a planned rendezvous with jobs on a nearby ranch. The story is one of an allegorical nature that demonstrates loyalty among friends and the danger that always is present when humans congregate. But I was most impressed by the simple style in which the story plays out against the background of nature and how men attempt to do the right thing yet do not always succeed. Lennie is a simple man, but his simplicity and his intentions, limited as they may be, are not enough to overcome the brutality of men and nature whose seeming innocent beauty betrays our trust. (less)

[kevn57-163679 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I wouldn't have appreciated this if I'd read it in high school, now with more life experience, found it to be amazing.

[janepat-619237 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

It's a super short novel and a classic, so I could push through it. It is a journey to another time and place that shows how people with mental illness and the handicap of being female were treated in history, along with the working class. I watched the movie to take me deeper into the complexities. It is worth reading.

[write5review · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Aspirations, Love, and Fatal Flaws

Humans, no matter their nationality, their economic status, when they lived, past of present share much in common. These include, among other things, aspirations and companionship. In his stellar novella written to serve as a novelette for reading and as the basis of a play or film, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck explores the dreams and interdependency of the wiry, quick-witted George Milton and the physically imposing, mentally disabled Lenny Small, as well as various other characters who share similar needs.

The novella opens with George and Lenny making their way to another itinerant ranch job. George functions something like Lenny’s caretaker, because clearly Lenny, though large and powerful, could never live for long on his own. In fact, they had to leave a job in haste as a result of a innocent indiscretion on Lenny’s part. Together, these two share a dream, to own their own land, where they can do as they wish, where Lenny can own and care for rabbits, and, as Lenny puts it whenever he urges George to describe their shared ambition, enjoy “living off the fatta' the lan’.” Possessed of such power and appeal, their dream and their example of fellas living together, caring for each other, and banishing loneliness enrapture two others whom they meet on the ranch, the handicapped old Candy and the ostracized old Black man Crooks, to the point where all four come to believe that their promised land is within reach.

However, for most, their dreams remain unreachable for any number of reasons, whether they be a person’s own fatal flaw, the effect of outside forces, or a combination of both. In the case of George and Lenny that revolves around George’s duty to protect Lenny and Lenny’s ironical fatal flaw, that of his desire to touch and enjoy soft living things and a strength and inability to control that strength that has in the past and will again end in tragedy, here for himself, for George, and for the shared dream. To make matters even worse, Lenny’s action forces George into a terrible dilemma, the morality of which readers are left to decide for themselves.

While this tends to be a work read most typically when young and in school, it really merits rereading when older, when life has taken its toll on one’s own dreams, when it has forced a person to make choices, certainly not as momentous as George’s, but some that may have left one with feelings of unease or even regret.

[jscape2000 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A favorite I've returned to many times. If you haven't read it since middle school, it's time to give it another try.

[karlstar_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

This is a very short novel, barely 100 pages. The story moves along very quickly, but you can see where it is headed from the very beginning. This is not a pleasant story, it is a very rough tale about how life was like for some farm workers in the 1930's. If this was at all accurate, it was difficult, dangerous and mean. Engaging but a difficult story.

[librolindsay · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Be gentle with small animals and loose women.

God, I love Steinbeck.

[sarah220-732610 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Re-reading this book has improved my impression of it. A tragedy of how out of reach the American Dream is for so many people. Steinbeck has a slim, well-structured novel that shows the desperation of the time and how unforgiving society can be to any people who are different and therefore deemed lesser.

[drfuriosa · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

WHAT DID I JUST READ?

[mike_b-645943 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Two guys, one with mental issues, experience trials of life as itinerant ranch hands. I didn't like the ending.

[out1and1about · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Read for #MMDChallenge: A classic you didn't read in school.
Read for BookRiot's Read Harder Challenge: A main character with a disability

I enjoyed this so much. Overall, this tracks similar tropes about the big dumb muscle guy and the little smart quick-witted buddy. However, Steinbeck's ability to write efficiently while generating strong emotions and clear place settings is indescribable. The description of the bunkhouse near the beginning (p 12) is so specific and concise, and yet conveys not only the primary setting but the emotion of the place. The similarities in the events and the wording between the dog being put down early in the story and Lennie's last scene are so well written, giving both a sense of foreboding and an emotional tug.

I see some reviews (and book banning comments) frustrated with the treatment of Curley's wife. Taken in the context of the story (and of the times in general), her character evokes and contrasts the emotions of both Lenny and the larger group toward her, and toward women in general. Such a clear treatment of a setting and time should never be a reason to dismiss a book or its message. Books must be read in context to fully grasp the messages.

This is definitely one to reread with a notebook to capture all the connections and thematic repetitions. So much to enjoy in such a small space!

[sami7-951065 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A short beautiful read.
"You give me a good whore house everytime. A guy can go in an' get drunk and get everything outta his system all at once, an' mo messes. And he knows how much it's gonna set him back. "

[elizabethcromb · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Tragic story of the life of 2 itinerant workers in California in the 1930-40's. One a large lumbering simpleton who was cared for and kept out of trouble by his mate. The mate seeming not to get much from the friendship other than company on the road and trouble if he didn't watch out for Lennie, who didn't know his own strength and couldn't think fast enough to prevent himself from getting into strife.

[leslie398 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

2020 reread:Wow, I had forgotten how powerful this tragic novella is! I am increasing my rating from 4 stars to 5.

[fliss88_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I don’t suppose it could have ended any other way. Simply written, in the voices and language of the day. A sad tale of a gentle misfit who just couldn’t help himself.

[bhiggs-822148 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Eh, it was alright. I enjoyed it for what it was, but not super high on my list of 'classics.'

[pdcread · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Read this donkeys years ago at school. Can still remember elements of the tale, which just goes to prove how timeless it was.

[linyarai · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I read this book for the "A Novel That Is Considered A Classic" part of my 2018 reading challenge. It was a very quick and simple read, I would have liked if it went into more detail and explained the men's lives better.

[medwards429 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

“Of Mice and Men” is a literary classic. Let me be clear, I’m no Steinbeck fan. His work is a bit depressing for my personal tastes. My first introduction was “The Pearl” which was in 7th grade. That was a depressing read, much more so than this book, which I bought as research material for a writing project.

Normally, I wouldn’t have reviewed it, but, after seeing some of the one star reviews on this book, I want to weigh in on this …

Not every book is meant to have a happy ending. Some books are there to tell a story – nothing more, nothing less. Steinbeck is either loved or hated. Just as in movies there are many genres, so too is the same for novels. This is not a novel. It is a novella which is described by Wikipedia as a “written, fictional, narrative prose normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel”.

However, given the period this was written in (1937), the events of the time have to be considered when giving this book a fair rating. This was written during the Great Depression (1929-1939) following the Dust Bowl (1934, 1936, 1939-1940). With the historical context, it is easy to see why the book is written the way it is. Each writer has a different prose to them. It doesn’t make the book any less valuable – it certainly cannot be compared to Harry Potter or Twilight. And, yes I’ve read the Twilight novels.

While this book is required reading in schools, there are lessons to learn from this novel – dreams, loneliness, human interaction, oppression, abuse, harshness of the time period, misunderstanding of mental illness, harsh working environment, as well as poverty, and dealing with an unspeakable act. This book captures all of this in a small, compact novel.

In researching this book, I learned that Steinbeck was bindle stiff, “for quite a spell”. There was a real life Lennie who Steinbeck personally worked with, and this is where he got the basis for the character. FYI: the real Lennie was put into an asylum when he murdered a range foreman.

The story also showcases an unlikely friendship between George, a smart, but uneducated man and Lennie. Lennie is huge, gentle but strong, but has the mind of a small child who enjoys petting soft things. This usually leads to trouble due to his strength and not understanding how forceful he can get.

The two are day laborers in the dusty fields of California, moving from one town to another. They dream of eventually having their own farm. The story begins with them having been chased out of one town after Lennie “petted” a girl’s skirt. They are heading to a new farm.

George, as usual, laments his life would be better without Lennie. Lennie threatens to runaway, but George tells him that he will look out for him as they are family. Even at the new place, George continues to look out for his friend. They also make new friends and the dream of having their own place is beginning to take shape. The owner’s lonely wife comes around, tempting Lennie.

Eventually Lennie gives into the temptation and ends up accidentally killing the owner’s wife. Lennie runs away and George; seeing that Lennie faces cruel incarceration (strapped down and put in a cage) or torture from the owner (Curley shooting Lennie’s guts out); makes the heart-breaking decision to kill his friend.

George clearly struggled with it – but it was the more humane option. Lennie did not know what was going on, how bad a crime he committed, or the consequences of that action. There were very few protections for the mentally ill during that time, especially those who accidentally killed someone. George’s “mercy” killing of Lennie was done out of love/concern rather than revenge, which would be unthinkable today, especially by reading the other reviews.

This is perhaps one of the more controversial points, and that is why it is crucial to understand the time in which the novella is set in.

There have been challenges made to ban the book due to racial slurs, racist language, defamatory statements to women and minorities, maltreatment of the mentally handicapped, blasphemy, excessive cursing, vulgarity, violence, lurid passages about sex, and the morbid/depressing theme.

However, this book can be used as a teaching aid to compare the time in which it was published and today’s ethical decisions and legal protections.

[nossanna_1 · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

Definitely a period piece that doesn't stand the test of time well, even as a vehicle for "life is hard, then you die". The lone black character was a "n***", the only woman a nameless tart and temptress responsible for the downfall at the end. And the poor victims were the white men.....

[thecrow2 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Somehow I`ve managed not to read this classic - until now. The story of two friends at the time of the great depression is tragic and beautiful at the same time and a great example for creating a timeless masterpiece in a mere 100 pages.

[andycyca-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Geez! This is like watching an explosion in slow motion. It's a tragic event narrated so slow you can appreciate its beauty, even if the whole thing is destructive and lasts for an instant.I have much to learn from Steinbeck and his ways.