Tuesday Book Club: Rediscovering Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This week’s Tuesday Book Club pick is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck—a book many of us first met under the watchful eyes of English teachers, highlighters in hand. I know I did. I remembered it as a good book, but it always carried that weight of obligation, the feeling of something you read because you’re supposed to.

And then, recently, I found myself with two hours to kill, waiting for a delayed connecting flight in Zurich. I picked up Of Mice and Men again, this time purely for pleasure, with no essay or classroom discussion hanging over it. And something extraordinary happened: the book absolutely floored me.

Why Of Mice and Men still hits hard

Steinbeck’s writing is so spare and sharp that it slices right through. The landscape, the loneliness, the longing for something better; it all comes alive with a clarity I hadn’t appreciated when I was younger. The story of George and Lennie, two migrant workers chasing a dream that is always just out of reach, hits hard not just because of its heartbreak, but because of the quiet, human moments along the way.

Reading it as an adult, I was struck by the sheer craft of the prose, the precision of every scene, and the devastating power of the plot. It was one of those reading experiences where you fall into the pages completely; I finished the book before the plane even touched down.

Why revisit it?

Because some books deserve a second look. Because reading for pleasure is a completely different experience from reading for school. And because Of Mice and Men is more than a 'classroom classic;' it’s a tightly woven, deeply human story that reminds us how fragile our hopes can be.

Let’s talk about it

Have you revisited a school-assigned book as an adult and been surprised by it? Did you remember Of Mice and Men as powerful—or has it changed for you over time?

Join the conversation at #TuesdayBookClub and #OfMiceAndMen on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky. We’d love to hear your stories, your thoughts, and the moments from the book that stayed with you.