Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – 1937

Sometimes your fourth grade English teacher will look through the laundry list of acceptable books to be studied and pull out a clunker – and I’ve certainly had that experience – but occasionally the education system will throw you a bone and you’ll be tasked to read one of the all-time classics, like Of Mice and Men. Thankfully, I had that experience too.

I haven’t picked up Of Mice and Men since it became one of the best things I would read as a teenager, and while the moment to moment details of the story have faded somewhat in the last quarter of a century, the brotherly bond between central characters George and Lennie has stood the test of time, along with Lennie’s often repeated request – ‘Tell me about the rabbits, George.’ Of course, that makes no sense if you haven’t read it, but do yourself a favour and pick up a copy.

Of Mice and Men is probably one of the most popular and well respected novellas out there, and because of its continued popularity in the school curriculum it is constantly being read and appreciated by each new generation.

That’s the kind of legacy all writers should aspire to.