of mice and men is a good book (SPOILERS)

About a month ago, I finished reading "Of Mice and Men" for my ninth grade English class. 

Let's just say it's one of my favourite books now. 

I don't know why, but I'm absolutely obsessed with this story. Maybe it's the tragic, shocking plot twist, or maybe the characters. Honestly, I think that the plot twist was amazing. It was mind blowing, because though Lennie died at the fate of a gun, George was the one who had to shoot him. And he had no choice either, that's the best part. He hadda, he really hadda. But it's insane, really, how everything was going great and then suddenly, it just wasn't. And I really like the friendship between George and Lennie, it's quite sweet. Even though George says he'd be better off alone, it was nice having a guy to travel around with. To talk to, to share things with. Even if that meant he was "shovin' all over the country". Even when life was tough, at the end of the day George had Lennie and Lennie had George, and that fact makes me tear up every time. 

It's so strange how Lennie was attached to George. He would always do what he said, (mostly) when he said it. Even when he was upset at George, he would never lift a finger to him. Lennie could kill George if he wanted to, but he never does or even threatens to. Maybe it's because they've been together for so long. Or maybe it's the fact that George promises the rabbits. Either way, it's nice to see. 

Now that Lennie's gone, I think Slim and George will become closer, even with their already strong bond. In the 1992 film, it shows George leaving the ranch at the end in a train, which I suppose could make sense even though it wasn't in the book. I mean, he didn't like it there anyways, but he needed the money so they could get that house. Now that Lennie was dead, there wasn't much point. Without him, he would take is 50 bucks and go into town and spend it all, just like the rest of the guys. And now, that's all he's gonna do, for the rest of his life. It's a sad ending, really. 
Anyways, what I mean is that if George didn't like it there and has no point in staying, then he oughta leave. But I like to think that George sticks around, especially since Slim is there. During the book, he and Slim were becoming quite the buddies. They would gossip and felt comfortable around each other, telling each other things that they wouldn't dare to tell anyone else. Slim understood George and how he felt when he had to kill Lennie. Though he never told him, Slim knew. He'd figured it out. And I like to think that George told him after, when they were having a few drinks. 

I don't like the 1992 movie ending. Well, some parts of it I liked, like how the actors played their parts well. But when George shoots Lennie, it feels a bit rushed in my opinion. In the book, it's slow, and sad, and it really gives you time to comprehend what's happening. He ends his life on a nice note, when Lennie asks about getting the place now. I'm especially sad that they didn't use much of the dialogue from the book in both movies. Some of those lines from George were my favourite and really spoke deeper into his character. The line, "No Lennie I ain't mad. I never been mad and I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know," (Steinbeck 106) is in the 1992 movie, just a bit different. But another line that I wish they'd kept was right before George shot Lennie. Lennie says (not a direct quote, just off of memory), "Let's do it now, let's get that place now!" and George then says, "Sure. Right now. I gotta. We gotta". I would like to highlight the, "I gotta. We gotta". I think he says the first (I gotta) to himself, like he's reassuring himself that he has to kill Lennie before Curley got to him. Then he says the second (we gotta) as if in response to what Lennie said about getting the place. 
The parts of the ending in the 1992 movie I did like were the parts that you could see George figuring about what to do with Lennie. Gary Sinise did an amazing job portraying the emotions in that scene. You can see George looking off into the distance, really contemplating about what he was about to do and if it was the right choice, while Lennie yaps about remembering what to do. And you can see it when he knows what he has to do. He's telling Lennie to look across the river, and as he describes the house he rests his head on Lennie's shoulder as if to hide tears. That hits me every time. 

I highly recommend watching the 1939 version of the movie, though. It feels longer and as if it has more depth. There were a few things that could've been better, but overall I think it's a great film. The colourized version is on YouTube, but I think it cuts a few parts. 

Both of the movies cut a few of my favourite parts from the book, which is understandable because if they kept everything in, it would be the longest movie ever. 
One of these scenes was when Lennie sticks his hand in the water at the utopian river and wiggles his fingers around to make little ripples. He proceeds to say, "Look, George! Look what I done!". It's a sweet moment that really shows the innocence of Lennie at the beginning. Unfortunately, both movies cut when George throws the mouse that Lennie has in his pocket across the river, and then Lennie says he's going to get bramble for the fire. Instead, he goes into the water where George threw the mouse and tries to retrieve it. George, obviously knowing what Lennie was up to, doesn't care to lift a finger and instead says to himself, "crazy bastard". 

Honestly, I'm embarrassed to admit that I love the book this much. I don't want to characterize Lennie as some kind of "ootzie cutzie soft boi" (I'm actively shuddering while typing that; ew). I don't want to seem like I'm coming off like that either. I don't want to interact with people who think of Lennie that way. I know a lot of characters that have been ruined because all fans see them as is the, "soft boy who does no harm". It's honestly annoying and sad.

I don't know why I like the book as much as I do. My friends think I'm crazy, they say there's plenty of better books that I could love instead of Of Mice and Men. Heck, I can barely talk about it with my friends because they dislike the book. And they'll say that all the time, too. "Of Mice and Men wasn't that good," "At least this book is better than Of Mice and Men". Like of course I understand you don't have to like the book, it's your opinion. But it's my opinion to like the book, and I hope you respect that as well.

I'm afraid to tell people I like Of Mice and Men, because a lot of people will say it's good just because of its use of the N slur. Which, I honestly think it could've gone without. But it was the 1930's and unfortunately it was more acceptable to say and to write. But we can't change the past, and we can only look to the future. Actually, I would like to take this moment to mention that, to my surprise, the 1939 movie does NOT say the N slur in ANY SCENE (that I noticed, forgive me if I'm wrong). The introduction to Crooks is just him walking past and Candy saying, "there he goes now". Unfortunately the 1992 version is not better. It says it 3 times, once from Candy, once from Lennie, and once from Curley (briefly, when they're about to go after Lennie). It's sad, honestly, because this is a much more modern adaptation. The movie from THE '30S was better with it.  

Anyways, that's my blurb about Of Mice and Men. I have no one to talk to about it, so if anyone wants to rant with me please sent me a message or friend request and I'd be more than happy to.