Reading Of Mice and Men

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
I almost didn't pick this book for a couple reasons.

Of Mice and Men, before our new chalkboard wall.
It is the wall that once inspired a special post of mine.
"My Crappy Kitchen Wall Moment"

One: It is so short that perhaps I would come across as a cheat.  Which I clearly am not...I fear I am the odd girl out at my school for not doing my take-home tests in a group setting.  "We all help each other so we learn the material," my statistics classmate nobly told me.  I guess I am old-fashioned, but if a teacher says not to do your test (take-home or not) together, I feel like it is cheating to do so.  And just for the record, I would love everyone to learn the material.

Two: I was a bit embarrassed to admit I had never read it before.  Just tonight, as we waited in vain for our psych teacher to show up, a fellow classmate looked surprised by my answer when she asked me if I had ever read it before.  Her question had been spoken in a way that knew the answer.  In a way, I enjoyed being a little shocking, Community College style.

Alas, I did pick the book  It is a classic by John Steinbeck.  And is somewhat of a classic, right?  So, no matter what my age, I felt it was a good story to know.  I started it yesterday and finished all of sixteen pages.  By this evening, I had finished the entire book.   Don't be too impressed, it is 106 pages total.

The conversational style writing, and slang voices make for a very easy read.  I carried with me a nagging feeling of impending doom throughout the book.  Like watching a movie that plays a slightly dark tune, I felt a nervous unease.  I kept turning page after page, waiting for it to happen.  What would it be?  When would it come?  Or was it just me, the reader, assuming some edge being walked?

If you are the odd ball like me and haven't yet read the book, I'll say no more.  But be ready for a quick read that you won't put down.

And with that, I have finished my fourth book fourth book of the month.  It didn't go as planned.   But what really ever does?  And either way, whether I finished 4 book, be they long or short, I am so happy to have had this month.  I really do like to read and I might just keep it up this year.  My friend is reading 48 books this year, and maybe I'll join her challenge.  So far (including young adult fiction novels) I have read seven books.

41 more to go!
Melissa