Come on, people. Steinbeck's book OF MICE AND MEN is only 107 pages long and reads faster than a lobbyist with a bag of money and wish list at a greedy politico's fundraising dinner.
This Cliff Notes book is 80 pages and so 27 more of the original won't be such an inconvenient stretch.This isn't a slam against the Cliff Notes author or what is contained in her book as it is against us as readers.
The original book was written as a play for the ear which also makes it a quick read and you know what? It is one of the true great American tales; not just a 20th century classic but one for all time. So do yourself a favor and save the Cliff Notes for, I dunno, any of the Jane Austin books where when forced to read her I kept hoping for a horse to come along and stomp the English breakfast out of Mister Darcy and put me out of my misery.
I encourage you to go out and buy any edition of Of Mice and Men you can find and sit down and take the time to read it. Afterwards, if you don't find yourself with a lump in your throat then maybe you didn't chew on the words enough to get their full flavor. John Steinbeck was one of the best writer's in the United States. He captured the dire poverty of the Depression, the desperation of those caught up in it, and still showed the importance and hope of humanity. Don't cheat yourself out of an amazing story. But if you have to buy the Cliff Notes for a class assignment you didn't study for, and you get a good grade or at least an appreciation of the story, then come back here to Amazon and give the author, Susan Van Kirk, a good review because I can guarantee that she wouldn't deny the power or value of the original.
Five stars for the author but only one for us as readers.