Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Sawyer reads Of Mice and Men in jail and then has a conversation with Ben where they’re quoting it at each other. Later Sawyer tells the Man in Black that it’s his favorite book, and the Man in Black replies that he never read it because it was after his time.

Thoughts:

The book is written well enough but is needlessly depressing. Granted, it’s tough to write a good story about the American Dream. If it ends well for the dreamer, then the story’s too warm and fuzzy. If it ends badly, then it’s sad. Either way, the ending’s disappointing. The author can’t win.

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Sawyer, knocking on the (past) hatch door, announces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Future. Later he calls the Man in Black the Ghost of Christmas Past. Both the book and later seasons of Lost rely on time travel. And of course, there are the ghosts.

Thoughts:

Anyone who’s seen any Christmas Carol play, movie, or musical has heard most of the memorable lines, which are usually mined straight from the book. Your average movie-goer will probably have seen more than one version to compare. And yet, you’d be surprised how many clever sentences are left to read. Personally, I even loved rereading the bits I’ve heard a million times. It’s probably (mostly) nostalgia, but I found it a cozy read.