> What happened to the original manuscript of John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice andMen?And the answer: His dog ate it. This classic work of American fiction got a makeover after Steinbeck's dogturned about half of the original manuscript into confetti. Though the novel waseventually rewritten and went on to sell millions of copies, Steinbeck is one offew to be able to claim his dog ate his homework.Of Mice and Men attained one of the greatest positive responses of Steinbeck’sworks even before it was published. Named as a selection in the Book of theMonth club, the success of Steinbeck’s short novel served as the first proof ofhis creative model: writing for the page with theater in mind. The plot of thenovel occurs over the course of three days and with each chapter arranged as ascene, and each scene confined to one of four locations: a wooded area, thebunkhouse, the stable hand’s room, and the main barn. Immediately aftercompletion, Steinbeck began work on a stage adaptation.Upon its publication in February 1937, Of Mice and Men quickly became abestseller, selling over half a million of the first edition. Since then, it hasgone on to sell over seven million. It’s one of the most widely-taught novels inAmerican schools despite its somewhat controversial content and themes. In someschools, the novella is even banned due to claims of vulgarity, racism, and itstreatment of women. Of Mice and Men has been adapted for the screen several times, most notably in1939 and 1992. Check out the trailer for the 1992 John Malkovitch version below.