Category: Friendships

American writer, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer, Mark Twain is famously quoted as saying, “No man is a failure who has friends.” From presidents to inventors, the “father of American Literature” was friends with many of history’s giants. But his relationships are just as interesting as the man himself since friendships shaped his lives and his shaped theirs in return. This quality makes Mark Twain a perfect candidate for the next example of friendships in literature for my series, New Year; New Types of Friends. (Check out my earlier posts with examples of friendships in politics, sports, movies, and television). About Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) is better known by his pen name Mark Twain. His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), the latter of which has often been called the “Great American Novel”.

As I considered books for my series, New Year; New Types of Friends, John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men jumped onto the list. It’s been years since I read this novel but it sure fits the bill for this subset of examples of friendship in literature. Even though the setting is ranch life in the early 1930s, it parallels the struggles of many men today. It’s a story about how some people are driven to find friendship in order to escape from their loneliness. It also shows how a lifestyle of loneliness damages your relationships.  About The Book Published in 1937, Of Mice and Men narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression. Steinbeck based the story on his own experiences working alongside migrant farm workers

My first post for this subset of examples in literature covered the transformational friendship of The Inklings. I also referenced the first “modern novel” published in 1605, Don Quixote. Considered one of the greatest novels of all time, it appears on many lists of books about friendship I discovered during my research for this series, New Year; New Types of Friends. This epic Spanish story features the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, who was a friend who helps keep things real, despite the trouble he causes. Now, I will admit that I don’t ever recall reading Don Quixote so I placed a hold for a copy at my local lbrary. But as I read excerpts and commentaries about the novel, I see why we need other men to help us remember reality when we become disillusioned. About The Book  Don Quixote is a Spanish novel written by Miguel