The book club in Lermontovka invites you to view the prose of John Steinbeck not as school classics, but as a living tale of hope against the backdrop of despair. Participants discuss characters who stumble, dream, make mistakes, and still try to maintain dignity in a world where the ground beneath their feet has almost disappeared. Book clubs often become a safe space where one can talk about complex topics without rush or judgment. The meeting dedicated to the prose of John Steinbeck is just such an event. Instead of retelling the plot, participants analyze how the writer portrays people who have almost nothing left but memory, stubbornness, and the desire to believe that there is still at least a tiny glimmer ahead. The conversation revolves around several books familiar to many from school programs or casual readings. The major novels "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Winter of Our Discontent" sit alongside the novella "Of Mice and Men," where friendship, fear, guilt, and instability are encapsulated in a small volume of text. Participants recall scenes that particularly touched them, share which phrases stuck in their minds, and why Steinbeck's characters linger so long. A separate line of discussion is the theme of dreams, which resonates in the writer's books almost obsessively. Some are closer to the characters' desire to simply have a home and a job, while others strive to escape poverty at any cost. In a circle of like-minded individuals, it is easier to admit that many experiences from the novels feel alarmingly contemporary. The conversation about the characters gradually leads to the history of America during the Great Depression and how these narratives are read from today's perspective. It is also important that the meeting does not turn into an academic analysis with citations from critics. Here, both those who have read almost everything and those who are just beginning to familiarize themselves with Steinbeck feel equally comfortable. The organizers support a free format: one can talk about favorite episodes, argue about the actions of the characters, share personal associations, or simply listen to others and mentally apply someone else's experience to oneself.