Will I love East of Eden?

It seems odd to add a novel, written in 1952, to non-fiction books delving into hot-button topics...

Better than any current book I know, East of Eden is a classic of human relationships, bringing us back to the greatest mystery of all—why human behavior is so unpredictable. Purported to be a retelling of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, it is much more than that, in its exploration of good and evil, genetic inheritance, contextual influences, ethnic traits, human needs, and innate capacities, all elements touched on in the other four books.

In the end, Steinbeck implies that deep… show more.

This is of course a classic, but I have never been particularly interested in Steinbeck. I think the best part of the book is that it immerses you into a very specific time and place in U.S. history. And the retelling of the Biblical story is certainly an interesting and poignant aspect of the plot.

During my reading year I always re-read a favourite from the past this year it was East of Eden the book that introduced me to Steinbeck I still love it. Is there a better character than Lee I doubt it. I also read it for a friend who sadly died during the year who always said it was a Steinbeck he meant to read.

I love East of Eden because it shows California both as the promised land and the fallen world.

Adam Trask, who moves his family west after serving in the Indian wars, is one of so many Americans who sought the California dream and ended up with something different—understanding that we can not return to Eden, but have to find a way to live in the world as it is.

I also love Steinbeck’s rendering of the California landscape and climate. He describes them out of his deeply lived experience. Reading this book takes me home. The essential California novel.  

I bet you didn’t expect to see a John Steinbeck novel on this list. But East of Eden happens to be a retelling of the ancient Biblical story of Cain and Abel, one of western literature’s earliest parables about good and evil.

This has to be one of my favorite books of all time. Dark and brooding from cover to cover, the book takes you through the history of several American families, tracing the consequences of decisions made by earlier generations on the generations to come. This modern parable also features my favorite literary villain—or monster, as Steinbeck describes her:… show more.

This book is really two different stories, interwoven. One story is an echo of the Cain and Abel story from the Bible: the beloved brother and the jealous one, the pain and violence of that dynamic, along with a consideration of how a family might move on from the deadlock of generational strife. It’s all very deep and meaningful, but told in very straightforward, unpretentious prose I found easy to read.
Interspersed through all this is a second story: a series of vignettes, almost completely unrelated to the Biblical references, describing Steinbeck’s own California ancestors. Charmingly, these were included mainly… show more.

This is my favorite book, and I have read it at least five times. Caleb feels he is under the evil influence of a mother who doesn't seem to have a soul and who left the family when he was very young. He is trying to find himself and find where he fits in the scheme of things.

He is helped by a compassionate Chinaman who works for his family and by his tenacity and the underlying goodness that he strives to find. The characters are rich and complex. And there were times I was just heartbroken for this boy… show more.

Steinbeck is a masterful writer. His prose is clear and precise and yet conveys meaning. His characters are alive and well-rounded, he has an excellent ear for dialogue.

I stopped visiting my local bookstore because the owner said she had never read Steinbeck. Their shelves were stocked full of 'romantasy,' and not one Steinbeck book.

My younger millennial sister insisted I listen to this. “East of Eden,” I asked. “ Really? It’s like two hundred hours!” (Okay, it’s about twenty-five hours but really the same thing.) And though I admire Steinbeck, there are only so many depression-era train rides and murdered bunnies a gal can take. “Do it,” she insisted. So I did.  

I was completely blown away. Like some amazing soap opera, this book has everything. Set in the Salinas Valley, California, in the early 1900s, the story is a sprawling generational epic of pain, sex, death, romance, a set of Cain… show more.

An outpouring of kindness for families despite their flaws—or because of their flaws.

I miss the Hamiltons and Trasks because of the forgiving portrayal of their human limitations. One tragedy involving a brother and sister left a lasting impression on me precisely because of its gentle, restrained depiction, as if the tragedy were being viewed from the seat of heaven, with an infinite and eternal compassion.