East of Eden by John Steinbeck
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Book Reviews of East of Eden
Book Review: An Overwhelming Book
Summary: 5 Stars
East of Eden is truly a novel of biblical proportions. Set in the Salinas Valley of California, where Steinbeck himself grew up, the story follows two generations of the Trask family, the main one consisting of Adam, his two sons Cal and Aron, and their servant Lee. When reading this epic piece of literature, I found myself immersed in the struggles, triumphs, and emotional battles of the characters, who are so thoroughly developed, I felt somewhat connected to them. There is no doubt that the story claims its grand renown predominantly through Steinbeck's ability to capture every facet of human emotion within his characters. They are intriguing, witty, flawed, unfathomable--the exact qualities that make them stand out as so real.
What is also interesting about East of Eden is that it not only parallels the story of Cain and Abel, but it explores it in greater depth, exposing the emotions and thoughts of Cal and Aron. This book is all about relationships--the main one being sibling rivalry, a competition between the sons for the father's love and approval. Steinbeck does the story of Cain and Abel justice through his captivating presentation of the classic tale, showing one son who is seemingly perfect, and the other son who finds it difficult to achieve love.
This story contains all the elements of a masterpiece: dramatic plot, round characters, intricate relationships, honest writing, and numerous messages about life.
I recommend this book to everyone who is literate.
Book Review: An addictive, easy read
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say that this book came as a surprise to me. I saw the movie recently and was spell-bound so went and got the book immediately, and have to say that it is now actually the best book I've ever read. Personally, anyway. Something you have to understand, it is a very easy book to read. While lots of acclaimed books have pages upon pages of impossibly tiresome 'details' of the most uninteresting things, the pages in this are told simply through stories, as if Steinbeck is telling it over a coffee to a friend. There's none of the "the stalks were high and brown, and the golden sunlight lit the condensation like a miracle from the sky" nonsense to fill out pages. Everything Steinbeck explains is told so through one story after another, and in that way it is easy to see that this is clearly quite a documentation of his own life and memories. Which I personally think is the most wonderful form of storytelling. The characters are great, too. The first part has a chapter where one brother goes out with a hatchet to murder his other brother. Then not too long after we hear the tale of the most wicked woman ever created, Cathy, who kills her parents by lighting their house on fire. This is gripping, intriguing stuff. I can't believe it was written so long ago. I've never been much of a fan of Steinbeck's until now (we had to read Of Mice and Men in high school and that was okay), but now I have the great urge to buy all his books and have the time of my life all over again.Book Review: who dunnit?
Summary: 5 Stars
The book is true to its title as its inner plots follow that of biblical stories of Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve and Jezebel.
Now don't be discouraged. This book is full of shocking moments that will beg you to not stop reading, which is good because the book is very long. Each page will keep you wanting more as you strive to understand the connections between the bible and this book seemingly filled with evil characters whose only intentions are murdering their loved ones.
Watch as the lives of several different families become connected and good and evil switch bodies. Everything that you thought was true in the beginning begins to take a path much more different than you ever though it would.
Who is good and who is evil?
Who will ultimately win?
These questions also help to outline the major struggle in the book over being good or evil. Some are born with evil already buried deep inside them and others must choose for themselves whether they will be evil or choose to be good. The word "timshel" or "thou mayest" takes on new meanings and becomes the center of the story as it lets the characters know that they do have a say in their lives. They choose their own destinies and can decide that they will not be evil, even if they feel that everything else in the world is making them so. They have the final decision, not anything else in the world. What are your choices?
Book Review: Universal and timeless
Summary: 5 Stars
I had this book sitting on my shelf for a year before I finally could give the book the attention that it deserved. Once I started, I became engrossed. When I finished, I finished in a flurry, devouring the last 400 pages in about four days.
The themes are universal. The storylines are familiar to most Westerners. The story unfolds patiently and deliberately. The characters are mostly set in opposition (traitwise) of each other for purposes of showing contrasting approaches to life.
I did find a dry humor occasionally in the book. I did find the book to be universal not only in human conflict but also its timeless in its observations, especially about how the 'now' different from the 'good old days' or in its comments of how generalists have little future.
I did enjoy some subtleties in the writing at times. For instance when writing Joe's (a minor character who worked for Kate), Steinbeck used very simple words and short sentences to illustrate the unsophisticated nature of the thoughts. This made the sentences read quickly and served to highlight how shallow the internal monologue really was. After all, if deep thoughts require complex sentences and expert word usage, how does one convey simple thoughts?
This is one of the best novels that I have read, perhaps the best (not necessarily my favorite) novel that I have read from an American author.
Book Review: An Appreciation
Summary: 5 Stars
I've crossed another classic off of my "to read" list, and boy am I happy I read this one. This was pure satisfaction from start to finish. John Steinbeck's East of Eden is an amazing book that embodies the intersection of literary weightiness and readability. There are plenty of epics out there that span generations: Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds or Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits, for example. Those books are a joy to read and you can luxuriate in the authors' virtuosity as characters are added to weaving storylines, but East of Eden seemed to have more weight to it. Unlike many epics, which to thrive on love, unrequited or forbidden, Steinbeck's book focuses on the struggles of brothers seeking their father's admirmation. From the title alone, it is obvious that this notion is Biblical, and the book's Biblical quality becomes its center. For the first time in a very long time, I did not rush through the book's last chapters, eager to get to my next conquest. I felt that pang that you sometimes get when you finish a truly magnificent book, the pang that is part sadness at the experience of reading the book being over and part a feeling of that book permanently lodging itself in your memory to be drawn from and remembered with reverence. There are, I think, very few books that can produce this sublime reading experience, but East of Eden is on that short list.