Steinbeck Centennial East Of Eden

3.5 stars

Adam and Charles are brothers who grew up in Connecticut, and are quite opposite. Under his father's pressure, Adam joins the army, but hates it. When he returns after wandering for a time, he marries, and leaves for California. Charles hates Cathy, Adam's new wife. There is something a little "off" about her. The remainder of the book focuses on Adam's life on a farm in California, including raising his twin sons, Cal and Aron, and his relationships with his neighbour, Sam Hamilton, and his employee, Lee, who helps run the household.

It was good. I found some parts more interesting than others, especially those parts that focused on Cathy. I thought the characters were very well done.

This story takes place at the turn of century (1900) in Salinas, a mostly fertile valley in northern California. The story covers 2 families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks, and their trials and tribulations as farming neighbours. While one is a large, happy family, the other is infected with pure evil. Filled with murder, betrayal, and cover-ups and told through unforgettable characters, makes this story truly exceptional.
East of Eden will take you into the darkest corners of the human mind and at the same time show our capacity for great love and unselfishness. Steinbeck's talent as an outstanding story teller shines through in this unforgettable saga. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

The novel East of Eden is about the sides of good and evil in society, and the novels explores a great deal of themes such as depravity and love, to name a few. What is also quite interesting is that the novels has a great deal of parallels with the Book of Genesis, specifically Cain and Abel. It is certainly the magnus opus of John Steinbeck.

You can never go wrong with Steinbeck and this is one of his best works. It is gripping from beginning to end and impossible to put down, and a book that everyone should read at some point in their life.

John Steinbeck’s East of Eden talks about who people really are inside- the good, the evil and all those in-between. In fact it was clear that one could not say for sure certain people were purely evil or good but there was a certain understanding why someone was someway. John Steinbeck took you into the heart and soul of each character so you could understand why people are the way they are. East of Eden is really a story about life-even if it doesn’t directly apply, the events in the book do not specifically happen to you, you can relate to each character because they are symbols of different people in our society. But the part the grabbed me the most was perhaps the most important part in the book. At the end of the book when Lee asks Adam to forgive his son Cal by saying his name before he dies of his stroke Adam speaks only one word: “Timshel!” and dies. Timshel is the Hebrew word for “Thou mayest.” It was discussed earlier about the translations of the fourth chapter of Genesis. The King James version has “thou shalt”, which was apromise that Cain would conquer sin. But the American standard bible had that part listed as “Do thou” which was an order. But it was discovered that it was “Thou mayest rule over sin,” which suggests choice because you may but you may not. At the end Leee asks Adam to forgive his son so his son does not have to carry the guilt of Aron’s death but all Adam says is ‘Timshel” which suggests to me that Adam is giving his son Cal a choice whenever or not he will forgive himself for it. This is a good book if you want to go deep into the philosophy of life.

A very touching story. This book could easily be considered a timeless classic.

Why? Because there is next to no ego in the last book John Steinbeck ever wrote. You finish "East of Eden" and you remember the characters not the writer. You remember Lee, who is so selfless and good and wise; you remember the two sets of brothers, Adam and Charles, and Cal and Aron; and with a series of spinal shudders you find you cannot forget Cathy (or Catherine) who has to go down as one of the most sinister - and interesting - characters in all fiction.

No tricks, no overly clever plot-twists or wordplays, this is just a straight-ahead, old-fashioned, fascinating story about the greatest biblical theme of them all: people's struggle with good and evil. But that's not all. It's so much more than that. [Ok, nerdy confession time:] I drew up a list of all the great themes "East of Eden" covers but have since scrapped it because Steinbeck does precisely that in the book's appropriately humble epigraph, delivered as a simple letter to a dear friend:

"Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, 'Why don't you make something for me?'
I asked you what you wanted, and you said, 'A box.'
'What for?'
'To put things in.'
'What things?'
'Whatever you have,' you said.
Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts - the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
John"

What more need be said?

-Probably Because I Have To

When I first started to read East Of Eden, I didn't really know what to expect, but now that I'm done with it, I definitely understand why it is considered like one of the greatest book of the American litterature. Themes are considerably important, we can see that the caracters and the action are both very well described.

this is a farily long novel, but worth the read! so much happens throughout the novel, it never really gets boring ! Hopee you concider reading this novel : ) enjoyy !

This is one of the best books I have read. I love the classics, but with few exceptions, am not usually crazy about the American classics. This book was really fantastic, written superbly makes you feel like you are a part of the story. I am glad I gave Steinbeck a chance. Highly recommended.

One of my favorite novels of all time. I enjoyed it much more than Grapes of Wrath, though that is not to say that it is better.
The biggest difference in my eyes is that Grapes of Wrath starts slow and builds and builds in pedantic but wonderful prose, towards an unforgettable ending. East of Eden seems to do the opposite. The first half of the novel is full of wonderful stories that set the tone for the second half which is a bit slower and less exciting. Either way Steinbeck is a master of prose, and this is worth reading for anyone.

It's difficult to describe what exactly this book is about, except to say that it tells a story of numerous characters whose lives are inter-twined with each other. Steinbeck is a master with his words at helping the reader really understand the intricate dimensions of the character. We are lead to appreciate that people are not one-dimensional being either good or evil, but complicated. This is probably the strength of this novel, and the story just lets us get to know the people.

I'm a little hesitant about some of Oprahs book club picks especially when they are considered classics but I was blown away by this book.

I was interested in every word that was written and was disappointed when it ended.

Everybody should read this book.

It's probably very cliche for me even to try to write a positive review about this book. Whatever I write will most likely have been written or said by someone else, but I am compelled to write something because this is a beautiful novel. The plot unfolds naturally, thoughtfully, and precisely. The characters are utterly dynamic, real, and differentiated. Unlike many male writers from Steinbeck's era, the female characters are just as human as the male characters. Additionally, the Chinese character of Lee is just as differentiated as the white characters in spite of the allusions to race. In addition to adding much to the story, this type of character development gives me an immense respect for Steinbeck who was clearly ahead of his time in a relatively more sexist and racist time than the present.
Additionally, Steinbeck's understanding of human motivation is genius. Dostoevsky is his only real rival. Steinbeck's exploration of good, evil, and choice is universal. This book is filled with insights that are huge areas of research in social psychology. I am a researcher who has always believed that reading certain works of classic fiction can assist with research. This book more than proves this belief.
In addition to the merits I described, and the others I left out of this review, this book is utterly engaging. I cared about the characters and wanted to understand their lives. This book contains tragedy, but is still uplifting. East of Eden is a beautiful and real depiction of life.

I recommend this book to anyone who simply enjoys reading. The story, characters, and narration are all so wonderfully presented making it near impossible to put down.
In my opinion this is Steinbeck on the top of his game. I enjoyed it considerably more than Grapes of Wrath.
In the book you are introduced to characters with different takes on morals that causes you to be affected on a personal level. It has a very strong message about the ability of free will and decisions.
East of Eden is a pure work of genius and you will feel changed after reading it... in a good way.

East of Eden is one of those novels that you live as you read. Throughout the course of my reading the novel, I couldn't escape its dry dusty presence. I would think about the characters, about Salinas, about the ranches, the farms, and the soaring mountains. The characters in East of Eden are perhaps its greatest achievement. You are drawn into their lives and cannot escape. You start to hate Cathy, love Abra and want to just go and give Adam, Cal and Aron a big hug. They become part of your life. The novel is immense, truly an epic, but it never seems to stagnate, it is constantly flowing, constantly moving you. It is a heart-wrenching and soul-draining story of failure, persistence and the elusiveness of hope. A must read for anyone who wants to change their views on life.

After reading this wonderful cast of characters, I had to take a trip to the Salinas valley. I fell in love with John Steinbeck all over again. A gifted writer with so much to share. do yourself a favour and read this wonderful book...you wont be sorry.

I always have a really hard time getting into classic novels and as such am always afraid of reading them. For the most part it always feels as if I should expect to write a book report afterwards and that the story itself will be written in this "old-fashioned" way. It was with great surprise that I really found myself enjoying "East of Eden". I actually really like the story, the pace, and all of the characters Steinbeck created. This is one where I truly understand why after all this time people still talk about it and still enjoy reading it.

This is a great book and a true classic. A must-read!

I chose to read this book for a final in a course I took and I'm so happy I picked this one. The imagery, metaphors, and characters are so beautifully crafted. This was a fantastic read!