East of Eden
A masterpiece of Biblical scope, and the magnum opus of one of America's most enduring authors, in a deluxe Centennial edition In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. Adapted for the 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan introducing James Dean, and read by thousands as the book that brought Oprah's Book Club back, East of Eden has remained vitally present in American culture for over half a century. This Centennial edition, specially designed to commemorate one hundred years of Steinbeck, features french flaps and deckle-edged pages. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translato
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Community Reviews
Let me save you from reading a long review: READ THIS BOOK.
It is said to be a retelling of the book of Genesis, but I disagree. It's more perhaps a story that is based on or around events that happen in Genesis.
Even disregarding that completely, the book is wonderful. It's a compelling story that takes place in the late 1800s, early 1900s in California and mostly focuses on the Hamilton and Trask families, the trials and tribulations of just...LIVING. This book may be a classic, but it's a timeless one. I look forward to rereading it many, many times in the years to come. I had no idea John Steinbeck could write such snarky characters....or that he would write himself into the story....but it gave me much enjoyment and laughter!
It is said to be a retelling of the book of Genesis, but I disagree. It's more perhaps a story that is based on or around events that happen in Genesis.
Even disregarding that completely, the book is wonderful. It's a compelling story that takes place in the late 1800s, early 1900s in California and mostly focuses on the Hamilton and Trask families, the trials and tribulations of just...LIVING. This book may be a classic, but it's a timeless one. I look forward to rereading it many, many times in the years to come. I had no idea John Steinbeck could write such snarky characters....or that he would write himself into the story....but it gave me much enjoyment and laughter!
Though peovoking
Had to go to the internet to discover what the last line meant. Nature vs. Nurture. Can Cal get past his heredity and become a good person? So many unanswered questions. I prefer to have things wrapped up a little better than that.
Had to go to the internet to discover what the last line meant. Nature vs. Nurture. Can Cal get past his heredity and become a good person? So many unanswered questions. I prefer to have things wrapped up a little better than that.
"I think the difference between a lie and a story is that a story utilizes the trappings and appearance of truth for the interest of the listener as well as of the teller. A story has in it neither gain nor loss. But a lie is a device for profit or escape. I suppose if that definition is strictly held to, then a writer of stories is a liar—if he is financially fortunate."
"You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect."
"There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension."
"Was she very beautiful, Samuel?”
“To you she was because you built her. I don’t think you ever saw her— only your own creation.”
"But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed—because ‘Thou mayest.’ "
"‘Thou mayest rule over sin,’ Lee. That’s it. I do not believe all men are destroyed. I can name you a dozen who were not, and they are the ones the world lives by. Surely most men are destroyed, but there are others who like pillars of fire guide frightened men through the darkness."
"It is true that we are weak and sick and quarrelsome, but if that is all we ever were, we would, millenniums ago, have disappeared from the face of the earth. A few remnants of fossilized jawbone, some broken teeth in strata of limestone, would be the only mark man would have left of his existence in the world. But the choice, Lee, the choice of winning!"
"And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is."
"You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect."
"There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension."
"Was she very beautiful, Samuel?”
“To you she was because you built her. I don’t think you ever saw her— only your own creation.”
"But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed—because ‘Thou mayest.’ "
"‘Thou mayest rule over sin,’ Lee. That’s it. I do not believe all men are destroyed. I can name you a dozen who were not, and they are the ones the world lives by. Surely most men are destroyed, but there are others who like pillars of fire guide frightened men through the darkness."
"It is true that we are weak and sick and quarrelsome, but if that is all we ever were, we would, millenniums ago, have disappeared from the face of the earth. A few remnants of fossilized jawbone, some broken teeth in strata of limestone, would be the only mark man would have left of his existence in the world. But the choice, Lee, the choice of winning!"
"And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is."
I've waited a week to write this review because I was hoping that all my thoughts would just pull together, and I would know exactly what I wanted to say.
The problem with that is that I would want to write a review that is as beautiful as Steinbeck's writing. And folks - that ain't gonna happen. I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
This isn't necessarily an easy book. It's not all unicorns and cotton candy. It's a little long (around 600 pages) and a little dense at times.
While Steinbeck writes beautifully (I swear I cannot emphasize this enough), the story strays a bit at times. I believe I read one reviewer's review that said he "meanders." That is the perfect way to describe it. You will be reading an intense chapter with a cliff hanger of an end to it and the next chapter will spend five full pages describing a landscape that really doesn't have a whole lot to do with the story. It is still written beautifully (there I go again), but it's not quite as interesting as the rest of the book. I kept looking forward to getting back to the bits about the whorehouse - boy, I never thought I'd say that!
The other thing that makes it a bit of a tough read are the gazillion characters. This family and that family and the family of that family's family's family. A bit like this:
This may have been bothersome if left in the hands of another author, but Steinbeck handles the complex intertwining of characters so well. For as much as he describes the landscape in such rich detail, his characters are the real richness of this book.
For those of you that have been living under a rock and don't know, there is a parallel to Cain and Abel.
Like this. Except not so muscle-y. And younger.
I wouldn't say it revolves around mimicking the story of Cain and Abel, but you will be on the edge of your seat around page 541 just waiting for the Cain and Abel outcome. The other characters fill in the "gaps" and some become like dear friends you wish you had. And perhaps, like the most interesting of them all and my favorite, Cathy/Catherine/Kate, are people you would never like to know. But damn was she fascinating!
I found myself making marks and notes in the margins whenever something really hit me. A few of my favorites:
She had no love of places. A place was only a resting stage on the way to Heaven.
Abra got up and put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek, and it was the only time such a thing had ever happened in his whole life.
I really enjoyed this. It was a lot different from [b:Of Mice and Men|890|Of Mice and Men|John Steinbeck|https:d.gr-assets.com/books/1367951092s/890.jpg|40283], which was the only other John Steinbeck I had read. I wouldn't say that this has become one of my favorites, but I really appreciated it and am glad that I read it. I will probably read it again years from now just to re-experience it.
Books like this are an investment. Take your time. Savor it.
4.5 because it didn't make the favorites, and I found the "meandering" to be a bit distracting and uneventful
The problem with that is that I would want to write a review that is as beautiful as Steinbeck's writing. And folks - that ain't gonna happen. I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
This isn't necessarily an easy book. It's not all unicorns and cotton candy. It's a little long (around 600 pages) and a little dense at times.
While Steinbeck writes beautifully (I swear I cannot emphasize this enough), the story strays a bit at times. I believe I read one reviewer's review that said he "meanders." That is the perfect way to describe it. You will be reading an intense chapter with a cliff hanger of an end to it and the next chapter will spend five full pages describing a landscape that really doesn't have a whole lot to do with the story. It is still written beautifully (there I go again), but it's not quite as interesting as the rest of the book. I kept looking forward to getting back to the bits about the whorehouse - boy, I never thought I'd say that!
The other thing that makes it a bit of a tough read are the gazillion characters. This family and that family and the family of that family's family's family. A bit like this:
This may have been bothersome if left in the hands of another author, but Steinbeck handles the complex intertwining of characters so well. For as much as he describes the landscape in such rich detail, his characters are the real richness of this book.
For those of you that have been living under a rock and don't know, there is a parallel to Cain and Abel.
Like this. Except not so muscle-y. And younger.
I wouldn't say it revolves around mimicking the story of Cain and Abel, but you will be on the edge of your seat around page 541 just waiting for the Cain and Abel outcome. The other characters fill in the "gaps" and some become like dear friends you wish you had. And perhaps, like the most interesting of them all and my favorite, Cathy/Catherine/Kate, are people you would never like to know. But damn was she fascinating!
I found myself making marks and notes in the margins whenever something really hit me. A few of my favorites:
She had no love of places. A place was only a resting stage on the way to Heaven.
Abra got up and put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek, and it was the only time such a thing had ever happened in his whole life.
I really enjoyed this. It was a lot different from [b:Of Mice and Men|890|Of Mice and Men|John Steinbeck|https:d.gr-assets.com/books/1367951092s/890.jpg|40283], which was the only other John Steinbeck I had read. I wouldn't say that this has become one of my favorites, but I really appreciated it and am glad that I read it. I will probably read it again years from now just to re-experience it.
Books like this are an investment. Take your time. Savor it.
4.5 because it didn't make the favorites, and I found the "meandering" to be a bit distracting and uneventful
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