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Summary: THE STEINBECK OPUS, DIFFICULT TO TRUDGE THRU, BUT WORTH IT!
Review: If you want to read an author who can almost effortlessly draw you into the tapestry of his characters, in 600 pages and yet without frittering away a single word, then you have to love Steinbeck! What makes this 1952 novel the timeless opus that I believe it is (now fortunately in new paperback version thanks to Oprah,) is that ANY reader can relate to it on so many levels. You may find the story winding and complicated at the outset, peopled by characters that are often virtuous in some ways and flawed in others. But soon you'll realize how real these people are, and you'll be reading on if only to figure out what happens to each of them. The plot and the author's beautiful descriptive passages pull you along at a refreshing pace once you are into it. Although the main character's name is Adam, it's the Biblical story of Cain and Abel that is played out over and over with characters whose names begin with "C" and "A". Adam's father, Cyrus, is quite the wild man. Adam's brother, Charles, tries to kill him. Adam's wife, Cathy, abandons him and their newborn twins to pursue the lifestyle of evil she cannot escape. Their children Aron and Caleb continue as opponents trying to vie for their father's attention until the bitter end. And when you finish trudging through the entire thing, you'll feel like having actually lived and breathed the philosophies and lessons of a lifetime. Steinbeck's acute awareness of the interplay of his themes despite his lingusitic economy is an absolute joy to behold. His characters are specific and alive, mirroring real people and their foibles. I highly recommend this classic piece of literature but be prepared to read. It's not your average pulp.
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Summary: A rarity
Review: It's so rare to come across a book that seems, well, perfect. So many times we feel the author could have done something different when it came to plot, length of the book, or the shaping of certain passages. EAST OF EDEN is one of the few books that I can honestly say I didn't feel this way about. I initially read this great work in high school, revisited it in college, and now, thanks to Oprah, have discovered it again. Each time I come to it, it holds up as well as it did that first reading. Like Steinbeck's other masterpiece, WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT or some other worthwhile reads such as McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD or ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, the revisiting only makes the work better. And herein lies the essence of a classic, for great literature is not meant to be read once and then tossed aside, but rather it must be revisited over and over. An analogy is in order: If you're a fan of classical music, do you listen to a Beethoven symphony once, then never again? Do you look at a painting by Manet or Degas once, then never revisit it? No, of course not. And it's the same with great literature. Granted, there's the element of time spent (it's easier to look at a painting for a few seconds now and then or choose one movement of a symphony), but attention must be paid, especially when it comes to a novel as great as EAST OF EDEN. This book is, without a doubt, Steinbeck's greatest achievement. Do yourself a favor and invest in this sprawling family saga, set in California. It is the tale of two brothers who view the world differently and are determined to make their way in it, regardless of some of the consequences. The parallels and obvious symbolism to the Bible that runs rampant throughout the book only helps to give it depth, and Steinbeck's descriptions of northern California are yet another remarkable element to this great piece of literature. If I had to only recommend three books, this would be one of them.
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Summary: East of Eden
Review: A few books have actually changed my life (isn't this what they're SUPPOSED to do?). "The Fountainhead" was one, and John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" was another. These are not short "easy to read" and light books to be throw aside after you've finished. These are major classics that cause you to think and reflect--again, something a great book should make you do. The story of "Eden" has been covered here in numerous reviews, so I won't go into that, but suffice it to say that if you haven't read this book, you're missing out on one of the best pieces of American literature ever written. Would also recommend: "The Bark of the Dogwood" by McCrae, and "Atlas Shrugged"--two other great reads that will cause your wheels to start spinning!
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Summary: Epic novel
Review: This book has it all--sweeping themes which are common to all people, fascinating and flawed characters, and an interesting interweaving of people's choices and the impact this has on those around them. The novel is based on the Biblical account of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Steinbeck dwells on the sibling rivalry which pits one brother against another for their father's love. This occurs in two generations with Charlie and Adam in the first generation and Adam's twin sons Cal and Aron in the second. There are fascinating characters, such as the wicked Cathy who finds men's weaknesses and preys on them for her own gain, the wise and philosophical Chinese servant Lee, and the wonderful dreamer named Samuel Hamilton. The Hamilton family is patterned after Steinbeck's maternal family and he sometimes takes side-trips to the plot in order to tell some family tale which has been passed on to him by oral tradition. Another interesting theme has to do with dreamers, like Adam and Aron, who only see what they want to see, and realists, such as Samuel's wife, whose view is likewise narrowed by her practical nature. Abra starts out as a dreamer, but grows into a woman who sees the greys in life and learns to accept them without letting them detroy her. A favorite theme seems to deal with paternal expectations and how these can overpower and sometimes detroy a son. Steinbeck delves into the question of inherited predisposition towards sin and resoundingly concludes that we all have choices and we are not driven totally by our genetic disposition. This is a fascinating study of human nature and of good vs. evil and is a wonderful read.
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Summary: See the Brilliance in Sadness
Review: EAST OF EDEN (Steinbeck, John) is one of the greatest books ever written. You must be able to see the brilliance in sadness to appreciate his work, but such is the case with all the true classics. I rank EAST OF EDEN at the top of a list that includes CATCHER IN THE RYE (Salinger, JD), MY FRACTURED LIFE (Travolta, Rikki Lee), GRAPES OF WRATH (Steinbeck, John), OF MICE AND MEN (Steinbeck, John), BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (McInerney, Jay) and FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (Hemingway, Ernest).
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Summary: Paradise lost
Review: This is a beautiful but brutal story of sibling rivalry, parent-child relationships, and the inherent good and evil in each one of us. The novel spans three generations of the Trask family, beginning with the amoral patriarch Cyrus, who invents himself as a heroic soldier but is actually a thieving failure in the army. His two sons--Charles and Adam--recreate the story of Cain and Abel. Charles is smart and bitter over his father's obvious preference for Adam. Adam is naive and unimpressed by his father's affections. Adam marries the beautiful but sociopathic prostitute Cathy, who sleeps with Charles on their wedding night and shoots Adam after bearing twins. The twins--Cal and Aron--recreate the story of Charles and Adam in a pathetic and depressing historical retread. The overall theme of this tale is that each person has good and evil within them, and must consciously choose the moral path. Steinbeck rejects the idea that a person is inherently good or evil and has no control over his destiny. Even the evil Cathy ultimately recognizes her immorality, and seems to regret having no love in her life. I found the characters dealing with Cathy to be the most interesting. Cathy and Lee were the most finely developed character in the novel for me. Though Cathy is primarily "evil" and Lee is primarily "good", both characters contained complexities and contradictions more finely tuned than those that were present in, for example, Adam Trask and Samuel Hamilton. I can't help but compare this epic novel to Steinbeck's other opus, The Grapes of Wrath. I enjoyed the Grapes of Wrath more, because the characters were more multi-dimensional and the story more fluid. Here the characters seemed like symbols more than actual people--pawns in Steinbeck's obvious allegory. Nevertheless, this novel is worth your time to read. It contains beautiful prose and thought-provoking ideas. This highly ambitious novel succeeds on many levels, and is a pleasure to read and ponder.
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Summary: Penguin edition has too many errors!
Review: The book is great, don't get me wrong. The problem is that the centennial edition published by penguin has typos. Lots and lots of typos. An embarrassing amount of typos. Great literature deserves better proofreading.
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Summary: Still mourning it...
Review: Yes, I finished this book in July 2003, and I still wish that I was reading it anew.It's one of those books that is so entirely satisfying that you still wish for more after you're finished. It is among one of the best books I have ever read and I'm still searching for another like it. It's scope, profundity, emotion, and lyricism are untouchable. This book is about people, and how we treat each other, and it attempts to explain why the world is so messed up, but without any arrogance or pretention, and it doesn't get in over it's head. How? Because despite it's epic themes and questions, Steinbeck insists that the answers can be found amongst us, on a human level. He takes a painfully honest look at a generational history of two families with the knack and panache and common touch of a sage and wizened storyteller who you'd find at a local pub or in your grandma's kitchen, but with the beauty of a poet and the depth of a philosopher or theologian. It's deep, dark, ancient messages and truths and larger than life, prophetic characters are trapped in the trappings of everyday life and in the bodies and souls of fallible human beings who we grow to love, or love to hate.Steinbeck's descriptive power is beautiful (and as a native Californian, I loved his renderings of the Salinas Valley). There are some passages you are compelled to read over and over, but not just because they're poetically phrased, but because of the message. The beginning of Chapter 13 dazed me when I read it because of it's beauty and wisdom merged together. It's inspired.This book is, truly, an inspired work of art. They are few and far between, but this is one of them. Get it and plunge into a world of ancient truths, age old crises, inspiration and wisdom, and characters you'll cry over, hate, love, and feel for. And maybe at the end you'll be a bit changed, this book can do that to you.
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Summary: My new favorite
Review: It's the classic of classics! John Steinbeck is amazing at bringing all the characters and minor details together, weaving into one grand plot. I don't know what else I can tell you about it without telling you the actual story. It's great. Read it. You will love it. That's all I can say.
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Summary: East of Eden
Review: This is one of Steinbeck's best, eclipsed only by The Grapes of Wrath. I first read it at about age 12, and fell in love with his descriptions of the Salinas valley. I went to California in 1984 just to see how Salinas looked 30 years after the book, and it was just that beautiful with the miles and miles of cultivated fields. The characters are real, the plot is pure Steinbeck. You know what is going to happen, yet you continue to hope for human behavior to change. I have never forgotten the way Lee's group of Chinese scholars worked to decipher that one word which meant "thou mayest". Those kinds of details make John Stenbeck unforgettable.
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