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Summary: Classic Novel Illustrates Classic Struggle of Good Vs. Evil
Review: John Steinbeck is at his best in this classic tale of sibling rivalry as he examines what we become vs. what we *may* become. The Biblical tale of Cain and Abel sets the tone as we are introduced to two sets of brothers. Each tries to win the love of his father in different ways. The story of why one brother succeeds while another feels unloved is beautifully told.Adam Trask, from the first set of brothers, repeats his own story with his sons, the twins Aron and Caleb. The enduring themes of light vs. dark, good vs. evil, hatred vs. love, and always the free will, the ability to choose one's own destiny are paramount to this rich and multi-layered tale. Above all, it is the characters you will long remember from this riveting saga. Cathy, the whore with a heart of stone, has to be one of the most evil characters in all literature. She kills her parents, beds her husband's brother on her wedding night, shoots her husband and desserts her infant sons. And, all this before she turns really bad! Truly a character to be analyzed for decades to come. On the other hand there are the wonderful characters of Samuel and Lee, men you will long remember for their wisdom, caring, and sheer goodness. And there is Adam, a zombie of a man until his great re-birth and spectacular failure finds him caught in a web of good and evil that he will long struggle with. John Steinbeck puts himself into the novel, as Samuel Hamilton is based on his own maternal grandfather. The entire Hamilton clan is one that represents the true "salt of the earth" and elevates this to "great American novel" stature. The story is complex and involving, the characters unforgettable. Kudos to Oprah for reviving interest in this wonderful story.
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Summary: For those who loving writing
Review: I admit I am only 1/3 of the way through this book, but I have been so impressed with the depth of the writing, the color of the language and the art in play. While Steinbeck clearly is painting with broad brush strokes, and presents a simplified and overplayed image of woman as source of destruction/evil, I still find myself drawn in by the story and the substance of the book thus far. A good choice to kick off Oprah's Book Club again, if only to see a promising, flawed, and complex piece of fiction receive a wide audience. Kudos to her for bringing a work like this to the masses.
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Summary: Strong and Moving Even Today
Review: I read a review comparing John Steinbeck's East of Eden with Rikki Lee Travolta's My Fractured Life. My reaction was that someone was off their rocker. I had read Travolta's book which is very modern and deals with some very modern heavy issues and I could not fathom how the subject matter could be comparable to anything Steinbeck had written back in his time. So I read East of Eden. First of all, let me say that East of Eden is a tremendous book. Second let me say that I now understand the comparison to My Fractured Life. It isn't the setting that is the same because they are in different geographic areas and in different eras. What is the same is the writing. They are two authors from different times dealing with different events, but they are these are the two most vividly written books I have in my library. They both focus on the tortured emotions of young men in a way that the emotions transcend the page. You will weep when you read them, but they are so strong and so moving it is important. Steinbeck's words are just as meaningful as Travolta's are today.
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Summary: How could I have not read this book sooner?
Review: At first the size and the name Steinbeck scared me away a bit. But the plot description and Oprah kept me wanting to read it and I'm SO glad I did. This is the kind of book that you try to keep out of your hands so you can SAVOR it. I devoured the first half and took in the 2nd half in small increments so I could think about the plot more and extend the pleasure of reading this book just a little longer. The metaphors in the book and the themes are just fantastic and it reads as scandalously as a soap opera transcript (a VERY well written soap opera transcript). If you don't think you would be interested in a book that is considered a classic, you haven't read East of Eden.
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Summary: Absolutely great book!
Review: This is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. The plot catches you up (after a slightly slow start) and doesn't let you go. I had a difficult time putting this book down to do anything else. If you're ready to devote a few days to reading, this is the book to choose!
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Summary: Must Read
Review: The ability of John Steinbeck, to place 'you' the reader psychologically into the story is the true power of his artistic gift. You 'feel' the characters. You 'see' the unfolding and changing landscape. You are emotionally pulled into the unfolding drama. You laugh at outrageous hilarity. You cry over intense sadness. You literally feel the rain on your face when he alerts you to a storm blowing in.
For the most part, the characters spanning several generations are biographical depictions of his real relatives; mostly on his mothers side. The only weakness in the novel that I feel worth mentioning is that the character Kate appears too mean, inhuman, and damaged to seem real. John, in a paragraph or two using real nonfictional characters, actually puts himself into the story by name at two different times. The first is when he and his sister Mary at around age 10 or 11 discuss a very funny situation with their Uncle Tom at a Thanksgiving dinner. The second time he appears in the story is again with his sister Mary where they are depicted as peeking out of a second story window down upon a visitor walking up to their house in Salinas.
The existential theme of "individual choice" being more fundamental than "Heavenly Mandates" is a topic he repeats often causing one to believe that John himself must have believed this to be an important idea. But he also demonstrates that choice itself is often not powerful or useful enough to provide solutions to complex tragic situations. This novel is a must read. But then again, I believe that any of his novels will not disappoint.
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Summary: Grammer/Spelling? Am I the only one who noticed??
Review: I am only 1/4 through the book and have already noticed a very obvious misspelling and periods where there should be commas, etc. I think the editor should've done a little more homework. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does. Call me crazy......
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Summary: Naming Spoiler - Don't Read Until You Are Through
Review: Steinbeck plays a cute little trick in East of Eden, a re-tooling of the Cain and Able story; all the "good" character's names begin with an "A" and all the "bad" character's names begin with a "C".
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Summary: A Classic With Entertainment Value
Review: If Oprah Winfrey was looking to get the American public (and perhaps even the world) interested in reading "classic" literature she could have not chosen a better selection than John Steinbeck's "East of Eden." This is certainly not the "tamer" Steinbeck that I read in high school English class. While we may not even think twice about it today, "Eden" must have been simply scandalous when it was originally published in 1952 with murder, prostitution, and adultery just some of the more "adult" issues explored in this epic novel. Despite its intimidating length, "East" moves along quickly as we follow the life of Adam Trask - from his East Coast childhood and troubled relationship with his brother to businessman and father of two sons with equally complex relations of their own. As the title suggests, the book is a modern retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel story. As with most of the "classics," the novel is rife with topics and themes to deeply delve into and discuss with your book club. My only criticisms are that the "good vs. evil" angle gets a bit heavy-handed at times and, for me, the novel loses some steam in the final quarter - but these are certainly not enough to not heartily recommend the work. The nice thing about "Eden" is if you choose not to take the "literary" route, you can still be simply entertained and enthralled by Steinbeck's plot and characters. There is enough suspense and intrigue that make it not terribly different from many of today's bestsellers.
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Summary: Good story
Review: This was a richly textured book, with amazingly good character development. I found myself putting the book down at times, just to stop and think about what I've read, and savor the little bits of humor and wisdom. It's been a long time since I've found characters that have stuck with me long after the book has been read. It's not an action-packed, page-turning adventure at all, and would probably make a horribly boring movie. It's more of a home-cooked, slow-simmer novel in a world of fast food stories. I believe that the more you put into this book, the more you will get out of it. Put the time and effort in, and you will most likely end this book a little different of a person than who you were beforehand.
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