Rating: 
Summary: A BOOK FOR REMEMBRANCE, STEINBECK DOES IT AGAIN.
Review: "When June comes the grasses headed out and turned brown and the hills turned a brown which was not quite brown but a gold and saffron and red, an indescribable colour."
With a colorful set of characters this book will be a treat for all readers who love fat books, and like reading about the human condition and mind.
In the East of Eden, John Steinbeck introduces us to the Trask family, a somewhat problematic unit of Adam and Charles Trask and their father Cyrus, who more or less set the ground for the destinies of the two boys. Find out what kind of destiny is in store for Cyrus's offspring; Cal and Aron, Adam's sons, in this well written novel based in California.
The Trask brothers will have a life like none other for they will prove different, and throughout this story we will be entertained by the people who surrounded this family; those who tried to make them appear as normal and tried too hard to accept them. We will also, meet those who knew too much about them and carried their secrets to their graves.
However at the source of this book is Cathy Ames who will be responsible for their good or bad future in an indirect way.
A page-turner that will keep you up all night. If you haven't read any other of John Steinbeck's books, please get your hands on The Grapes Of Wrath after this one. It is something to write home about.
Heather Marshall. Sugar-cane 26/12/04
Rating:
Summary: East of Eden is my favourite book
Review: East of Eden is my favourite book. Many an author dreams of achieving what Steinbeck achieves in this novel. It is a family saga that captures the essence of living within its pages and focuses on the individuality of lives - and the absolute power that those lives have to shape others. It is the most spiritually alive and aware book I have ever read. It encompasses the best and the worst of what it means to be human. It always moves me to tears because it makes me realise that we all hold failure in our hearts - and yet it inspires me to believe in the greatness of the individual. None of us are beyond loving. Focusing on two families with very different upbringings and influences, it studies the often harmful effect of relationships on ego and the desire of every child to be loved - every child but one. Cathy is a woman who looks only to herself and seems to feel no guilt or remorse for her actions. She is born entirely selfish. In complete contrast to Cathy is Samuel, an inspirational and charismatic figure who loves all. The underlying message of the novel is that despite the surrounding environment we all have a certain potential, and we all "Mayest" achieve it. If some of us fail to reach our potential it makes us no less valid. Just by living we have made our mark. The message is that we "May" , not we "Should" or we "Must". I read a lot - and this is the most human novel that I have ever read - and the most forgiving. It is that forgiveness that inspires me.
Rating:
Summary: Good, Evil, Inherited Depravity, Perfectionism, Free will
Review: Here is the intertwined story of two families-the Hamiltons and the Trasks-that Steinbeck masterfully explored questions of good and evil, inherited depravity, perfectionism, and free will. This book is drawn out of the well of the Old Testament story of Cain and Abel. A great read-I only regret it is finished. The almost-fatalistic approach can be depressing at times if you imagine humans as better than they really are, but there are enough glimpses of hope? and goodness to keep you with him. My favorite author is Michner-mostly because he writes of places and generations. This book is similar, but besides doing the place-generations thing, the author tosses in a paragraph or phrase (about one per ten pages, for me) that are so stunning in their crafting and depth of thought that I would sometimes would lay the book down at that point and go meditate on the porch for an hour on that single phrase. I now have a whole new group of people who are a part of the pantheon of good and evil? in my mind (some busts appear in both pantheons): Cyrus Trask(I know someone like him), his favorite son Adam (A Isaac-type guy) his unfavored brother Charles. I know even better the next generation: Adam's sons Cal(unfavored, a lot like the God-be-merciful-to-me pray-er) and good Aron. Sam Hamilton is a stand-out example of good and in a curious way his straight-laced wife which reminds me of many stern holiness folk of the past generations. The real central character of evil is certainly Cathy (later Kate). Whew-are there really women this evil? Abra Bacon remind me of a girl I knew in grade school, and perhaps Steinbeck is successful in making the central character a Hebrew word-timshel. Buy the book and love it as I did. -Keith Drury, Associate Professor of Religion, Indiana Wesleyan University.
Rating:
Summary: Reading East of Eden
Review: I hadn't read John Steinbeck since high school but returned to him about a year ago when our book group read his novel, "The Winter of our Discontent." Following that, I read several other Steinbeck novels and recently had the good luck to read "East of Eden". It is admirable that Oprah Winfrey used this large, complex novel to present to her audience.
Steinbeck wrote "East of Eden" in a burst of energy over several months in 1951. He loved this book among all his works and, literally, put himself into it. The first-person narrator of the story is, indeed, Steinbeck himself speaking in his own voice as a a grandson of Samuel Hamilton, born in Ireland and a hero of this novel.
Steinbeck said that he wrote "East of Eden" to tell "the story of my country and the story of me" to his two young sons in order to demonstrate "the greatest story of all-- the story of good and evil, of strength and weakness, of love and hate, of beauty and ugliness, how these doubles are inseparable." (Quotation is from the chronology in the Library of America edition of Steinbeck's novels, 1942-1952 at 963.) For all its melodrama, length, sometimes black-and-white characterizations, and preachiness, the novel achieves its goals. I was transfixed by the book, couldn't put it down, and read it in a short time.
The story includes the "doubles" to which Steinbeck refers as well as some others. The book is the story of two families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks. It is the story of two Trask brothers, Adam and Charles, and of the two twin sons of Adam Trask and his wife Cathy -- Aron and Caleb. Both Adam and Charles and Aron and Caleb replicate in their own ways the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck gives this story a full, biblical style exegisis as the reader sees the story of the conflict between good and evil play out in double over the course of the book.
The Trask family and the Hamilton family are settlers in the Salinas Valley in California. "East of Eden" develops a fine sense of place and when I finished the book I felt I knew an area and its history that I have only in the most superficial manner seen myself. Samuel Hamilton, Steinbeck's grandfather, figures prominently in this book for his wisdom, his stoicism, his inventiveness, and his other-wordliness. His wife, Lisa, is also portrayed with a great deal of love.
Perhaps the most memorable character of the book is Cathy Trask who becomes "Kate" after she leaves Adam Trask and returns to the profession of prostitution in which she was engaged before her marriage. Steinbeck calls her a "monster" and well he might. The portrayal is striking and even nuanced at the end for all the starkness.
Lee, a Chinese servant, is also well portrayed for his subtelty, wisdoms love of learing, and ultimately, devotion to the Trasks and understanding of himself.
This is a sweeping, dramatically told story which captures the land, the good and evil of which people are capable, and the importance of what in the Cain and Abel story is described by the Hebrew word "Timshel" with which Steinbeck concludes his novel. People have the capacity for both good and evil and the power for choice -- to understand the good and reject the evil. The story is told in a humanistic rather than a theological way.
"East of Eden" is a memorable work of American literature that deserves the attention it has recently received.
Rating:
Summary: You just can't beat the classics
Review: If you love California and literature, this book is for you! "Samuel rode lightly on top of a book and he balanced happily among ideas the way a man rides white rapids in a canoe. But Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with the book all over his face and hands." This is a book that will get all over your face and hands and you will love it.
Steinbeck has innovative, articulate and beautiful ways of describing his family - their strength of character as well as his love for them.
"Her faith is a mountain, and you, my son, haven't even got a shovel yet."
"She had no love of places. A place was only a resting stage on the way to heaven."
"I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is almost indestructible."
"Dessie was not beautiful. Perhaps she wasn't even pretty, but she had the glow that makes men follow a woman in the hope of reflecting a little of it."
John makes you think, internalize and reflect on who we are and what we stand for.
"You can boast about anything if it's all you have. Maybe the less you have, the more you are required to boast."
"It would be absurd if we did not undertsnad both angels and devils, since we invented them."
"There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension."
"Perhaps the best conversationalist in the world is the man who helps others to talk."
Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Timeless
Review: In "East of Eden," Steinbeck catches the subtlety of life that consistently eludes us. Steinbeck constructs unique and brittle characters out of thread--each with its own particular color--and seamlessly weaves them into a beautiful fabric of experience and life. The exhibits of fear and joy draw the reader in simply because the reader is reading about himself. The character Lee--commenting on Genesis--says that a reader only enjoys a story in as much as they see themselves in it, and the ultimate story is one that everyone experiences as their own. Steinbeck strived to create such a story, and "East of Eden" is the result.
The parallels to Genesis are not as blatant as one would suspect. The 600-page novel breezes by and a majority of it can be spent forgetting its metaphorical nature. Steinbeck masterly navigates the storyline through straits of drama, introspective commentary, philosophy, theology, and simple beauty. Many of the conclusions are figurative and implied, and much of the meaning is in what is not said rather than what is. It is only when Steinbeck has let you forget the story he mimics, that he will quickly remind you, giving you an entire new context to contemplate.
The novel is dark at times. Every character is severely flawed, and Steinbeck is relentless in his portrayal of weakness, vulnerability, and sorrow. Yet, every character is dripping with realism and humanity; the result is a depth and beauty to the characters that is rarely experienced. Every character is so real it feels as if you could get up, walk next door, and talk to them as an old acquaintence.
The novel imitates the Genesis story in an American setting, but "East of Eden" is simultaneously a commentary and reinterpretation of the same story. It ignores the plot specifics, morals, and instead grasps the essence, the heart, that makes the myth timeless and applicable to anyone with a beating heart. "East of Eden" is more than a biblical metaphor, more than good and evil; it's the story of the birth of man: the marriage of good and evil, and their residual struggle within man. Ultimately, it's the celibration of the free will that makes us human, and the simple joy of existence.
This is a beautiful peace of literature. The writing is simplistic and a pleasure to read. Steinbeck's narration is well-crafted, and the plot trods along at a lofty and steady pace. Definitely the best piece of fiction I have read in a long, long time.
Rating: 
Summary: East of Eden - Lessons on Life
Review: John Steinbeck's East of Eden goes back in time to describe what life was like in the early 20th century for people in the U.S., more specifically California's Salinas Valley. Steinbecks' novel however goes a lot farther than just describing life for a specific group of people; his novel is an absorbing yet often times disturbing telling of life itself. The novel is loaded with numerous significant themes including love, good vs. evil, and jealousy. In his book, Steinbeck makes several allusions to the biblical story of Cain and Abel (hence where the title comes from) and even models their tale in his own character's actions. In two different situations in the novel, two brothers find themselves fighting each other for the approval of their father. Ironically however, both times, their father end up loving the son whom does not really desire nor covet their father's approval. In both instances, jealousy plays a major role in their actions that followed. The classic battle between good vs. evil finds itself time and time again in Steinbeck's characters. Steinbeck however, chooses to emphasize his belief that good and evil are both inherent parts of society, and that the main battle is the character's CHOICE of good or evil. Steinbeck's last and probably most enduring theme are the effects of love and the consequences of its absence. Every significant conflict in the story finds itself in the middle of a struggle between characters for the love or appreciation of another. Whenever love is absent from a specific situation, the results become disastrous. In East of Eden, Steinbeck emphasizes the importance of the presence of love in the lives of all people and its powerful role in every outcome. Perhaps my main problem with this book is its organization. Steinbeck seems to jump from one story to another, losing the reader through confusion. Many stories seem to be brought up out of nowhere and end up having no real weight in the novel's "big picture." In the end however, the book is an excellent read as well as an intriguing look into life.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece read by a master
Review: Like everyone who went to highschool and college I read Steinbeck. Somewhere in my literary past I read EAST OF EDEN and my memory of the book is positive.
However, over the last week or so of driving and doing mindless tasks around my house, I listened to Richard Poe's reading of EAST OF EDEN. The resonant tones of Poe's voice mixed with the masterful story telling of John Steinbeck make for a magical experience.
For those who do not appreciate the classics and do not understand the power of Steinbeck, I urge you to listen to Poe's version. He makes the characters come alife. You can feel the evil of Kate and the wisdom of Lee. You can feel the pain of Cal and Aron and struggle that they lived.
EAST OF EDEN is a wonderful and power story that recreates the story of Cain and Abel. There are a thousand term papers and phd dissertation in this work. Classes and discussion groups could go on forever.
The version I had was 22 CD's and it seemed like a lot when I got started. By the time I got to the end, I was sorry it was over.
Rating:
Summary: Love's Absence
Review: Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. Canada: Viking, 1952. 602 pages.
East of Eden is one of Steinbeck's greatest works of literature. It is a book about the good and evil of the world and how the human race has the freedom of choice between the two. The story takes place from the end of the civil war to the end of World War 1. The setting ranges from a small Connecticut town to the Salinas valley in California. One of the most interesting things about this book is the author incorporates his on family history into the story line and characters. East of Eden has a straight forward theme on the fact that " All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me (the author) 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." This is one of my most favorite books to date, and I highly recommend it too anyone who enjoys Steinbeck books or is new to him.
Rating:
Summary: a worthy read
Review: the first book i read by steinbeck was "the grapes of wrath" which was quite a feat at the time. while i enjoyed the book i wasn't sure i wan't to read more steinbeck. then i picked up "of mice and men" and knew i had to read more books by this author who had left me in tears at the end of a mere 150 pages. (by the way, i highly recommend both of those books)
when i picked up east of eden i had no idea what i would be beginning, besides a whopping 650 pages. the book started off a little slowly, but was intriguing becuase i live in california and have spent some time in salinas valley. then the story started to pick up, and i was into it. steinbeck put together a web of stories that introduced characters and wove together to from a massive literary net. i found each character to be as alive as my best friend; they were all developed to the fullest. every character spends their time as the main character of the book, and while it sounds confusing it is amazingly effective and paints a rich picture of each person. this makes the whole experience of the general story unique and more detailed than most authors could hope to achieve.
my favorite character in this book is lee, the chinese man who started off as a minor and creepy character but devolped into a person i could swear could visit me in the flesh and start an intriguing conversation. i recommend the book just for the experience of getting to know lee.
about halfway through there is a hefty discussion about the bible, and for an atheist like myself it was a bit of a turn off at first. but then i saw how steinbeck was using the moral of the story, and not examining the actual fictional or factual (whatever your belief) events of the story of eden.
i cannot comprehend how steinbeck turned out this monster of a novel. it is moving, exciting, somethines disturbing, and enriching, and is a feat of the human mind and spirit. i think steinbeck often is underappreciated as agreat american novelist, but after reading "east of eden" you will never be able to stop raving.
|
