Name: East of Eden
ISBN: 9780142000656

John Steinbeck

The biblical account of Cain and Abel is echoed in the history of two generations of the Trask family in California.

East of Eden

Caitlin

Mazzy

I remember my childhood names for grasses and secret flowers.

The direction of a big act will warp history, but probably all acts do the same in their degree, down to a stone stepped over in the path or a breath caught at sight of a pretty girl or a fingernail nicked in the garden soil.

nearly all men are afraid, and they don't even know what causes their fear

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 -- he is financially fortunate.

"Well, a man's mind can't stay in time the way his body does."

Pramit Pal

Shrewdness is a limitation on the mind. Shrewdness tells you what you must not do because it would not be shrewd.

"Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it let's him do a thing his cleverness forbids."

If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And I here make a rule — a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting — only the deeply personal and familiar

Steinbeck astutely exposed the recurrent human tendency to selectively forget.

傑恩

“And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.”

“Samuel’s hands were so good and gentle that neighbors from twenty miles away would call on him to help with a birth. And he was equally good with mare, cow, or woman.”

“It was the sweetness of his tongue and the tenderness of his soul. And just as there was a cleanness about his body, so there was a cleanness in his thinking.”

“Charles felt for his brother the affection one has for helpless things, for blind puppies and new babies.”

“And as he was capable of giant joy, so did he harbor huge sorrow, so that when his dog died the world ended.”

“They had grown so apart that there was little mutual reference and no questions.” 

“Sometimes when we are little we imagine how it would be to have wings, but there is no reason to suppose it is the same feeling birds have.”

When a child first catches adults out when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgements are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just — his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone. And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck. It is a tedion i to build them up again; they never quite shine. And the child's wons never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing.

You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous.

“A man so painfully in love is capable of self-torture beyond belief.”

California's fertile Salinas Valley is home to two families whose destinies are fruitfully, and fatally, intertwined. Over the generations, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of the First World War, the Trasks and the Hamiltons will helplessly replay the fall of Adam and Eve and the murderous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

East of Eden was considered by Steinbeck to be his magnum opus, and its epic scope and memorable characters, exploring universal themes of love and identity, ensure it remains one of America's most enduring novels.

What do you say about a book that has had so much said about it before? 

It's very good and it's quite different to the other Steinbeck books I've read. It was hard to follow all the characters at first, I couldn't keep the Hamiltons straight in my head. 

The later part of the book, when the narrator is omniscient was easier to follow than the earlier parts where he isn't. 

A deep cutting exposé on the dual nature of man, the inherent good and evil, the choice between them. Thou mayest.

Liam Richardson

What do you say about a book that has had so much said about it before? 

It's very good and it's quite different to the other Steinbeck books I've read. It was hard to follow all the characters at first, I couldn't keep the Hamiltons straight in my head. 

The later part of the book, when the narrator is omniscient was easier to follow than the earlier parts where he isn't. 

A deep cutting exposé on the dual nature of man, the inherent good and evil, the choice between them. Thou mayest.

jules

A masterclass is a masterclass, whatever they may say.

The novel reads so incredibly contemporary and still relevant and at the same time, so, so timeless - it is what they mean in literature class when they talk about universal themes. It is not subtle about its metaphors and parallels but this is executed so well that it does not feel heavyhanded or single-minded. Rather, the novel is a variation on a theme, talking about the repeated cycle in which humans (or families) are trapped and the only way to break it.

Steinbeck's writing is also so vivid that it is the first time in decades I have thought I would love to visit America and see the places these characters inhabit. The narration is relatively straightforward but not at the expense of character complexities; rather than unpretentious, I would call it focused.

An instant favourite and an instant inspiration.

A masterclass is a masterclass, whatever they may say.

The novel reads so incredibly contemporary and still relevant and at the same time, so, so timeless - it is what they mean in literature class when they talk about universal themes. It is not subtle about its metaphors and parallels but this is executed so well that it does not feel heavyhanded or single-minded. Rather, the novel is a variation on a theme, talking about the repeated cycle in which humans (or families) are trapped and the only way to break it.

Steinbeck's writing is also so vivid that it is the first time in decades I have thought I would love to visit America and see the places these characters inhabit. The narration is relatively straightforward but not at the expense of character complexities; rather than unpretentious, I would call it focused.

An instant favourite and an instant inspiration.

ellie 💐💌⭐️

Elyse 

East of Eden (Penguin Modern Classics)

"In certainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved."

Five months of reading this absolute hollowblock. I believe Cathy's and Cal's character will stay with me for quite a while. This has cemented itself as one of my 'life books'.

"In certainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved."

Five months of reading this absolute hollowblock. I believe Cathy's and Cal's character will stay with me for quite a while. This has cemented itself as one of my 'life books'.

absolutely stunning book! you get to dive pretty deeply into each character that was important and i loved to dwelve into how their minds work and think and that’s what i really love about books - to get a glimpse of people’s way of thinking or doing but also kind of relating to certain parts and characteristics they have

micki

Beautifully written, vivid characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this. 

Steve Collins

where to even begin with this. classics are classics for a reason.

in my very few years of reading classic novels, i don't think i've ever come across one this beautifully written; not referring to its prose and the language it uses, which is stunning in it's own right, but in it's message and it's sincerity. i would've never thought a long, multigenerational novel about two farming families in a dry, dusty valley of california written three quarters of a century from now would ever feel so personal and vibrant to me. i could almost feel the summer heat, the wind, the smell of breakfast in the connecticut farm; it's like the characters were jumping out from the pages, everyone: adam, charles, will, lee, cathy, cal, aron, and the many other characters in this novel all felt so real and were so loved by me. i felt strong emotions for them and the things they went through.

at it's core, this is a novel about humanity, family, and the constant fight between good and evil. but beyond that, a tale about brotherhood, choice, and the withstanding pursuit of love and companionship above all other things. i really wish i could put down more of what i feel about this but words don't reach me right now. 

carlota

where to even begin with this. classics are classics for a reason.

in my very few years of reading classic novels, i don't think i've ever come across one this beautifully written; not referring to its prose and the language it uses, which is stunning in it's own right, but in it's message and it's sincerity. i would've never thought a long, multigenerational novel about two farming families in a dry, dusty valley of california written three quarters of a century from now would ever feel so personal and vibrant to me. i could almost feel the summer heat, the wind, the smell of breakfast in the connecticut farm; it's like the characters were jumping out from the pages, everyone: adam, charles, will, lee, cathy, cal, aron, and the many other characters in this novel all felt so real and were so loved by me. i felt strong emotions for them and the things they went through.

at it's core, this is a novel about humanity, family, and the constant fight between good and evil. but beyond that, a tale about brotherhood, choice, and the withstanding pursuit of love and companionship above all other things. i really wish i could put down more of what i feel about this but words don't reach me right now. 

Valentina

Steinbeck’s writing is captivating throughout and he creates some of the most engaging characters in anything I’ve ever read. A book full of thought provoking meditations on morality, philosophy and religion. A must read.

Liam Collins

Katerina

Remarkable book. I am fascinated by this author's style of writing. Just enough conversations, just enough narration. Not too much to get bored, not too little to feel as if there isn't enough of it. The story - so touching. The characters - made out of flaws, just as any person is. I learned so much from this book, got attached to the characters as if they were created by my imagination not the author's, as if they were mine and only mine. By the end, I was clinging to this book, holding on to it as if it was my baby. I was especially fascinated by the story of Cain and Abel, the way the author managed to doom Cal and Aron to the same destiny and yet create them with their own flaws and their own charms. Absolutely amazing. I wish I could read this book for the first time all over again.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. The characters feel very real and the story is attention grabbing.

Abigail Swallow

Chris Dailey

Steinbeck's magnum opus did not disappoint. Epic and biblical (literally and figuratively) the novel follows two families in California's Salinas valley from the mid-19th century through the Great War. Full of allegory and multiple tellings of Genesis chapter four, it focuses on good versus evil, light versus dark in almost all lenses possible: family, friends and foes; class, classism and capitalism; love and romance; and war and peace. Told through two familial veins, the Hamilton's and the Trasks, with the former being a veiled retelling of Steinbeck's own family, and the former being pure fictional and the focus of the good vs. evil. The novel is fluid and feels fresh despite being 70 years old at the time of reading. There are some items that are dated and some characters that feel too flat - specifically Kate, who is almost pure evil. This one has been on my list for a long time and it certainly deserved to be.

A. D. Knapp

Amelia C 

long book... but worth every page!!!another one of my favorites!

Molly M

wow oh my god . i am crying 

not sure why i thought i wouldn’t like this book but man was i wrong

Monicap

This book draws on the biblical story of Cain and Abel and the theme of Timshel - the choice between good and evil. I liked that all the characters portrayed this internal duality in some ways. I was a bit nervous about reading a classic (at nearly 700 pages to boot!), but I found it to be fully engaging and worth the read.  

Jacqui Spears

amelo

Luke Harkness

An outstanding novel about the hardships of life, parenting, growing up and about morals.

I could read John Steinbeck's writing all day, every day. He manages to sound poetic often and incredibly simple at other times which creates such a fun read.

Roman

Jenseits von Eden

Ich bin auf das Buch durch ein Interview mit Cornelia Funke gestoßen und hab es mit hohen Erwartungen gelesen, auch weil ich "Von Mäusen und Menschen" als Schullektüre im Englisch-Unterricht sehr begeistert gelesen hatte. In "Jenseits von Eden" erzählt John Steinbeck die  Geschichte zweier Familien im Kalifornien der Jahrhundertwende, deren Schicksale über mehrere Jahrzehnte ineinander verwoben sind. Die große Frage, der Steinbeck in den vielen Charakteren und verschiedenen Erzählsträngen nachgeht und die mit biblischen Anspielungen umrahmt ist, ist die nach dem Gut und Böse im Menschen. Mir hat dieses Überthema sehr gut gefallen und mir sind die Charaktere allein schon durch die Länge der Geschichte sehr ans Herz gewachsen! Gleichzeitig fand ich das Erzähltempo wirklich sehr langsam und das Buch zuweilen zäh zu lesen, was irgendwie zu der Geschichte passt, aber bei mir dazu geführt hat, dass ich das Buch immer wieder weggelegt und wirklich lange gebraucht habe bis ich es zu Ende gelesen habe, deshalb nur 4 Sterne, auch wenn die Geschichte sicherlich 5 verdient! 