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La valle dell'Eden
In un moderno Eden, la valle percorsa dal fiume Salinas, nella California settentrionale, si intrecciano le complesse vicende di varie generazioni, gli Hamilton e i Trask. 脠 un mondo primitivo e pagano, popolato da personaggi - contadini e sognatori, uomini e donne simboli del bene o del male - dietro i quali agiscono conflitti primordiali, ataviche miserie che si tramandano di padre in figlio come una forza acuta e invincibile. Una saga familiare che tra odi e antagonismi scorre parallela ai grandi momenti della storia americana, dalla guerra civile al primo conflitto mondiale. Scritto nel 1952, soggetto dell'omonimo film di Elia Kazan (1955) interpretato da James Dean, "La valle dell'Eden" 猫 una sorta di summa delle tematiche affrontate da Steinbeck nel corso della sua lunga attivit脿 letteraria. A tinte forti lo scrittore californiano dipinge un affresco in cui realismo e poesia, simbolismo e humour fanno da calibrato supporto alla denuncia degli effetti di quelle pulsioni violente e irrazionali che la coscienza contemporanea vorrebbe negare e alla visione critica di una societ脿 fattasi con il trascorrere dei decenni sempre pi霉 pessimistica.
680 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
35.5k people are currently reading
790k people want to read
About the author
John Steinbeck
974听books25k听followersJohn Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters."
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward F. Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. By the 75th anniversary of its publishing date, it had sold 14 million copies.
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward F. Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. By the 75th anniversary of its publishing date, it had sold 14 million copies.
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35,800 reviews
July 27, 2016
鈥淎ll great and precious things are lonely.鈥�
Such an amazing book. An instant all time favourite.
I'm sure you've heard of this book. Often touted as one of the "greatest novels of all time" or "books you must read before you die". For some reason, I've been putting it off. Maybe because I was made to study to death in school, or maybe because I thought was a little overrated. But I've been missing out.
A closer look should have told me that. Because I love family sagas. Epic, multi-generational tales filled with rich characterization and plenty of drama. is a great example. These books really pull me into the characters' lives. I get a sense that I've grown up with them, gone through each hardship with them, and come out the other side. They always leave me feeling emotional.
is a great book from every angle.
The characters come bounding off the pages, offering a sort of Cain and Abel retelling set before, during, and after the great westward migration of early modern America (it's no coincidence that the Trask brothers are called Charles and Adam).
Steinbeck could not have more vividly painted the Salinas Valley in our minds if he had literally dragged us there in person. It's a beautiful, dusty, challenging place to be and into it comes the story of the Trasks and the Hamiltons. I cannot stress enough how well-drawn these characters are as we move with them through poverty, war, wealth, murder, love and lies.
鈥淏ut the Hebrew word, the word timshel鈥斺€楾hou mayest鈥欌€� that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 鈥楾hou mayest鈥欌€攊t is also true that 鈥楾hou mayest not.鈥�
It's rare that a book is both a thoughtful historical tale with strong themes, and a fast-paced, highly-readable romp through the lives of people who are smart, naive, calculating, lovable, mean, selfish and confused. It's surprising how often the terms "easily readable" and "masterpiece" are mutually exclusive - but that is not the case here. I couldn't put it down.
I just... don't even know how to fully summarize my thoughts and feelings. is clever, it's "deep", but it's also so damn enjoyable. I loved all the relationships and conflicts between the characters. And I especially loved Cathy - the kind of twisted female character I'd expect to create.
If you're looking for an intelligent classic - read it. If you're looking for an exciting pageturner - read it.
| | | | |
March 23, 2016
This book is mind blowing. It is John Steinbeck at his sharpest. He said that every author really only has one "book," and that all of his books leading up to East of Eden were just practice--Eden would be his book.
I could write a summary of the book, but it would be more trouble than it's worth. You will often hear it referred to as a "modern retelling of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel" but that is too simplistic. Steinbeck takes the story of Cain and Abel and makes Cain (in the form of Cal Trask) the sympathetic character. Cal Trask does not act destructively for the sake of destruction, but he is desperately clawing for approval and love from his father, Adam, who prefers Cal's twin brother, Aron. The story isn't that pat, though--Cal and Aron really don't make their entrances as major characters until the last quarter of the 600 page novel. So, to say that this book is simply the retelling of Cain and Abel is to oversimplify the book. The main theme of the book is the desire within everyone for love, and how this desire can make people turn to destructive behavior.
This book has been criticized for being too verbose, meandering, inconsistently paced, and heavy handed in its parallel with the story of Cain and Abel. Yes, it is verbose and meandering, but that's Steinbeck. It gives a full picture of the Salinas valley. It gives you insights and perspectives you might not otherwise have. If anything, Steinbeck's constant forays into unrelated sidebars give the reader a break in pace, a rest that makes the more important parts of the books feel as though they flow more smoothly. As for the parallel with Cain and Abel, it is heavy-handed. That being said, the heavy-handedness didn't bother me. Going in to the novel with the expectation of it being a retelling of Cain and Abel (at least for some of the narrative) is enough to make the obvious references to Cain and Abel seem natural. If Steinbeck had given the impression that he was trying to hide the parallel, it would have been insulting. But Steinbeck isn't trying to hide it--he makes it clear that the story of Cain and Abel are an integral part of his story.
East of Eden is an amazing novel. Its strong points more than compensate for the very few shortcomings. Steinbeck is such a tremendous writer that his shortcomings become strengths. I highly recommend it.
I could write a summary of the book, but it would be more trouble than it's worth. You will often hear it referred to as a "modern retelling of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel" but that is too simplistic. Steinbeck takes the story of Cain and Abel and makes Cain (in the form of Cal Trask) the sympathetic character. Cal Trask does not act destructively for the sake of destruction, but he is desperately clawing for approval and love from his father, Adam, who prefers Cal's twin brother, Aron. The story isn't that pat, though--Cal and Aron really don't make their entrances as major characters until the last quarter of the 600 page novel. So, to say that this book is simply the retelling of Cain and Abel is to oversimplify the book. The main theme of the book is the desire within everyone for love, and how this desire can make people turn to destructive behavior.
This book has been criticized for being too verbose, meandering, inconsistently paced, and heavy handed in its parallel with the story of Cain and Abel. Yes, it is verbose and meandering, but that's Steinbeck. It gives a full picture of the Salinas valley. It gives you insights and perspectives you might not otherwise have. If anything, Steinbeck's constant forays into unrelated sidebars give the reader a break in pace, a rest that makes the more important parts of the books feel as though they flow more smoothly. As for the parallel with Cain and Abel, it is heavy-handed. That being said, the heavy-handedness didn't bother me. Going in to the novel with the expectation of it being a retelling of Cain and Abel (at least for some of the narrative) is enough to make the obvious references to Cain and Abel seem natural. If Steinbeck had given the impression that he was trying to hide the parallel, it would have been insulting. But Steinbeck isn't trying to hide it--he makes it clear that the story of Cain and Abel are an integral part of his story.
East of Eden is an amazing novel. Its strong points more than compensate for the very few shortcomings. Steinbeck is such a tremendous writer that his shortcomings become strengths. I highly recommend it.
December 19, 2022
This was... something.
*It made it to my best books of 2022:
*It made it to my best books of 2022:
December 22, 2022
welcome to...(MAY)ST OF EDEN!!
this might sound like my month/title puns are getting worse and worse, but wait until we get to the reveal on this one.
by being excited i have definitely cursed myself into forgetting to do it.
every month, elle and i read an intimidating classic in a couple chapters a day all month long. MIDDLEMARCH MARCH was a raging success, but TENANT OF WILDAPRIL HALL sucked hard.
to heal ourselves, we're revisiting a book we know we love. we're also doing it with our book club!
constantly living the dream.
follow along on or !!
timshel, b*tch.
DAY 1: CHAPTERS 1 & 2
hope someday to love anything as much as john steinbeck loved the land of california. anyone who gets a bit snoozy over in-depth nature descriptions, today's exposition central might be a little tough to get through, but this gets to be sooo worthwhile and scandalous!!
DAY 2: CHAPTERS 3 & 4
"She smiled at Adam, and he closed his eyes."
there is truly more characterization and relationship development in that single sentence than there is in some entire books i've read this year.
in love with the exploration of adam's absence of a mother and charles' absence of a father and who it makes each of them. steinbeck is unbelievable when it comes to characterization and to relationship dynamics, and it's never clearer than in this, his family saga masterpiece. some really compelling chats going on in the east of eden channel - i'm having so much fun with this book and you guys already!
DAY 3: CHAPTERS 5 & 6
in this year of reading i've noticed myself really enjoying unlikable characters - which is good because they are so absurdly trendy right now. loving reading this book because it's slightly different - even with characters who Should be unlikable, like charles, i care about him a lot.
i think steinbeck's writing is just that good - he can indicate powerful emotions in just a few words or one action (i'm thinking in particular of charles and the clean versus unclean house). heart destroying!
DAY 4: CHAPTERS 7 & 8
cathy...in many ways the original girlboss. steinbeck's ability to explore the full spectrum of good and evil while managing to create not only Believable and Convincing characters but also characters you care about is truly one of a kind. many classic authors are unable to write a real-seeming depiction of a person with bad intentions (think about the bront毛s, for example), and johnny boy is managing not only to do this but to get me invested in what happens to each and every one of them. a master.
i apologize if this is less analytical than other entries (and elle's lovely one for today). i had to read this drunk because i couldn't watch my precious basketball team lose sober.
it's what steinbeck would have wanted.
DAY 5: CHAPTERS 9 & 10
my sister and i have a saying: "men are so tender with each other." it started when one day in a bagel shop a guy behind us in line looked at another guy who came in and went, "bro, i was JUST thinking about you!" and now we notice sweet stuff like that all the time. say what you will, but men love each other a lot.
relatedly, i loved this chapter about charles and adam and their complicated love for each other. and i loved more of cathy's villain origin story, and the line "No one who is young is ever going to be old."
i hope this month of reading never ends!
DAY 6: CHAPTERS 11 & 12
strawberries really DON'T taste as good as they used to.
(best way to describe how the passing of time feels that i've read.)
DAY 7: CHAPTERS 13 & 14
it is day 10.
i am in a life slump i recently misdiagnosed as a reading slump, but now i am attempting to get myself back on this glorious biblical retelling bandwagon come, well, hell or high water.
i don't know how many ways there are to say that this is one of the great character books of all time, but i hope chapter 14 and its loving and wonderful depiction of olive is taught in creative writing classes. in the general east of eden channel we're having a fun talk about steinbeck's female characters - i find them compelling beyond reasonable expectation for a dude from old times!!
DAY 8: CHAPTERS 15 & 16
i know steinbeck isn't perfect, but i do find his attempts at subverting traditional bigoted stereotypes very compelling - blaming adam for his inability to see through cathy; creating full and complex female characters; and in these chapters, the character of lee.
these are flawed depictions, even still, and maybe i'm giving too much credit, but i appreciate the effort!!
DAY 9: CHAPTERS 17 & 18
so much to find interesting about cathy as a character, including how her role facilitates reflection on who is responsible for evil. not only is cathy not the only person expected to take accountability for her amorality - she almost isn't!
for whatever reason, we can blame adam for his blind devotion, liza for her lack of superstition, sam and lee for their self-doubt, the sheriff and deputy sheriff for their inability to recognize what's before them, all more easily than we can blame cathy for her own nature.
DAY 10: CHAPTERS 19 & 20
it's hard trying to do actual analysis for this book every day.
skipping that today because i have the kind of sinus headache that makes you empathize with the cartoon character-shaped balloons at grocery store checkout lines. just going to say cathy is crazy i could read about this wild gal forever.
DAY 11: CHAPTERS 21 & 22
it's day 15. this may seem like a disaster, but really i'm just so enjoying savoring this book!!! i can't make myself binge it.
the other book we're reading for our book club this month is conversations with friends, and while the two have almost nothing in common beyond the fact that they are part of the rare and mighty few i've five starred, there is something similar to me...perhaps just in the fact that both are as if the smartest and most interesting people you know sat and talked about the most important and fascinating topics in the world, and the best writer you could think of summarized it all.
not a bad setup. both i feel endlessly grateful for. both i could read forever.
DAY 12: CHAPTERS 23 & 24
there's something almost insulting about the death of a character. my favorite characters are like family members i can return to every time i open their book - a story that kills them ruins the perfection of that illusion. if the hamiltons of reality can't live forever, the hamiltons of fiction at least should.
anyway, here finally we have the pun reveal: TIMSHEL, BABY! thou mayest. in other words - MAYST OF EDEN.
tearing up and it's not even at my own joke.
DAY 13: CHAPTERS 25 & 26
don't mind me, just in a state of mourning.
fortunately i have approximately 89 other excellent characters to get me through.
DAY 14: CHAPTERS 27 & 28
doubling up today because of my most insane hobby: putting 6 or 7 books on my currently reading and reading them chapter by chapter, one at a time.
it is bliss for the focus-challenged nerd in your life.
it's odd - as i read this book i have this sense of foreboding, not only for having read it before, and not only because of that d茅j脿 vu knowledge that a retelling provides, but because there's this shakiness to everything in this story. fundamentally east of eden is about the tenacity of people and the precariousness of life.
anyway. even as i know what's to come, on so many levels and for so many reasons, i'm illogically crossing my fingers for the best for all of them.
DAY 15: CHAPTERS 29 & 30
the most wonderful part of this book (if you'll forgive that i've probably called a hundred parts the most wonderful) is the complexity and realism of the characters. none truly good, none truly evil.
sometimes you want to shake cal, and a lesser writer would let you hate him, but goddamn instead in chapter 30 he breaks your f*ckin' heart.
DAY 16: CHAPTERS 31 & 32
i love dessie and tom so much it hurts my heart.
what mental illness is it when you would literally trade your own happiness if made up fictional characters from 70 years ago could have a happy life?
DAY 17: CHAPTERS 33 & 34
possibly the only character i dislike in this entire book, which includes one of the most enduring depictions of pure evil in fiction, is will.
i can't bear a capitalist, and i adore tom. f*ck you, will. let the man have his acorns.
anyway, i'm crying again.
DAY 18: CHAPTERS 35 & 36
i think it'd be tempting to say that steinbeck is depicting a person of color who craves servitude, and there is evidence of that. but more so i don't think steinbeck sees lee as a servant, and in turn, adam and cal and aron don't either. they're a family. lee doesn't return saying starting a bookstore was too hard - he comes back because he was lonely.
obviously there's nuance to this and its own kind of problematic-ness, but it's nice to see the nice things.
DAY 19: CHAPTERS 37 & 38
i don't find adam to be a very compelling character, so it's odd to read two greats (cal and lee) discussing how he's the best man they know.
i'm like, out of this all star lineup?!
DAY 20: CHAPTERS 39 & 40
oh, i love sweet cal. to have a sibling you love can be such a complicated thing.
DAY 21: CHAPTERS 41 & 42
god damn it. steinbeck won't let me dislike even one character. coming out swinging making me like will goddamn hamilton too.
there are dozens of characters in this book, and every single one of them is a person. i mean, every single one has a history that made them who they are, has weaknesses that came from somewhere and dreams and disappointments. how do you even do that?
this book is miraculous.
DAY 22: CHAPTERS 43 & 44
i haven't met a man in my entire dating life (and i'll be honest with you, it's extensive), with a full awareness of the way in which men can create their idea of a woman and then cast it on to a real human, and call that falling in love.
but i just read john steinbeck do it.
DAY 23: CHAPTERS 45 & 46
i can suspend my disbelief as well as the next fiction reader, but kate getting taken down by some random dumb petty criminal man is not something i can get behind in terms of realism.
DAY 24: CHAPTERS 47 & 48
these short chapters are killing me. i'm used to 35 pages of this a day and now i'm having to catch up in order to get there. dire straits.
this also made me look up the etymology of the word "cupcake" - dates back to 1828! who knew. i just thought it was goofy to picture steinbeck at a pastel micro-bakery.
DAY 25: CHAPTERS 49 & 50
poor aron. poor cal. poor lee.
at least kate's still got it. in her way.
things'll get worse before they get better! (and by get better i mean they won't, really, and the book will end, and i miss the hamiltons.)
DAY 26: CHAPTERS 51 & 52
i do love dear abra. it's nice to know steinbeck was so capable of writing full female characters - he sure didn't in of mice and men. but then he hardly had the time, really.
DAY 27: CHAPTERS 53 & 54
the penultimate day. i'm going to miss this book so much it's embarrassing.
another theme i love in this book is an extension of the broader topic of good and evil - the idea of personal responsibility, and whether it's your right as a human being to be a truly good or truly evil person. adam and aron, who are sinless to the point of self-motivation, are marked by the sins of adam's father and of cathy. cal, despite his best efforts to be bad, is continually drawn toward good.
and then there's the cal and aron of it all.
what was really so bad about cal's and charles' gifts to their fathers? and was what cal did to aron really worse than his response to it? did cal kill aron, or did aron kill himself? or was it less personal than even that?
a real thinker. i'm not reading the last chapter today. i can't do it.
DAY 28: CHAPTER 55
all i can do to finish this, tear up a bit, reread the timshel passages, and stare at the wall for a while.
OVERALL
this is one of the greatest:
- retellings
- family dramas
- generational novels
- testaments to the power of the character
- books to build your life around
of all time.
i loved revisiting it very much.
rating: 5
this might sound like my month/title puns are getting worse and worse, but wait until we get to the reveal on this one.
by being excited i have definitely cursed myself into forgetting to do it.
every month, elle and i read an intimidating classic in a couple chapters a day all month long. MIDDLEMARCH MARCH was a raging success, but TENANT OF WILDAPRIL HALL sucked hard.
to heal ourselves, we're revisiting a book we know we love. we're also doing it with our book club!
constantly living the dream.
follow along on or !!
timshel, b*tch.
DAY 1: CHAPTERS 1 & 2
hope someday to love anything as much as john steinbeck loved the land of california. anyone who gets a bit snoozy over in-depth nature descriptions, today's exposition central might be a little tough to get through, but this gets to be sooo worthwhile and scandalous!!
DAY 2: CHAPTERS 3 & 4
"She smiled at Adam, and he closed his eyes."
there is truly more characterization and relationship development in that single sentence than there is in some entire books i've read this year.
in love with the exploration of adam's absence of a mother and charles' absence of a father and who it makes each of them. steinbeck is unbelievable when it comes to characterization and to relationship dynamics, and it's never clearer than in this, his family saga masterpiece. some really compelling chats going on in the east of eden channel - i'm having so much fun with this book and you guys already!
DAY 3: CHAPTERS 5 & 6
in this year of reading i've noticed myself really enjoying unlikable characters - which is good because they are so absurdly trendy right now. loving reading this book because it's slightly different - even with characters who Should be unlikable, like charles, i care about him a lot.
i think steinbeck's writing is just that good - he can indicate powerful emotions in just a few words or one action (i'm thinking in particular of charles and the clean versus unclean house). heart destroying!
DAY 4: CHAPTERS 7 & 8
cathy...in many ways the original girlboss. steinbeck's ability to explore the full spectrum of good and evil while managing to create not only Believable and Convincing characters but also characters you care about is truly one of a kind. many classic authors are unable to write a real-seeming depiction of a person with bad intentions (think about the bront毛s, for example), and johnny boy is managing not only to do this but to get me invested in what happens to each and every one of them. a master.
i apologize if this is less analytical than other entries (and elle's lovely one for today). i had to read this drunk because i couldn't watch my precious basketball team lose sober.
it's what steinbeck would have wanted.
DAY 5: CHAPTERS 9 & 10
my sister and i have a saying: "men are so tender with each other." it started when one day in a bagel shop a guy behind us in line looked at another guy who came in and went, "bro, i was JUST thinking about you!" and now we notice sweet stuff like that all the time. say what you will, but men love each other a lot.
relatedly, i loved this chapter about charles and adam and their complicated love for each other. and i loved more of cathy's villain origin story, and the line "No one who is young is ever going to be old."
i hope this month of reading never ends!
DAY 6: CHAPTERS 11 & 12
strawberries really DON'T taste as good as they used to.
(best way to describe how the passing of time feels that i've read.)
DAY 7: CHAPTERS 13 & 14
it is day 10.
i am in a life slump i recently misdiagnosed as a reading slump, but now i am attempting to get myself back on this glorious biblical retelling bandwagon come, well, hell or high water.
i don't know how many ways there are to say that this is one of the great character books of all time, but i hope chapter 14 and its loving and wonderful depiction of olive is taught in creative writing classes. in the general east of eden channel we're having a fun talk about steinbeck's female characters - i find them compelling beyond reasonable expectation for a dude from old times!!
DAY 8: CHAPTERS 15 & 16
i know steinbeck isn't perfect, but i do find his attempts at subverting traditional bigoted stereotypes very compelling - blaming adam for his inability to see through cathy; creating full and complex female characters; and in these chapters, the character of lee.
these are flawed depictions, even still, and maybe i'm giving too much credit, but i appreciate the effort!!
DAY 9: CHAPTERS 17 & 18
so much to find interesting about cathy as a character, including how her role facilitates reflection on who is responsible for evil. not only is cathy not the only person expected to take accountability for her amorality - she almost isn't!
for whatever reason, we can blame adam for his blind devotion, liza for her lack of superstition, sam and lee for their self-doubt, the sheriff and deputy sheriff for their inability to recognize what's before them, all more easily than we can blame cathy for her own nature.
DAY 10: CHAPTERS 19 & 20
it's hard trying to do actual analysis for this book every day.
skipping that today because i have the kind of sinus headache that makes you empathize with the cartoon character-shaped balloons at grocery store checkout lines. just going to say cathy is crazy i could read about this wild gal forever.
DAY 11: CHAPTERS 21 & 22
it's day 15. this may seem like a disaster, but really i'm just so enjoying savoring this book!!! i can't make myself binge it.
the other book we're reading for our book club this month is conversations with friends, and while the two have almost nothing in common beyond the fact that they are part of the rare and mighty few i've five starred, there is something similar to me...perhaps just in the fact that both are as if the smartest and most interesting people you know sat and talked about the most important and fascinating topics in the world, and the best writer you could think of summarized it all.
not a bad setup. both i feel endlessly grateful for. both i could read forever.
DAY 12: CHAPTERS 23 & 24
there's something almost insulting about the death of a character. my favorite characters are like family members i can return to every time i open their book - a story that kills them ruins the perfection of that illusion. if the hamiltons of reality can't live forever, the hamiltons of fiction at least should.
anyway, here finally we have the pun reveal: TIMSHEL, BABY! thou mayest. in other words - MAYST OF EDEN.
tearing up and it's not even at my own joke.
DAY 13: CHAPTERS 25 & 26
don't mind me, just in a state of mourning.
fortunately i have approximately 89 other excellent characters to get me through.
DAY 14: CHAPTERS 27 & 28
doubling up today because of my most insane hobby: putting 6 or 7 books on my currently reading and reading them chapter by chapter, one at a time.
it is bliss for the focus-challenged nerd in your life.
it's odd - as i read this book i have this sense of foreboding, not only for having read it before, and not only because of that d茅j脿 vu knowledge that a retelling provides, but because there's this shakiness to everything in this story. fundamentally east of eden is about the tenacity of people and the precariousness of life.
anyway. even as i know what's to come, on so many levels and for so many reasons, i'm illogically crossing my fingers for the best for all of them.
DAY 15: CHAPTERS 29 & 30
the most wonderful part of this book (if you'll forgive that i've probably called a hundred parts the most wonderful) is the complexity and realism of the characters. none truly good, none truly evil.
sometimes you want to shake cal, and a lesser writer would let you hate him, but goddamn instead in chapter 30 he breaks your f*ckin' heart.
DAY 16: CHAPTERS 31 & 32
i love dessie and tom so much it hurts my heart.
what mental illness is it when you would literally trade your own happiness if made up fictional characters from 70 years ago could have a happy life?
DAY 17: CHAPTERS 33 & 34
possibly the only character i dislike in this entire book, which includes one of the most enduring depictions of pure evil in fiction, is will.
i can't bear a capitalist, and i adore tom. f*ck you, will. let the man have his acorns.
anyway, i'm crying again.
DAY 18: CHAPTERS 35 & 36
i think it'd be tempting to say that steinbeck is depicting a person of color who craves servitude, and there is evidence of that. but more so i don't think steinbeck sees lee as a servant, and in turn, adam and cal and aron don't either. they're a family. lee doesn't return saying starting a bookstore was too hard - he comes back because he was lonely.
obviously there's nuance to this and its own kind of problematic-ness, but it's nice to see the nice things.
DAY 19: CHAPTERS 37 & 38
i don't find adam to be a very compelling character, so it's odd to read two greats (cal and lee) discussing how he's the best man they know.
i'm like, out of this all star lineup?!
DAY 20: CHAPTERS 39 & 40
oh, i love sweet cal. to have a sibling you love can be such a complicated thing.
DAY 21: CHAPTERS 41 & 42
god damn it. steinbeck won't let me dislike even one character. coming out swinging making me like will goddamn hamilton too.
there are dozens of characters in this book, and every single one of them is a person. i mean, every single one has a history that made them who they are, has weaknesses that came from somewhere and dreams and disappointments. how do you even do that?
this book is miraculous.
DAY 22: CHAPTERS 43 & 44
i haven't met a man in my entire dating life (and i'll be honest with you, it's extensive), with a full awareness of the way in which men can create their idea of a woman and then cast it on to a real human, and call that falling in love.
but i just read john steinbeck do it.
DAY 23: CHAPTERS 45 & 46
i can suspend my disbelief as well as the next fiction reader, but kate getting taken down by some random dumb petty criminal man is not something i can get behind in terms of realism.
DAY 24: CHAPTERS 47 & 48
these short chapters are killing me. i'm used to 35 pages of this a day and now i'm having to catch up in order to get there. dire straits.
this also made me look up the etymology of the word "cupcake" - dates back to 1828! who knew. i just thought it was goofy to picture steinbeck at a pastel micro-bakery.
DAY 25: CHAPTERS 49 & 50
poor aron. poor cal. poor lee.
at least kate's still got it. in her way.
things'll get worse before they get better! (and by get better i mean they won't, really, and the book will end, and i miss the hamiltons.)
DAY 26: CHAPTERS 51 & 52
i do love dear abra. it's nice to know steinbeck was so capable of writing full female characters - he sure didn't in of mice and men. but then he hardly had the time, really.
DAY 27: CHAPTERS 53 & 54
the penultimate day. i'm going to miss this book so much it's embarrassing.
another theme i love in this book is an extension of the broader topic of good and evil - the idea of personal responsibility, and whether it's your right as a human being to be a truly good or truly evil person. adam and aron, who are sinless to the point of self-motivation, are marked by the sins of adam's father and of cathy. cal, despite his best efforts to be bad, is continually drawn toward good.
and then there's the cal and aron of it all.
what was really so bad about cal's and charles' gifts to their fathers? and was what cal did to aron really worse than his response to it? did cal kill aron, or did aron kill himself? or was it less personal than even that?
a real thinker. i'm not reading the last chapter today. i can't do it.
DAY 28: CHAPTER 55
all i can do to finish this, tear up a bit, reread the timshel passages, and stare at the wall for a while.
OVERALL
this is one of the greatest:
- retellings
- family dramas
- generational novels
- testaments to the power of the character
- books to build your life around
of all time.
i loved revisiting it very much.
rating: 5
September 13, 2010
I hate this book. Hate. Ponderous, pretentious, melodramatic, self-satisfied, patronizing to its readers, with ultimately nothing to say. Can be summarized thus: a bunch of people with no formal education whatsoever sit around discussing the time they read the Old Testament in Hebrew. They then tell us all how to live. Uh...right. I knew we were in trouble with the unbelievably lame introduction -- some forced, self-congratulatory metaphor about a box, if memory serves -- but it's hard to believe it actually got worse from there. In any event, with its smug aura of "Here you will find WISDOM," it's certainly no wonder that it's right up Oprah's alley.
The fact that people worship this misbegotten mess of a book as they might worship pieces of the True Cross is just plain depressing. Apparently the way to literary immortality is to give 'em a decent narrative, throw in some breathless nonsense about free will and the Bible, and don't forget to puff out your chest and tell everyone that you've written a masterpiece. Gack. For this they gave him the Nobel Prize?
***
After deleting I don't know how many comments calling me names and getting several pieces of hate email, I'm adding this addendum, because it will save both me and a bunch of other people from wasting time: I'll delete any comments that I consider abusive or that I think constitute ad hominem arguments, so do keep that in mind if you're considering posting a long screed.
The fact that people worship this misbegotten mess of a book as they might worship pieces of the True Cross is just plain depressing. Apparently the way to literary immortality is to give 'em a decent narrative, throw in some breathless nonsense about free will and the Bible, and don't forget to puff out your chest and tell everyone that you've written a masterpiece. Gack. For this they gave him the Nobel Prize?
***
After deleting I don't know how many comments calling me names and getting several pieces of hate email, I'm adding this addendum, because it will save both me and a bunch of other people from wasting time: I'll delete any comments that I consider abusive or that I think constitute ad hominem arguments, so do keep that in mind if you're considering posting a long screed.
July 26, 2016
Very easy for me to rate this book 5 stars. It is amazing. There is so much in it and it is not hard to read. It just tells it like it is and does it so well.
It is like a high priced, high quality buffet with lots of different stations. At each of those stations is a main table with an awesome featured food (thick cut prime rib, chocolate fondue fountain, Mongolian BBQ bowl, etc.). In layman's terms, there is SO MUCH awesome story here with a HUGE payoff every 50 pages or so. I am very satisfied with the story I got - full of literature!
Oh, and this book has one of the most heartless and despicable villains ever put on paper.
I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a decent story told very well. This has solidified with me that Steinbeck is a literary genius - cannot be denied!
It is like a high priced, high quality buffet with lots of different stations. At each of those stations is a main table with an awesome featured food (thick cut prime rib, chocolate fondue fountain, Mongolian BBQ bowl, etc.). In layman's terms, there is SO MUCH awesome story here with a HUGE payoff every 50 pages or so. I am very satisfied with the story I got - full of literature!
Oh, and this book has one of the most heartless and despicable villains ever put on paper.
I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a decent story told very well. This has solidified with me that Steinbeck is a literary genius - cannot be denied!
July 16, 2024
maybe timshel will be our always
April 9, 2024
鈥淭here's more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty.鈥�
January 15, 2021
One of the most appropriate epithets that apply to this novel is 鈥榤onumental鈥�. Indeed East of Eden stands as a monument to the entire epoch and those people that lived in those troubled days. This is a chronicle of generations 鈥� of parents and children.
And like all colossal books East of Eden is a book of good and evil, a tale of God and man.
And by the power of his words John Steinbeck forces us not to read the story but to live among those he wrote about.
When a child first catches adults out 鈥� when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just 鈥� his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone.
And like all colossal books East of Eden is a book of good and evil, a tale of God and man.
Maybe we all have in us a secret pond where evil and ugly things germinate and grow strong. But this culture is fenced, and the swimming brood climbs up only to fall back. Might it not be that in the dark pools of some men the evil grows strong enough to wriggle over the fence and swim free?
And by the power of his words John Steinbeck forces us not to read the story but to live among those he wrote about.
August 6, 2022
steinbeck said that everything he wrote prior to this book was just practice.
which means everything i have read prior to this book was also practice, familiarising myself with stories about humanity, until i could fully appreciate just how perfectly this encapsulates human nature and everything that comes with it.
the good. the evil. the freedom of choice. the resulting consequences. the loneliness. the beauty.
there are so many inspired nuggets of wisdom nestled into this deeply intimate story (just go have a look at the quotes section) that i cant help but agree with a friend when he claimed this book is 鈥渓ife changing.鈥�
PS - i havent seen the film, but i have heard the musical score and its absolutely perfect. makes me tear up at just how much it suits the story. take a listen
鈫� 4.5 stars
which means everything i have read prior to this book was also practice, familiarising myself with stories about humanity, until i could fully appreciate just how perfectly this encapsulates human nature and everything that comes with it.
the good. the evil. the freedom of choice. the resulting consequences. the loneliness. the beauty.
there are so many inspired nuggets of wisdom nestled into this deeply intimate story (just go have a look at the quotes section) that i cant help but agree with a friend when he claimed this book is 鈥渓ife changing.鈥�
PS - i havent seen the film, but i have heard the musical score and its absolutely perfect. makes me tear up at just how much it suits the story. take a listen
鈫� 4.5 stars
February 10, 2018
I have no words to describe what this novel did to my reading self!
It was my first Steinbeck, and it made me fall in love with his writing, his ideas, his cry for individual freedom and social justice. It made me ache for goodness in a world of evil, and it made me respect the power of storytelling to explain the inexplicable difficulties of family life.
It was the first time I felt scared of a fictional character!
I don't think I have ever been so deeply shaken as by Cathy/Kate, and she remains the villain with whom I compare all other literary villains. And yet, she fascinated me, she was like a snake hypnotising a mouse, and she merged the mythical ideas of Eve and the serpent into one powerful person - destructive and beautiful, exciting and dangerous.
Yet despite the biblical references which dominate the narrative, the monumental family saga has more resemblance with a Greek tragedy than with a Christian tale: facing the shame of failure, most characters choose to exit the stage rather than gaining redemption through suffering. Their lifeline is the freedom of CHOICE, not dogmatic obedience:
"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about."
Of all the books I don't have time to reread, this is the one that is tempting me most - like a snake-Eve pointing towards a shiny apple - this is where you will find the knowledge of good and evil, and it is your choice if you read it or not!
It will make you shiver - with fear and admiration for the human imagination!
It was my first Steinbeck, and it made me fall in love with his writing, his ideas, his cry for individual freedom and social justice. It made me ache for goodness in a world of evil, and it made me respect the power of storytelling to explain the inexplicable difficulties of family life.
It was the first time I felt scared of a fictional character!
I don't think I have ever been so deeply shaken as by Cathy/Kate, and she remains the villain with whom I compare all other literary villains. And yet, she fascinated me, she was like a snake hypnotising a mouse, and she merged the mythical ideas of Eve and the serpent into one powerful person - destructive and beautiful, exciting and dangerous.
Yet despite the biblical references which dominate the narrative, the monumental family saga has more resemblance with a Greek tragedy than with a Christian tale: facing the shame of failure, most characters choose to exit the stage rather than gaining redemption through suffering. Their lifeline is the freedom of CHOICE, not dogmatic obedience:
"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about."
Of all the books I don't have time to reread, this is the one that is tempting me most - like a snake-Eve pointing towards a shiny apple - this is where you will find the knowledge of good and evil, and it is your choice if you read it or not!
It will make you shiver - with fear and admiration for the human imagination!
September 30, 2024
Read this book if you want to exist to your full potential
March 23, 2025
Adam Trask was a weak but kind boy and later man, his father treated him quite badly even his jealous, sadistic half- brother younger but stronger hit him repeatedly , barely surviving one brutal vicious fight. Born in the middle of the American Civil War, in a Connecticut farm he and brother Charles are turned into good little soldiers at a very tender age. Cyrus their father lost a leg in the war, boasting of being in every major battle (which is physically impossible). In fact the private was only in a blue uniform six months, getting his appendage shot off during the first day of his first battle. But Cyrus becomes such a good liar, that people begin to actually believe him as he, does as well! Yet writing these marvelous but fictional war articles, in the major American newspapers. Consequently he receives a job with the Grand Army of the Republic an influential veterans group of Union soldiers, in Washington. His first wife commits suicide, the second dies of illness let's say Cyrus was not a very lovable person. Adam is forced by his father at sixteen, to join the army to make him a man and save his hide from Charles. Running down the few scattered renegade Indians in the plain states, Adam hates his job still does it bravely and well. When the father dies both boys inherit a vast sum of money, was their father not only a liar but also a thief ? Out of the military good Adam marries a woman of ill repute Cathy, a lady so evil that Satan would be ashamed to be associated with her. Adam buys a farm in central California's rugged Salinas Valley , Cathy gives birth to twin boys non identical Caleb (Cal) and Aaron (Aron), shoots Adam and abandons the newborns. Not mother of the year material, the wife's manners could also be improved. Cathy takes up residence in a home which you can guess what kind it is, but Adam lives and goes into a deep funk ... Lee the much loved Chinese servant, takes over and raises the kids better than the moody, distant, bitter father could ever do ...Thoughts: This story is an allegory of the Bible's Adam and Eve , being thrown out of The Garden of Eden but also about wicked Cain and his good brother, Abel. Steinbeck was born in the frontier town of Salinas the Old West was still alive, the few settlers struggled to make a living in the harsh land. The world changed forever, as the book says when the year 1900 arrived,"Ladies were not ladies anymore and you couldn't trust a gentleman's word". Sam Hamilton a neighbor of Adam and soon friend, was different like a Patriarch out of the Bible with his nine children, wise and tough but not practical thus always poor ... Nevertheless these people are needed as Steinbeck believes, to give guidance to others, which is very lacking today. ..The author's most ambitious and his favorite work. Love and lots of hate, much conflict and a little peace all there. Sam Hamilton was the writer's grandfather.
August 21, 2021
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
East of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in September 1952.
The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of World War I, though some chapters are set in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the story goes as far back as the American Civil War.
In the beginning of East of Eden, before introducing his characters, Steinbeck carefully establishes the setting with a description of the Salinas Valley in Central California.
Then he outlines the story of the warmhearted inventor and farmer Samuel Hamilton and his wife Liza, immigrants from Ireland.
He describes how they raise their nine children on a rough, infertile piece of land. As the Hamilton children begin to grow up and leave the nest, a wealthy stranger, Adam Trask, purchases the best ranch in the Valley.
Adam's life is seen in a long, intricate flashback. We see his tumultuous childhood on a farm in Connecticut and the brutal treatment he endured from his younger but stronger half-brother, Charles.
Adam and Charles's father, Cyrus, was a Union Civil War veteran who was wounded in his very first battle and unable (or perhaps unwilling) to return to service; he nonetheless becomes an expert "armchair general" who uses his intellectual knowledge of military affairs and wounded-veteran status to become a military adviser in Washington, D.C.
As a young man, Adam spent his time first in the military and then wandering the country. He was caught for vagrancy, escaped from a chain gang, and burgled a store for clothing to use as a disguise. Later, he wires Charles to request $100 to pay for his travels home.
Adam later sends money to the store to pay for the clothes and damage. After Adam finally makes his way home to their farm, Charles reveals that Cyrus had died and left them an inheritance of $50,000 each. Charles is torn with fear that Cyrus did not come by the money honestly.
Characters: Mr. Edwards, Ethel, Lee, Faye, Tom Hamilton, Cyrus Trask, Mrs. Trask, Alice Trask, Adam Trask, Charles Trask, Aron Trask, Caleb Trask, Samuel Hamilton, Liza Hamilton, George Hamilton, Will Hamilton, Joe Hamilton, Lizzie Hamilton, Una Hamilton, Dessie Hamilton, Olive Hamilton, Mollie Hamilton, Cathy Ames, Abra Bacon, Joe Valery.
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賴賲賵丕乇賴 賳爻亘鬲 亘賴 睾乇亘貙 丕丨爻丕爻 賵丨卮鬲 賵 賳爻亘鬲 亘賴 卮乇賯貙 丕丨爻丕爻 毓卮賯 賵 毓賱丕賯賴 丿丕卮鬲賲貨 賳賲蹖鈥屫з嗁� 趩賳蹖賳 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲蹖 丕夭 讴噩丕 亘賴 匕賴賳 賲賳 乇爻蹖丿賴 亘賵丿貙 賵賱蹖 卮丕蹖丿 丿賱蹖賱 丌賳 鬲賳賴丕 胤賱賵毓 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 丕夭 賯賱賴 賴丕蹖 爻乇賮乇丕夭 芦诏丕蹖蹖賱丕賳禄 賵 睾乇賵亘 丌乇丕賲 丌賳 丿乇 禺胤 乇丕爻 讴賵賴爻鬲丕賳 芦爻丕賳鬲丕賱賵爻蹖丕爻禄 亘賵丿賴 亘丕卮丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 05/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 29/05/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
East of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in September 1952.
The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of World War I, though some chapters are set in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the story goes as far back as the American Civil War.
In the beginning of East of Eden, before introducing his characters, Steinbeck carefully establishes the setting with a description of the Salinas Valley in Central California.
Then he outlines the story of the warmhearted inventor and farmer Samuel Hamilton and his wife Liza, immigrants from Ireland.
He describes how they raise their nine children on a rough, infertile piece of land. As the Hamilton children begin to grow up and leave the nest, a wealthy stranger, Adam Trask, purchases the best ranch in the Valley.
Adam's life is seen in a long, intricate flashback. We see his tumultuous childhood on a farm in Connecticut and the brutal treatment he endured from his younger but stronger half-brother, Charles.
Adam and Charles's father, Cyrus, was a Union Civil War veteran who was wounded in his very first battle and unable (or perhaps unwilling) to return to service; he nonetheless becomes an expert "armchair general" who uses his intellectual knowledge of military affairs and wounded-veteran status to become a military adviser in Washington, D.C.
As a young man, Adam spent his time first in the military and then wandering the country. He was caught for vagrancy, escaped from a chain gang, and burgled a store for clothing to use as a disguise. Later, he wires Charles to request $100 to pay for his travels home.
Adam later sends money to the store to pay for the clothes and damage. After Adam finally makes his way home to their farm, Charles reveals that Cyrus had died and left them an inheritance of $50,000 each. Charles is torn with fear that Cyrus did not come by the money honestly.
Characters: Mr. Edwards, Ethel, Lee, Faye, Tom Hamilton, Cyrus Trask, Mrs. Trask, Alice Trask, Adam Trask, Charles Trask, Aron Trask, Caleb Trask, Samuel Hamilton, Liza Hamilton, George Hamilton, Will Hamilton, Joe Hamilton, Lizzie Hamilton, Una Hamilton, Dessie Hamilton, Olive Hamilton, Mollie Hamilton, Cathy Ames, Abra Bacon, Joe Valery.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 賲丕賴 丌诏賵爻鬲 爻丕賱 1984賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
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丕诏乇 芦噩丕賳 丕卮鬲丕蹖賳 亘讴禄 丿乇 爻乇丕爻乇 毓賲乇 丕丿亘蹖 禺賵蹖卮貙 噩夭 賴賲蹖賳 芦卮乇賯 亘賴卮鬲禄貙 讴鬲丕亘 丿蹖诏乇 賳賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿賳丿貙 亘丕夭 賴賲 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 賵 爻夭丕賵丕乇 賴賲賴 蹖 卮賴乇鬲 賵 丕賮鬲禺丕乇蹖 亘賵丿賳丿貙 讴賴 賳氐蹖亘卮丕賳 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 丨賲丕爻賴 蹖 賮賱爻賮蹖 賵 丕賳爻丕賳蹖 亘夭乇诏賵丕乇蹖 讴賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 亘卮乇蹖鬲 乇丕貙 丕夭 丌睾丕夭 丌賮乇蹖賳卮 鬲丕 亘賴 丕賲乇賵夭 丿乇 禺賵丿 诏賳噩丕賳蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 倬爻 丕夭 禺賵乇丿賳 賲蹖賵賴 蹖 丿乇禺鬲 禺乇丿貙 亘乇 爻乇 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳 丌丿賲 丌賲丿賴 亘賵丿貙 賵 鬲丕 丕亘丿蹖鬲 賳蹖夭 丕丿丕賲賴 禺賵丕賴丿 蹖丕賮鬲貨 芦卮乇賯 亘賴卮鬲禄 亘賴 乇睾賲 诏匕卮鬲 爻丕賱賴丕 丕夭 賳诏丕乇卮 賵 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 丕賳鬲卮丕乇 丌賳貙 賴賳賵夭 賴賲貙 噩夭賵 芦倬乇禺賵丕賳卮诏乇鬲乇蹖賳 丿賴 讴鬲丕亘禄 丿乇 芦丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕禄 丕爻鬲
賳賯賱 丕夭 亘乇诏乇丿丕賳 噩賳丕亘 芦讴蹖賵賲乇孬 倬丕乇爻丕蹖禄: (丿乇賴 丿乇丕夭 賵 亘丕乇蹖讴 爻丕賱蹖賳丕爻 丿乇 卮賲丕賱 讴丕賱蹖賮乇賳蹖丕 賵丕賯毓 卮丿賴 賵 丿乇 賲蹖丕賳 丿賵 乇卮鬲賴 讴賵賴 賯乇丕乇 诏乇賮鬲賴 丕爻鬲貨 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴 爻丕賱蹖賳丕爻 丿乇 賲乇讴夭 丌賳 噩乇蹖丕賳 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 亘賴 禺賱蹖噩 賲丕賳鬲乇蹖 賲賳鬲賴蹖 賲蹖鈥屫促堌�
賳丕賲鈥屬囏й屰� 乇丕 讴賴 丿乇 丿賵乇丕賳 讴賵丿讴蹖 亘乇丕蹖 诏蹖丕賴丕賳 賵 诏賱鈥屬囏й� 倬乇 乇賲夭 賵 乇丕夭 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 賲蹖鈥屭┴必呚� 賴賳賵夭 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 丿丕乇賲貨 蹖丕丿賲 賲蹖鈥屫③屫� 讴賴 賯賵乇亘丕睾賴鈥屬囏� 丿乇 讴噩丕 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┴必嗀� 賵 倬乇賳丿诏丕賳 趩賴 賵賯鬲 丿乇 亘賴丕乇 亘蹖丿丕乇 賲蹖鈥屫簇嗀� 賵 賳蹖夭 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 賲蹖鈥屫①堌辟� 讴賴 丕夭 丿乇禺鬲丕賳 丿乇 賮氐賵賱 诏賵賳丕诏賵賳 趩賴 乇丕蹖丨賴鈥� 丕蹖 亘賴 賲卮丕賲 賲蹖鈥屫必驰屫� 賲乇丿賲 趩賴 賯蹖丕賮賴鈥� 賴丕蹖蹖 丿丕卮鬲賳丿 賵 趩诏賵賳賴 乇丕賴 賲蹖鈥屫辟佖嗀� 賵 丨鬲蹖 趩賴 乇丕蹖丨賴鈥� 丕蹖 丕夭 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘乇賲蹖鈥屫ж池� 禺丕胤乇丕鬲賲 賴賲賴 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 趩賳蹖賳 乇丕蹖丨賴鈥屬囏й� 丿賱倬匕蹖乇蹖 丕爻鬲
讴賵賴鈥屬囏й� 芦诏丕蹖蹖賱丕賳禄 乇丕 丿乇 亘禺卮 卮乇賯蹖 丿乇賴 亘賴 蹖丕丿賲 賲蹖鈥屫①堌辟� 讴賴 爻亘讴亘丕乇 賵 倬乇 丕夭 賳賵乇 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 賵 卮丕丿蹖 亘賵丿賳丿貙 丕賳诏丕乇 丕賳爻丕賳 乇丕 亘丕 丌睾賵卮 亘丕夭 倬匕蹖乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫簇嗀� 鬲丕 噩丕蹖蹖鈥屭┵� 賴乇 讴爻 丌乇夭賵 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 亘賴 丿丕賲賳賴 诏乇賲 丌賳鈥屬囏� 倬賳丕賴 亘亘乇丿 賵 丕丨爻丕爻蹖 賴賲趩賵賳 丕爻鬲乇丕丨鬲 丿乇 丿丕賲賳 丿丕蹖賴鈥� 丕蹖 賲賴乇亘丕賳 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿貨 诏蹖丕賴丕賳 賯賴賵賴鈥� 丕蹖 乇賳诏 賴賲蹖賳 鈥庘€屬囏� 亘賴 丕賳爻丕賳 禺賵卮 丌賲丿 賲蹖鈥屭佖嗀� 讴賵賴鈥屬囏й� 芦爻丕賳鬲丕賱賵爻蹖丕爻禄 丿乇 亘禺卮 睾乇亘蹖貙 爻乇 亘賴 賮賱讴 賲蹖鈥屫池й屰屫嗀� 賵 丿乇賴 賵 丿乇蹖丕 乇丕 丕夭 賴賲 噩丿丕 賲蹖鈥屭┴必嗀� 丿丕賲賳賴 賴丕蹖 丕蹖賳 讴賵鈥屬団€屬囏� 鬲蹖乇賴 賵 賲鬲賮讴乇貙 賳丕丌卮賳丕 賵 禺胤乇賳丕讴貙 亘賴 賳馗乇 賲蹖鈥屫必驰屫嗀�
賴賲賵丕乇賴 賳爻亘鬲 亘賴 睾乇亘貙 丕丨爻丕爻 賵丨卮鬲 賵 賳爻亘鬲 亘賴 卮乇賯貙 丕丨爻丕爻 毓卮賯 賵 毓賱丕賯賴 丿丕卮鬲賲貨 賳賲蹖鈥屫з嗁� 趩賳蹖賳 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲蹖 丕夭 讴噩丕 亘賴 匕賴賳 賲賳 乇爻蹖丿賴 亘賵丿貙 賵賱蹖 卮丕蹖丿 丿賱蹖賱 丌賳 鬲賳賴丕 胤賱賵毓 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 丕夭 賯賱賴 賴丕蹖 爻乇賮乇丕夭 芦诏丕蹖蹖賱丕賳禄 賵 睾乇賵亘 丌乇丕賲 丌賳 丿乇 禺胤 乇丕爻 讴賵賴爻鬲丕賳 芦爻丕賳鬲丕賱賵爻蹖丕爻禄 亘賵丿賴 亘丕卮丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 05/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 29/05/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
October 11, 2019
Steinbeck's classic East of Eden is a masterpiece and one of his finest books. It tells the history of Steinbeck's own family, the Hamiltons, and that of the Trask family. The epic is set in Steinbeck's native Salinas Valley in California and the beauty of the region is described in endless, passionate detail.
The characters are all beautifully drawn and the story is captivating.
I'll add some quotes here before returning the book to the library, but it was extremely pleasurable to read cover to cover.
For example, concerning faith: "The proofs that God does not exist are vert strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does." (P.69)
Concerning monsters: "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents...To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous." (P.71)
On progress: "in our time,, mass or collective production has entered our economics, our politics, and even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea of God. This in my time is the danger." (P.131)
On racism and dumbing down, Lee: "If I should go up to a lady or gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn't be understood...Pidgen they expect, pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it." (P.161)
Time flies: "The clock struck nine deliberate strokes and they were swallowed up." (P.449)
Frustration with time scheduling: "One thing late or early cab disturb everything around us, and the disturbance runs outward in bands like waves from a dropped stone in a quiet pool." (P.530)
East of Eden uses a plethora of Biblical analogies starting with that in the title referring to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden - here Adam is expulsed from his home (though it was hardly a paradise) and thrust into the hell of a senseless war. Like veterans of other senseless wars, he comes back to a civilization that does not appreciate or understand what he lived through and he lives maladjusted for most of the rest of his life. His conflict with his brother Charles (Note: most of the major conflicts involve character names starting with an "A" (Adam, Aron, Abra) with character names starting with a "C" (Charles, Cal, Catherine)) is epic and sets many of the books major themes into play: rivalry over sex and power, jealousy, favoritism. There are many parallels throughout the book to Biblical stories and repetitive behaviors. This begs the question on whether anything is learned? I would say that despite the tragedy at the end, Lee does give us a sense of progress by taking the long view. It is significant that the last word in the book spoken by Adam is that which Lee and his Chinese scholars worked on together from Hebrew: Timshel "thou mayest".
Steinbeck was a masterful writer who beautifully evoked the Salinas Valley of his youth populating it with endearing and occasionally frightful characters that bring history alive. I would have to reread Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but East of Eden is certainly one of Steinbeck's best if not the very best.
The characters are all beautifully drawn and the story is captivating.
I'll add some quotes here before returning the book to the library, but it was extremely pleasurable to read cover to cover.
For example, concerning faith: "The proofs that God does not exist are vert strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does." (P.69)
Concerning monsters: "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents...To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous." (P.71)
On progress: "in our time,, mass or collective production has entered our economics, our politics, and even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea of God. This in my time is the danger." (P.131)
On racism and dumbing down, Lee: "If I should go up to a lady or gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn't be understood...Pidgen they expect, pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it." (P.161)
Time flies: "The clock struck nine deliberate strokes and they were swallowed up." (P.449)
Frustration with time scheduling: "One thing late or early cab disturb everything around us, and the disturbance runs outward in bands like waves from a dropped stone in a quiet pool." (P.530)
East of Eden uses a plethora of Biblical analogies starting with that in the title referring to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden - here Adam is expulsed from his home (though it was hardly a paradise) and thrust into the hell of a senseless war. Like veterans of other senseless wars, he comes back to a civilization that does not appreciate or understand what he lived through and he lives maladjusted for most of the rest of his life. His conflict with his brother Charles (Note: most of the major conflicts involve character names starting with an "A" (Adam, Aron, Abra) with character names starting with a "C" (Charles, Cal, Catherine)) is epic and sets many of the books major themes into play: rivalry over sex and power, jealousy, favoritism. There are many parallels throughout the book to Biblical stories and repetitive behaviors. This begs the question on whether anything is learned? I would say that despite the tragedy at the end, Lee does give us a sense of progress by taking the long view. It is significant that the last word in the book spoken by Adam is that which Lee and his Chinese scholars worked on together from Hebrew: Timshel "thou mayest".
Steinbeck was a masterful writer who beautifully evoked the Salinas Valley of his youth populating it with endearing and occasionally frightful characters that bring history alive. I would have to reread Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but East of Eden is certainly one of Steinbeck's best if not the very best.
June 16, 2024
English () / Italiano
芦The Salinas Valley is in Northern California. It is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay禄
"East of Eden" is a powerful novel, thick with biblical reference, in which the characters seem real and not fictional, protagonists of a generational saga about good and evil. About pure hatrded and unconditional love. You will love all the characters of the novel, every last one of them. You will love the storytelling power of . You will love his way of representing hope, falsehood, sadness. And you will hate, as if you were under the effect of a sick addiction, the moment you finish the book.
In my humble opinion this is the best Steinbeck. And also according to the author opinion, since he said that everything he did before was in preparation to this novel. "East of Eden" is the Great American Novel.
Vote: 10
芦La Valle del Salinas, nella California settentrionale, 猫 una lunga gola stretta tra due catene montuose: il fiume si snoda e serpeggia nel centro, finch猫 non si getta nella baia di Monterey禄
鈥淟a Valle dell'Eden鈥� 猫 un libro potente, denso di riferimenti biblici, nel quale muovono i passi personaggi che sembrano reali e non di finzione, protagonisti di una epopea generazionale sul bene e sul male. Sull鈥檕dio puro e sull鈥檃more incondizionato. Amerete tutti i personaggi di questo romanzo, dal primo all鈥檜ltimo. Amerete la capacit脿 narrativa di . Amerete il suo modo di rappresentare la speranza, la falsit脿, la tristezza. E odierete, come foste sotto l鈥檈ffetto di una morbosa dipendenza, il momento in cui avrete finito di leggere.
A mio modesto parere il miglior Steinbeck. E anche a detta dello stesso autore, visto che afferm貌 che tutto quanto fatto prima era solo in preparazione a questo romanzo. E' la "Valle dell'Eden" il Grande Romanzo Americano.
Voto: 10
October 22, 2017
East of Eden is a uniquely fragmented hotchpotch. A fantastical fable, a retelling of the biblical tale of the original sin, a documented testimony of early settlers in the Salinas Valley through the perspective of three generations, a fictionalized biography of Steinbeck鈥檚 own grandfather, a subversive political text, an essay that blends modern philosophy with ancient wisdom.
It鈥檚 probable that Steinbeck鈥檚 ambitious scope and his need to reach universal meaning might encumber the narration with some faults.
The pace, the tone and the structure are uneven.
The book starts off in the first-person narrative, ostensibly Steinbeck himself, only to suddenly disappear and give way to an anonymous omniscient narrator.
Women appear opaque recipients of inherited constraint and duty. Gender is a question to be typified.
American history is treated as a casual backdrop without cohesive continuity. Racism is approached superficially and drawn to easy stereotyping.
Characters are not constricted by their roles. Some of them remain indecipherable. The causes that lead them to act a certain way are not fully acknowledged. It鈥檚 the moral dilemma and the consequences that matter, but it鈥檚 precisely the freedom Steinbeck grants to his characters that enables the allegorical quality of this tale to take its direct flight to the reader鈥檚 heart.
Truth is I couldn鈥檛 have cared less about the formal delivery of this book. My heart surrendered willingly and was bleeding from the first page.
Because it is Steinbeck鈥檚 aim that is faultless.
Because his ideals, which refuse to be pigeonholed by religion, double morale or self-complacency, and sincere passion shine through the naked, earnest prose that makes the stories of the Trasks and the Hamiltons a powerful parable that pulsates with unwavering faith in humanity.
Steinbeck reconstructs the architecture of the human spirit with all its weaknesses and cruelties, defies dogmatic predeterminism and elevates his characters鈥� struggles beyond any restrictive literary scheme. In placing the responsibility of the actions on human beings instead of an almighty presence, he is challenging the reader to call into question his own beliefs on fate, free will and guilt.
Hatred, envy, revenge, self-doubts and misguided fears haunt the heroes of this story, and they fight the dehumanizing effects of such visceral feelings with the only weapon Steinbeck approves of: love. Love in the widest sense of the word. Fraternal, filial, platonic, romantic. Much can be achieved if one is courageous enough to love even when rejection shatters wistful expectations. A childless man can have a daughter, genetic predisposition can be overpowered, instinctive meanness controlled, the gravest crime can be forgiven.
So many questions and no certain answers.
In all his wisdom, Steinbeck exposes his high principles and allows the reader to decide for himself. The possibility to choose, to pick this path or the other when we are at a crossroads is the most precious gift we are given along with life. We cannot choose to be made part of this world, of this bewildering place we seldom understand, but we can exert our goodwill and trust that others will do the same.
Love might cripple us, might make us fragile and defenseless, but it is the only way to reach the end of the journey without regret or remorse. Exile can鈥檛 befall on us if we dare to love. Paradise might not exist, but Steinbeck proves that loving others selflessly is the safe path to save us from ourselves.
It鈥檚 probable that Steinbeck鈥檚 ambitious scope and his need to reach universal meaning might encumber the narration with some faults.
The pace, the tone and the structure are uneven.
The book starts off in the first-person narrative, ostensibly Steinbeck himself, only to suddenly disappear and give way to an anonymous omniscient narrator.
Women appear opaque recipients of inherited constraint and duty. Gender is a question to be typified.
American history is treated as a casual backdrop without cohesive continuity. Racism is approached superficially and drawn to easy stereotyping.
Characters are not constricted by their roles. Some of them remain indecipherable. The causes that lead them to act a certain way are not fully acknowledged. It鈥檚 the moral dilemma and the consequences that matter, but it鈥檚 precisely the freedom Steinbeck grants to his characters that enables the allegorical quality of this tale to take its direct flight to the reader鈥檚 heart.
Truth is I couldn鈥檛 have cared less about the formal delivery of this book. My heart surrendered willingly and was bleeding from the first page.
Because it is Steinbeck鈥檚 aim that is faultless.
Because his ideals, which refuse to be pigeonholed by religion, double morale or self-complacency, and sincere passion shine through the naked, earnest prose that makes the stories of the Trasks and the Hamiltons a powerful parable that pulsates with unwavering faith in humanity.
Steinbeck reconstructs the architecture of the human spirit with all its weaknesses and cruelties, defies dogmatic predeterminism and elevates his characters鈥� struggles beyond any restrictive literary scheme. In placing the responsibility of the actions on human beings instead of an almighty presence, he is challenging the reader to call into question his own beliefs on fate, free will and guilt.
Hatred, envy, revenge, self-doubts and misguided fears haunt the heroes of this story, and they fight the dehumanizing effects of such visceral feelings with the only weapon Steinbeck approves of: love. Love in the widest sense of the word. Fraternal, filial, platonic, romantic. Much can be achieved if one is courageous enough to love even when rejection shatters wistful expectations. A childless man can have a daughter, genetic predisposition can be overpowered, instinctive meanness controlled, the gravest crime can be forgiven.
So many questions and no certain answers.
In all his wisdom, Steinbeck exposes his high principles and allows the reader to decide for himself. The possibility to choose, to pick this path or the other when we are at a crossroads is the most precious gift we are given along with life. We cannot choose to be made part of this world, of this bewildering place we seldom understand, but we can exert our goodwill and trust that others will do the same.
Love might cripple us, might make us fragile and defenseless, but it is the only way to reach the end of the journey without regret or remorse. Exile can鈥檛 befall on us if we dare to love. Paradise might not exist, but Steinbeck proves that loving others selflessly is the safe path to save us from ourselves.
December 14, 2024
2024 update: Read it again - it's somehow better than I'd remembered.
A magic book, an everything book, both like and unlike everything else Steinbeck wrote. I can never quite manage to stop reading it - the naming scene and the ending are about as good as writing can get.
A magic book, an everything book, both like and unlike everything else Steinbeck wrote. I can never quite manage to stop reading it - the naming scene and the ending are about as good as writing can get.
October 10, 2021
Niezaprzeczalnie pi臋ciogwiazdkowa powie艣膰.
November 30, 2019
An amazing book! East of Eden, a 1952 novel by John Steinbeck, is a long, sprawling, sometimes slow but often very intense read. Steinbeck considered it his magnum opus. It begins at the turn of the century in Connecticut, telling about the difficult childhood of Adam Trask and the pains and troubles caused him by his half-brother Charles. Adam meets and marries Cathy Ames, whom he blindly loves, but who is a truly evil, completely self-centered woman at heart.
They move out to the Salinas Valley in California, where they have twin sons, Aron and Cal ... and the Cain and Abel motif repeats itself in a second generation. Cathy abandons her young family and heads off to (secretly) be a prostitute in a nearby town, adopting the name of Kate. Aron and Cal grow to be young men: Cal is wild and reckless, Aron dependable and good-hearted, always believing the best of others.
To make things even more complicated Steinbeck weaves in a storyline about the Samuel Hamilton family, Irish immigrants ... and Steinbeck's actual ancestors.
So often, Steinbeck's insightful comments on a person or a situation struck me deeply; he has a marvelous way with words. He also has a gift for writing complex and conflicted characters, though it's not always exercised fully, especially with some of his female characters. However, Abra, Aron's girlfriend, is a wonderful character, especially in her resistance to Aron's false idealization of her and her parents' focus on social position and wealth.
The Cain and Abel theme, reflected in the reoccurring C & A pairs, which shows up with Adam and Charles and resurfaces in the second generation with Aron and Cal, was fascinating: not just the good and evil dichotomy (though the evil is mixed with some good, and is often more just human weakness), but also other echoes of the original Biblical story. For example, the Cain characters work with farming and the land, like the original Cain; Abel was a shepherd and Aron wants to be a priest (a spiritual shepherd), and so on. I loved how Steinbeck humanizes the Cain characters and emphasizes how we all have a choice in how we act and react to events in our lives.
Samuel Hamilton, the prophetic Irishman and Steinbeck's grandfather
Olive Hamilton Steinbeck (Steinbeck's mother) and her famous -- and crazy! -- airplane ride
My favorite character was Lee, the Chinese servant of the Trask family. He grows from hiding behind his queue and pidgin English (he actually can speak excellent English) to full acceptance of himself. He gives sound advice to the various Trask family members, and loves them with all their faults. He is the best, and I really wish he were a real person as well. (Cathy/Kate, on the other hand: though she was an intriguing character, I'm glad to leave her and her psychopathic ways in the pages of this novel!)
This novel is not without its flaws. It tries to do so much that it's a bit fragmented, and it sometimes veers toward heavy-handedness and melodrama. But overall it's such an amazing and profoundly moving work. No question: it gets all the stars!
Timshel.
They move out to the Salinas Valley in California, where they have twin sons, Aron and Cal ... and the Cain and Abel motif repeats itself in a second generation. Cathy abandons her young family and heads off to (secretly) be a prostitute in a nearby town, adopting the name of Kate. Aron and Cal grow to be young men: Cal is wild and reckless, Aron dependable and good-hearted, always believing the best of others.
To make things even more complicated Steinbeck weaves in a storyline about the Samuel Hamilton family, Irish immigrants ... and Steinbeck's actual ancestors.
So often, Steinbeck's insightful comments on a person or a situation struck me deeply; he has a marvelous way with words. He also has a gift for writing complex and conflicted characters, though it's not always exercised fully, especially with some of his female characters. However, Abra, Aron's girlfriend, is a wonderful character, especially in her resistance to Aron's false idealization of her and her parents' focus on social position and wealth.
The Cain and Abel theme, reflected in the reoccurring C & A pairs, which shows up with Adam and Charles and resurfaces in the second generation with Aron and Cal, was fascinating: not just the good and evil dichotomy (though the evil is mixed with some good, and is often more just human weakness), but also other echoes of the original Biblical story. For example, the Cain characters work with farming and the land, like the original Cain; Abel was a shepherd and Aron wants to be a priest (a spiritual shepherd), and so on. I loved how Steinbeck humanizes the Cain characters and emphasizes how we all have a choice in how we act and react to events in our lives.
"The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in 'Thou shalt,' meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel--'Thou mayest'--that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 'Thou mayest'--it is also true that 'Thou mayest not.' "I really enjoyed how Steinbeck wove his own family history into the pages of this book:
Samuel Hamilton, the prophetic Irishman and Steinbeck's grandfather
Olive Hamilton Steinbeck (Steinbeck's mother) and her famous -- and crazy! -- airplane ride
My favorite character was Lee, the Chinese servant of the Trask family. He grows from hiding behind his queue and pidgin English (he actually can speak excellent English) to full acceptance of himself. He gives sound advice to the various Trask family members, and loves them with all their faults. He is the best, and I really wish he were a real person as well. (Cathy/Kate, on the other hand: though she was an intriguing character, I'm glad to leave her and her psychopathic ways in the pages of this novel!)
This novel is not without its flaws. It tries to do so much that it's a bit fragmented, and it sometimes veers toward heavy-handedness and melodrama. But overall it's such an amazing and profoundly moving work. No question: it gets all the stars!
Timshel.
February 22, 2022
乇賵丨 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳
丕賱卮賷亍 丕賱噩賲賷賱 丕賱賮乇賷丿 賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱毓丕賱賲
丿丕卅賲丕 賲丕 鬲賴丕噩賲 賵賱丕 鬲賴夭賲 兀亘丿丕鈥�
賱賷 鬲丕乇賷禺 賯丿賷賲 賲毓 卮鬲丕賷賳亘賰
賵賴賵 賲賳 兀賵丕卅賱 賲賳 賯乇兀鬲購 賱賴賲 亘丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷丞
賵賯丿 兀丿賲賳鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱賮賵乇
鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 鬲賯賵賱 兀賳賴 賮賴賲賳賷 噩賷丿丕 賮賮賴賲鬲賴 噩賷丿丕
賵兀丨亘亘鬲 丨賯丕 賲丕 賮賴賲鬲
賴匕賴 賴賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱兀賴賲 賵丕賱兀卮賴乇
賵廿賳 賱賲 鬲賰賳 丕賱兀賯乇亘 賱賯賱亘賷 賰賲丕 賴賷 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賴 丕賱毓馗賷賲丞 丕賱兀禺乇賶鈥�
丕賱賱丐賱丐丞貙毓賳丕賯賷丿 丕賱睾囟亘貙賵乇噩丕賱 賵賮卅乇丕賳
;;;;;;;;;;;
噩賳丞 毓丿賳
賴賷 丕賱賲賰丕賳 丕賱匕賷 鬲亘丿兀 賲賳賴 賰賱 丕賱丨賰丕賷丕鬲
賰賱 賲丕 賴賵 賯丕丿賲 賵賰賱 賲丕 賴賵 賰丕賳
丕賱禺胤賵丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賮賷 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞
丕賱禺胤賷卅丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶
丕賱氐乇丕毓 丕賱兀賵賱
鈥�"丿賲 兀禺賷 賱胤禺 賷丿賷"鈥�
卮乇賯賷 毓丿賳 鈥�-丕賱賲賰丕賳 丕賱匕賷 匕賴亘 賯丕賷賷賳 廿賱賷賴
亘毓丿 賯鬲賱賴 兀禺丕賴
賵賲丨丕丿孬鬲賴 賲毓 丕賱乇亘鈥�
丕賱賲賰丕賳 丕賱匕賷 賷亘丿賵 兀賳賳丕 噩賲賷毓丕 賳匕賴亘 廿賱賷賴
廿賳 毓丕噩賱丕 兀賵 兀噩賱丕鈥�
;;;;;;;;;;;
賴賳丕賰 兀卮亘丕丨 賮賷 丕賱禺賱賮賷丞 鬲胤賵賮
鬲氐賳毓 賲賳 丕賱賱丕賵丕賯毓賷 丕賱兀卮丿 賵丕賯毓賷丞
鬲噩亘乇賰 毓賱賶 丕賱廿賳氐丕鬲 賱賴賲爻丕鬲賴丕 丕賱丨賰賷賲丞
賷禺鬲賱胤丕 丕賱噩丿 賵丕賱賴夭賱
鬲賳丿賲噩 夭賵噩丞 賱賷 丕賱賲鬲禺賷賱丞
賲毓 丿禺丕賳 賵乇賯丕鬲 丕賱賳賯賵丿 丕賱鬲賷 賷丨乇賯賴丕 賰丕賱
亘賷賳賲丕 丕賱睾乇賮丞 丕賱乇賲丕丿賷丞 賮賷 丕賱禺賱賮賷丞
鬲賰丕丿 爻鬲丕卅乇賴丕 鬲氐賷丨 氐賷丨丕鬲 丕賱賮夭毓
丕賱匕賷 賷睾夭賵 賰丕賷鬲 亘亘胤亍 丨鬲賶 賷亘鬲賱毓賴丕鈥�
;;;;;;;;;;;
賴賷 乇賵丕賷丞 賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丞 賲禺賱丿丞
鬲毓胤賷 賲賳 丕賱毓馗賲丞 兀賰孬乇 賲賲丕 鬲毓胤賷 賲賳 丕賱廿亘賴丕乇
賷鬲卮丕亘賰 賯丿乇賷 毓丕卅賱鬲賷賳 賷爻賰賳丕賳 賵丕丿賷 亘爻賷胤
鬲鬲賳丕馗乇 噩亘丕賱 丕賱賵丕丿賷 賲毓 丨囟賳 丕賱兀賲
賴匕丕 丕賱丨囟賳 丕賱匕賷 賱丕 賷賳賮賰 賷丨乇賲 賲賳賴 丕賱兀亘胤丕賱 亘胤乇賷賯丞 兀賵 亘兀禺乇賶
賷毓賱賲賰 卮鬲丕賷賳亘賷賰 賰賷賮 鬲賰賵賳 兀賰孬乇 丕賳爻丕賳賷丞 亘禺胤丕賷丕賰
賱丕 丿賵賳賴丕..
;;;;;;;;;;;
丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱賲毓賯丿丞 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 乇爻賲鬲 丨賯丕 亘亘乇丕毓丞
兀丨亘亘鬲 鬲卮丕乇賱夭 亘卮丿丞 亘賰賱 卮乇賴 賵噩賳賵賳賴 賵毓賯賱賷鬲賴 丕賱賮丕爻丿丞鈥�
賵 亘乇睾賲 賰賱 賲丕 賮毓賱賻鬲賴 貙賮廿賳賳賷 賯丿 兀丨亘亘鬲 賰丕孬賷
賯胤毓丞 丕賱孬賱噩 丕賱鬲賷 賲丕 廿賳 鬲賱賲爻賴丕 丨鬲賶 鬲鬲噩賲丿 亘賱丕 兀賲賱 賮賷 丕賱禺賱丕氐
廿賳賴丕 賯胤毓丞 賲賳 乇賵丨 丕賱卮乇 鈥�
亘賱 禺賱丕氐鬲賴 廿賳 兀乇丿鬲購 兀賳 兀賰賵賳 丿賯賷賯丞
賵賯丿 乇爻賲賴丕 卮鬲丕賷賳亘賰 賰賲丕 賱賲 賷乇爻賲 卮禺氐賷丞 賲賳 賯亘賱
氐賳毓 賰丕卅賳丕 噩丿賷丿丕 乇亘賲丕 賱賲 鬲氐丕丿賮賴 賮賷 乇賵丕賷丞 賯亘賱丕
賲毓丕賱噩鬲賴 賱賴丕 鬲爻鬲丨賯 丕賱鬲兀賲賱 丨賯丕
兀賲丕 賴匕賴 丕賱孬賳丕卅賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 氐賳毓賴丕 賯乇亘 賳賴丕賷鬲賴丕 鈥�
亘賷賳賴丕 賵亘賷賳 兀賱賷爻 亘賱丕丿 丕賱毓噩丕卅亘 賮賴賷 氐丿賯丕 賲賳 兀噩賲賱 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲鈥�
;;;;;;;;;;;
卮禺氐賷鬲賷 丕賱賲賮囟賱丞 賴賷 賱賷
丕賱胤亘丕禺 丕賱氐賷賳賷 丕賱爻丕丨乇 亘賰賱 鬲兀賰賷丿
賱賯丿 兀賲鬲毓賳賷 亘丨賰賲鬲賴
亘賳賯丕卮丕鬲赖
亘丨賵丕乇丕鬲賴 丕賱丿丕禺賱賷丞
亘胤乇賷賯鬲賴 賮賷 丕賱鬲氐乇賮
亘毓賲賯賴 賵毓丕胤賮鬲賴 賵兀氐賵賱賴 丕賱睾丕賲囟丞
丕賱賲賲爻賵爻丞 亘卮賷丕胤賷賳 賱丕 賲乇卅賷丞
賰丕賳 賰賱 賲丕 賱賷 賷賮毓賱賴 賷亘丿賵
賵賰兀賳 賴賳丕賰 賯丿丕爻丞 賲賳 賳賵毓 賲丕 鬲爻亘睾 毓賱賷賴
;;;;;;;;;;;
賴賷 賲賱丨賲丞 丨亘 賵丨乇亘
鬲噩賲毓 乇丕卅毓 賲賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞
賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲丨丕乇亘 賯丿乇賴丕 賵賷丨丕乇亘賴丕
賵賷賳鬲氐乇 丿賵賲丕 丕賱兀丿亘 丕賱噩賲賷賱
September 7, 2022
鈥淭he quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost.鈥�
Like the Book of Genesis, where it pulls its inspiration from, 鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� is the story of us. The good and the bad, and our struggle to be ruled by one or the other, acknowledging that both are inherent in our natures. It is a beautiful book filled with people I felt strongly about, and all of them so fully and wonderfully human.
Steinbeck continues to impress me with his ability to create a complete characterization in only a few sentences. Even cameo roles in this text are flesh and blood people. One of the joys of this book was that I genuinely enjoyed peeking into the lives of many of these characters. One highlight is the character of Samuel Hamilton and his wife and various offspring. I fell a little bit in love, and the parts of the book that focused on them soared in my opinion. The Trask twins are also well rendered and what Steinbeck does with the two of them (no spoilers here) is brilliant!
The people of 鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� are so real, that at the death of a truly unsavory character I felt unexpected sadness. This was not a good person, a monster even, but they still had a humanity. I love when a novel forces me to remember that.
Chapter 34 of this text is everything. One of the best summations of what the human story is that I have come across in a novel. And the closing paragraph of this chapter鈥�
鈥淲e have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. 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.鈥�
Wow!
At one point Steinbeck writes, 鈥淚n uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved.鈥� There is a lot in that statement, and a hopefulness that I (and I hope all of us) refuse to yield.
When you read a novel, and you see yourself reflected in many ways, in bits of many characters, you know that you are reading a great story of the human condition.
鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� is such a book.
Like the Book of Genesis, where it pulls its inspiration from, 鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� is the story of us. The good and the bad, and our struggle to be ruled by one or the other, acknowledging that both are inherent in our natures. It is a beautiful book filled with people I felt strongly about, and all of them so fully and wonderfully human.
Steinbeck continues to impress me with his ability to create a complete characterization in only a few sentences. Even cameo roles in this text are flesh and blood people. One of the joys of this book was that I genuinely enjoyed peeking into the lives of many of these characters. One highlight is the character of Samuel Hamilton and his wife and various offspring. I fell a little bit in love, and the parts of the book that focused on them soared in my opinion. The Trask twins are also well rendered and what Steinbeck does with the two of them (no spoilers here) is brilliant!
The people of 鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� are so real, that at the death of a truly unsavory character I felt unexpected sadness. This was not a good person, a monster even, but they still had a humanity. I love when a novel forces me to remember that.
Chapter 34 of this text is everything. One of the best summations of what the human story is that I have come across in a novel. And the closing paragraph of this chapter鈥�
鈥淲e have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. 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.鈥�
Wow!
At one point Steinbeck writes, 鈥淚n uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved.鈥� There is a lot in that statement, and a hopefulness that I (and I hope all of us) refuse to yield.
When you read a novel, and you see yourself reflected in many ways, in bits of many characters, you know that you are reading a great story of the human condition.
鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� is such a book.
April 28, 2020
I'm ashamed that it took me four months to write up this review, but I just couldn't find the right words to describe how I feel about this phenomenal book. Because it was absolute perfection!
I did watch the movie adaption first (ages ago) and loved it, and it has a very special place in my heart because it started off my obsession with James Dean (who I now call my favorite person of all time, so yeah, it's a pretty big deal to me). I've been wanting to read the book ever since, but I was a bit hesitant, because I heard that there are many differences between the two versions. I realized very quickly that this is correct and I became worried, because Cal (who is portrayed by James Dean in the film) was my favorite character in the film and he was nowhere near in sight.
But I realized just as quickly that my concerns were pointless, because Adam was just as fascinating and interesting! His story was just super exciting, without ever being over the top or straying away from reality. I have absolutely zero interest in the country lifestyle and business that is described in the book, but damn, I was still enthralled and never bored!
It was so great to get more insight into the characters I already knew and give them more depth (which now makes me view the movie in a completely different light!), as well as get to know some new characters. All of them were interesting, three dimensional, realistic and special in their own way.The writing was wonderful as well, and (to my surprise) easy to read.
This is one of those novels that will stay with me forever, for reasons I can't explain. I know that I will cherish it and hold it close to my heart, and probably reread it several times throughout the rest of my life.
I did watch the movie adaption first (ages ago) and loved it, and it has a very special place in my heart because it started off my obsession with James Dean (who I now call my favorite person of all time, so yeah, it's a pretty big deal to me). I've been wanting to read the book ever since, but I was a bit hesitant, because I heard that there are many differences between the two versions. I realized very quickly that this is correct and I became worried, because Cal (who is portrayed by James Dean in the film) was my favorite character in the film and he was nowhere near in sight.
But I realized just as quickly that my concerns were pointless, because Adam was just as fascinating and interesting! His story was just super exciting, without ever being over the top or straying away from reality. I have absolutely zero interest in the country lifestyle and business that is described in the book, but damn, I was still enthralled and never bored!
It was so great to get more insight into the characters I already knew and give them more depth (which now makes me view the movie in a completely different light!), as well as get to know some new characters. All of them were interesting, three dimensional, realistic and special in their own way.The writing was wonderful as well, and (to my surprise) easy to read.
This is one of those novels that will stay with me forever, for reasons I can't explain. I know that I will cherish it and hold it close to my heart, and probably reread it several times throughout the rest of my life.
November 28, 2022
One word: Remarkable.
Observations (note, I am deliberately avoiding the word 鈥榗riticism鈥�):
At times, the biblical analogies of Cain and Abel, good vs. evil were weighty, but Steinbeck peels away the layers of society in such an engrossing way that nothing can blemish the craft of his storytelling and character development.
Highlight: Steinbeck created a chilling, complex but, to me, fascinating female character who is unrivalled. Are there hints of misogyny? Maybe. Or just another biblical pretext to show the stark contrast between good and evil?
Regret: This should have been a 欧宝娱乐 buddy read!
I needed to discuss, debate, marvel, rant, curse, question, clarify, talk, talk and talk about this novel.
Action: Looking forward to checking out more reviews (including the not-so-favourable ones for balance) and will seek out the film of the same name that features James Dean.
Observations (note, I am deliberately avoiding the word 鈥榗riticism鈥�):
At times, the biblical analogies of Cain and Abel, good vs. evil were weighty, but Steinbeck peels away the layers of society in such an engrossing way that nothing can blemish the craft of his storytelling and character development.
Highlight: Steinbeck created a chilling, complex but, to me, fascinating female character who is unrivalled. Are there hints of misogyny? Maybe. Or just another biblical pretext to show the stark contrast between good and evil?
Regret: This should have been a 欧宝娱乐 buddy read!
I needed to discuss, debate, marvel, rant, curse, question, clarify, talk, talk and talk about this novel.
Action: Looking forward to checking out more reviews (including the not-so-favourable ones for balance) and will seek out the film of the same name that features James Dean.
October 31, 2015
This is a long, long sermon masquerading as a novel. Its aim seems clear- to be the great American novel. In spite of, or maybe because of this overreach, it is completely unsatisfying. The characters are mere symbols. Most of the themes pertain to the characters鈥� moral dilemmas, but it is difficult to be drawn into these since the characters lack any real complexity. The men are various superlatives (greatest, kindest, wisest). There are two women characters, one evil and exaggerated to the point of absurdity, and the other just a plot device. And the 鈥榗hinaman鈥� has to be one of the most ridiculous characters in all of literature.
The weak characters are further undermined by the stilted and unnatural dialogue, which in no way resembles conversation as I have experienced it. The characters take turns giving soulful, melodramatic speeches on the human condition. The 鈥榗hinaman鈥� is especially painful in this regard.
The weak characters are further undermined by the stilted and unnatural dialogue, which in no way resembles conversation as I have experienced it. The characters take turns giving soulful, melodramatic speeches on the human condition. The 鈥榗hinaman鈥� is especially painful in this regard.
March 1, 2020
Una de las grandes de uno de los m谩s grandes. No tengo m谩s que decir.
May 29, 2021
Consider this not a review, but rather a love letter. A love letter to John Steinbeck, to return the love he expresses over and over again to this big, sweaty heap we call humanity.
Dear John,
Thanks for loving us, despite having the ability to turn over all of the rocks and finding our lowest common denominators there, squirming in the mud. I love you, I hate you; your writing makes me cry hot, jealous tears.
Despite your struggles to love God, I want you to know. . . he certainly loved you. No man can write this way, without the love of God.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I love you.
Dear John,
Thanks for loving us, despite having the ability to turn over all of the rocks and finding our lowest common denominators there, squirming in the mud. I love you, I hate you; your writing makes me cry hot, jealous tears.
Despite your struggles to love God, I want you to know. . . he certainly loved you. No man can write this way, without the love of God.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I love you.
April 26, 2024
鈥渁nd now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.鈥�
steinbeck鈥檚 magnum opus and the best great american novel. east of eden is a spin on the biblical tale of cain and abel that explores identity within a relationship or on its own amid a sprawling and beautiful landscape. every character in this book feels real and flawed and each has a diverse take on the human condition. his writing is beautiful, and not even one single page is a filler. one of the most perfect classics.
飧烩富飧烩富飧烩富飧�
reading journal
day 1 [chapters 1 & 2]
fuck me. i forgot how beautiful steinbeck's narration was. the description of nature? the love and care he pours into every character? i love how he sets the scene with descriptions of the changes of the salinas valley through time, as this is going to be a family saga that lasts decades.
a quote i loved:
"she felt that people having a good time was wide open to the devil. and this was a shame, for samuel was a laughing man, but i guess samuel was wide open to the devil. his wife protected him whenever she could."
day 2 [chapters 3 & 4]
the detail to family and characterization is beautiful. i love the first allegory of cain/abel through adam and charles. also just the impact of parents & how misery manifests itself through generations.
day 3 [chapters 5 & 6]
what i love the most about east of eden, especially these initial chapters, is steinbeck's ability to describe these two families (the hamiltons and the trasks). they seem like polar opposites of each other, especially the patriarchs鈥攕amuel is generous and considers family to be the greatest wealth, while cyrus has divided his family and runs on dishonesty. his description of the two are both so subtle, yet he manages to tease out the little details that really put them against each other as foils.
i know that charles/adam are supposed to allegorize the biblical cain/abel, but steinbeck's writing causes me to actually care about charles, which is really interesting.
day 4 [chapters 7 & 8]
doing this early because i have a stupidly busy day + it's may 4th in some areas of the world so i'm technically not cheating:
chapter 6 (from yesterday's reading) and chapter 7 cut into the flesh of the theme of loneliness. while away from each other, adam and charles have both experienced the brutality of loneliness, albeit in different ways.
"and just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? the face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?"
cathy is also such an interesting study in 'evil', as it manifests in such a more blatant way than charles (who is also supposed to represent 'evil' i guess). while with charles, it is not difficult to get glimpses of humanness and morality, catherine seems so blatantly manipulative and seemingly has no empathy or kindness.
飧烩富飧烩富飧烩富飧�
pre-reread
the best thing about this book being emma and my big classics project for may 2022 is that we're rereading it and we both already know it's going to be five stars. maybe i'll force her to read anna karenina with me next month.
飧烩富飧烩富飧烩富飧�
previous long classics
march: middlemarch
april: the tenant of wildfell hall
September 18, 2021
Alright friends, here's the dealio.
When I read this book, lots of things in my personal life were a hectic. When I finished this book, things were still hectic. I'm writing this now, and things are still a little hectic, but slowly they are leveling out (so no worries.)
The thing is, because of all that hectic, I did not document my thoughts about this book the way I normally would do. I also made the fatal mistake of waiting far too long to sit down & write my review upon finishing.
Usually, if I wait too long the reviewer in me just quietly slips an I.O.U. note into the brain inbox & then goes back into hibernation until the next book is completed. She's a finicky sort.
My point is, this review will very likely will not do the book justice. If you're looking for a review that does do the book justice, I'd consider going to read my darling Celeste's review because she's basically the wordsmith we all aspire to be. But if you'd still like to read my late to the game drivel, you're absolutely welcome here!
So, anyway, about the book. It's super freakin' great.
I literally love generational tales. The way we get to experience & live through the evolution of the Trasks & the Hamiltons is a thing of pure beauty even when the going gets rough.
Every time I put the book down, I was excited for the next chance I'd get to pick it up. It was just that engaging.
One of the more standout elements of this novel is it's inclusion of two very unique minority characters - a Chinese man named Lee, and a woman named Cathy. These two are almost a complete antithesis to one another & they are both so incredibly central to every major plot point in the story, even as it spans across many years.
While both definitely became favorites of mine in their own respect, Cathy is an especially wonderful character & probably one of the most terrifying/intriguing I've ever come across in any novel. It was terribly fun to watch these characters swirl & rage around our main cast in their storms of light & darkness.
Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is its observance of nature vs. nurture & how the sins of the parent can be passed down to create a stain on the soul of the child. It's simultaneously a lovely reminder that we have a choice in how we react to the brokenness we may inherit.
Finally, all the Biblical parallels here were just so much fun to point out especially since I read this book with a wonderful group. The strongest recurring theme has to be the dynamic between Adam's sons, Cain & Abel. It seems as though this novel seeks to explore the "what ifs" of every possible combination there.
As far as classics are concerned, I spent a lot of time reading them in high school & I accidentally conditioned myself into thinking that all classics are super deep & super complex & require a formal essay (12 page minimum, single spaced) upon completion.
I subsequently avoided them for a couple years because I had a hard time viewing them as approachable from a casual reader's perspective. Now that I've dipped my toes back into the genre, I'm realizing that classics can fall anywhere on the approachability spectrum.
However, for readers who may be stuck in the same mindset I'm breaking out of let me just tell you this novel is super approachable! I found the writing style easy to absorb & very sincere without losing any of its beauty.
There are a couple places where I feel certain character chapters didn't add much to the overall story, and some lengthy descriptions of the Salinas Valley could've been shortened without sacrificing much in the way of atmosphere.
This is definitely a must-read for anyone in love with reading & one I will revisit in the future!
Read this with TS, Haifa, and Celeste in our mission to conquer some classics! 鈽猴笍
When I read this book, lots of things in my personal life were a hectic. When I finished this book, things were still hectic. I'm writing this now, and things are still a little hectic, but slowly they are leveling out (so no worries.)
The thing is, because of all that hectic, I did not document my thoughts about this book the way I normally would do. I also made the fatal mistake of waiting far too long to sit down & write my review upon finishing.
Usually, if I wait too long the reviewer in me just quietly slips an I.O.U. note into the brain inbox & then goes back into hibernation until the next book is completed. She's a finicky sort.
My point is, this review will very likely will not do the book justice. If you're looking for a review that does do the book justice, I'd consider going to read my darling Celeste's review because she's basically the wordsmith we all aspire to be. But if you'd still like to read my late to the game drivel, you're absolutely welcome here!
So, anyway, about the book. It's super freakin' great.
I literally love generational tales. The way we get to experience & live through the evolution of the Trasks & the Hamiltons is a thing of pure beauty even when the going gets rough.
Every time I put the book down, I was excited for the next chance I'd get to pick it up. It was just that engaging.
One of the more standout elements of this novel is it's inclusion of two very unique minority characters - a Chinese man named Lee, and a woman named Cathy. These two are almost a complete antithesis to one another & they are both so incredibly central to every major plot point in the story, even as it spans across many years.
While both definitely became favorites of mine in their own respect, Cathy is an especially wonderful character & probably one of the most terrifying/intriguing I've ever come across in any novel. It was terribly fun to watch these characters swirl & rage around our main cast in their storms of light & darkness.
Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is its observance of nature vs. nurture & how the sins of the parent can be passed down to create a stain on the soul of the child. It's simultaneously a lovely reminder that we have a choice in how we react to the brokenness we may inherit.
Finally, all the Biblical parallels here were just so much fun to point out especially since I read this book with a wonderful group. The strongest recurring theme has to be the dynamic between Adam's sons, Cain & Abel. It seems as though this novel seeks to explore the "what ifs" of every possible combination there.
As far as classics are concerned, I spent a lot of time reading them in high school & I accidentally conditioned myself into thinking that all classics are super deep & super complex & require a formal essay (12 page minimum, single spaced) upon completion.
I subsequently avoided them for a couple years because I had a hard time viewing them as approachable from a casual reader's perspective. Now that I've dipped my toes back into the genre, I'm realizing that classics can fall anywhere on the approachability spectrum.
However, for readers who may be stuck in the same mindset I'm breaking out of let me just tell you this novel is super approachable! I found the writing style easy to absorb & very sincere without losing any of its beauty.
There are a couple places where I feel certain character chapters didn't add much to the overall story, and some lengthy descriptions of the Salinas Valley could've been shortened without sacrificing much in the way of atmosphere.
This is definitely a must-read for anyone in love with reading & one I will revisit in the future!
Read this with TS, Haifa, and Celeste in our mission to conquer some classics! 鈽猴笍
December 4, 2007
I finished this last night and afterwards, I lay back on my pillow extremely satisfied just thinking about it. It's so rare that I read something that delights me from beginning to end. While there were a few turns on the journey that confused me and seemed to take the book in a different direction, his connecting all the characters, the stories and do it with profound meaning is nothing short of brilliant. And to do it through his own person history, and one of the oldest stories of the Bible only adds to his brilliance.
I'm always surprised when I love a classic. Perhaps because there are a lot that I haven't liked, or merely tolerated, but this was a joy to read. The characters are so multi-dimensional and interesting that their stories and development become almost personal. Adam, Samuel, Lee, Abra, Cal, Aron, Kate/Cathy and even Liza were real for me. Their homes were real. Their towns were real. Best of all, the consequences to their actions were real.
How do you summaraize East of Eden? It's a story about good and evil. But most of all, it's a story about choice. For me, the central part of the book was the realization made by Lee, Adam and Samuel when they were dissecting the story of Cain and Able and their offerings. In one translation, the Lord rebukes Cain's offering by saying, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
It was while reading a different translation that Lee, a Chinese servant, noticed a difference. In it, rather than saying "thou shalt rule over him" it said "do thou rule over him" They noticed that it wasn't a promise, it was an order. Such a difference got Lee wondering what original word different translations came from.
After years of studying with Chinese philosophers and a rabbi, the consensus was that the original Hebrew word, Timshel, actually means "Thou mayest". Therefore, the bible does not order that man triumph over sin or promises that it will. It says that the way is open. For if thou mayest...that mayest not.
Brilliant! Because that's what I think! Agency is so important to Heavenly Father that he allowed 1/3 of His children to leave him permanently. Of course we have a choice over sin.
Steinbeck leaves the story briefly in Chapter 34 when he writes a short essay about the one story that exists. He says,
Humans are caught - in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too - in a net of good and evil....A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well -- or ill? In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love. When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influences and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world. We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. 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.
This is what his book is about it. Man's struggle over good and evil. In a completely human story, Steinbeck captured THE story with his characters and storylines. This is a book I happily recommend to anyone and will buy for my all-time greatest books library.
I'm always surprised when I love a classic. Perhaps because there are a lot that I haven't liked, or merely tolerated, but this was a joy to read. The characters are so multi-dimensional and interesting that their stories and development become almost personal. Adam, Samuel, Lee, Abra, Cal, Aron, Kate/Cathy and even Liza were real for me. Their homes were real. Their towns were real. Best of all, the consequences to their actions were real.
How do you summaraize East of Eden? It's a story about good and evil. But most of all, it's a story about choice. For me, the central part of the book was the realization made by Lee, Adam and Samuel when they were dissecting the story of Cain and Able and their offerings. In one translation, the Lord rebukes Cain's offering by saying, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
It was while reading a different translation that Lee, a Chinese servant, noticed a difference. In it, rather than saying "thou shalt rule over him" it said "do thou rule over him" They noticed that it wasn't a promise, it was an order. Such a difference got Lee wondering what original word different translations came from.
After years of studying with Chinese philosophers and a rabbi, the consensus was that the original Hebrew word, Timshel, actually means "Thou mayest". Therefore, the bible does not order that man triumph over sin or promises that it will. It says that the way is open. For if thou mayest...that mayest not.
Brilliant! Because that's what I think! Agency is so important to Heavenly Father that he allowed 1/3 of His children to leave him permanently. Of course we have a choice over sin.
Steinbeck leaves the story briefly in Chapter 34 when he writes a short essay about the one story that exists. He says,
Humans are caught - in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too - in a net of good and evil....A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well -- or ill? In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love. When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influences and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world. We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. 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.
This is what his book is about it. Man's struggle over good and evil. In a completely human story, Steinbeck captured THE story with his characters and storylines. This is a book I happily recommend to anyone and will buy for my all-time greatest books library.
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