Product Description

Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this powerful, often brutal novel, follows the interwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of indentity; the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2558 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

About the Author
Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. His complete works will be published in Penguin Modern Classics.

Customer Reviews

East of Eden
I cannot seem to put down in words the depth and power of the effect that this book had on me. I have read many a book which I would put in a list of favourites or best-evers but I can undoubtedly say that this is the best and most stunning book I have ever read, and am likely to read. I picked it up and it swallowed me whole - laid against a background of America during the immense social and technological evolution between civil and world wars (it is as much an interesting education in the effects of such historical events in the small town Deep South) is a story so intricate and beautiful, at once tender and brutal, that manages to go through every single aspect of human life and experience - from birth to death, inherent evil and good, and the battle of personal morality. This is a true epic, in sheer size and scope as in the freshness of the stunning lyrical style. I was both elated and devastated, and hated having to finish it.

Steinbeck's best
East of Eden, one of Steinbeck's last and longest books, is an incredible retelling of both the Fall of Man and the story of Cain and Abel, but to describe it simply as this would be to limit it. As in his other works, Steinbeck's love of the American country is evident throughout the book, from the first chapter celebrating the beauty of the Salinas valley (the scene for most of the book's action) to the end. Though the story is of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, the Hamiltons quickly take a back seat. The first half of the book studies the first generation of Trasks - the father Cyrus and sons Adam and Charles, and then in the second turns to Adam's own family - his wife Cathy (described by Steinbeck as a 'monster) and sons Aron and Cal. The allegory is beautiful, the characters original and totally believable, and, if the religious tie-ins are a bit heavy-handed they are still thought provoking and elegantly written. I think this is a great book for someone who has never read Steinbeck before (it's much easier to get into than 'the Grapes of Wrath') and you could do worse than check out the Elia Kazan movie version, with James Dean as Cal.

A book with the great heart and soul of John Steinbeck inside
East of Eden is an epic, powerful book of hope, despair, suffering and permission for humanity to fulfill it's potential. This may sound dramatic but East of Eden is one of the most thoughtful books I have ever read. The level of depth that is so subtly put into the book has a profound impact on the reader: the idiosyncraties of life, which we so often take for being individual to ourselves are really vividly shown to be universal. The book isn't so much a novel but a treatise on human nature and a philosophy for life. This is a big claim so I'll try and justify it. But really, this is a book that needs to be experienced rather than read so any review is only a shallow representation.

It takes a novelist of Steinbeck's skill to pull the deep philosophising off in a non-condensending or patronising manner. Yet, he handles the book beautifully, the philosophy comes from two very strong and intriging characters, Samuel and Lee, both outsiders beloved by those close to them who are able to advise the other characters and, by proxy, the reader too. Through these characters' strong voices, the other actors are guided through their lives, the stregth of hope that they give out is the difference between life and death for some characters. The ideas of the book are obvious when read but stay with the reader and offer a simple approach to a lives beset by complications - put simply, you may do what you want in life, you learn for yourself and although help and strength may be offered by other people, ultimately you are responsible for your own life. And for whether you are satisfied when death takes you.

The book is strong in many areas, such as the depth of knowledge gained about American history and the American psyche, the deep love shown to its people and the strong, interesting characters, shown extra love in their crafting because many are based on Steinbeck's own family. However the level of detail in the book slows down the narrative tremendously: this isn't a novel that can be rushed through without missing the crux of the book; the contemplative tone means that it will always be a slow read. The plot is also quite simplistic and easily predictable. It could be reduced to a few lines but in doing so the fine details and love that is so apparent in the book would be lost. The plot is secondary to the environment, characters and, above all, to the ideas of the book.

If this type of book sounds intriging to you, please buy or borrow it quickly, as it will be a book that you won't forget for a long time and offers the reader a lot. Despite the heaviness of the topics and some of the vindictiveness shown by some characters, the book leaves the reader in hope rather than despair by the end. Even if it doesn't sound appealing and the size of the book puts you off you should try this book. It is a rare masterpiece and one which will be as relevant in 100 years as it is now with much wisdom on offer to any reader, regardless of their world experiences.