East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
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Book Reviews of East of Eden
Book Review: magnificent retelling
Summary: 5 Stars
As the title implies, East of Eden is a tale loosely based on the Bible's Book of Genesis, the story of the first human beings. The Salinas Valley of the early 20th century becomes the setting for the Garden of Eden. The descriptive imagery remains to be one of the most alluring features that holds underlying meanings as well. John Steinbeck artistically weaves universal themes of contrasting forces, especially in his portrayals of the surrounding environment. In East of Eden, one becomes conscious of the interconnections between the universe and between three generations of people.
Despite the dullness of the first few chapters, the ending is one that slams into the reader and leaves a sense of satisfaction at the way things played out. The plot moves faster and faster and builds quicker and quicker until the climax. Similarly, the early characters are not yet as complex as the later ones, ones that readers become more attached to.
The same characters of Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel are reincarnated in his characters of Adam, Cathy, Charles, Cal, and Aron. Their connection to the Bible makes the tale both predictable and whimsical. Although their actions reflect actions those of their Biblical counterparts in some way or sort, there is often a twist that renders the action theirs and theirs only. Each of the Trasks and Hamiltons are complex individual characters that readily exercise their own power of choice. Coincidentally, timshel, the power of choice, is one of Steinbeck's major themes, among themes of good versus evil and light versus dark. While Cal realizes his power and aims to change himself for good, other characters are less aware of their own part. One of the most enticing aspects of the story is his fight to free himself from the restraints that the Bible puts on him. Sure, he resembles Cain, but that does not mean that he is destined to be evil. It is this understanding that makes him the most interesting and perhaps the most dynamic player in the drama. Cathy, on the other hand, is simply bad and does nothing to prove otherwise. All she knows is evil, so that evil is her form of good. There is, however, a mystery to her that makes her passages of the book passages worth reading into and interpreting if only to discover her motives. Because even though we all know her evil, she elicits different levels of evil that both lures and disgusts others to dive deeper into her character.
Written from different perspectives, East of Eden gives a patchwork account that can be interpreted as both helpful and tiring to read. It gives power to the reader as readers experience the omniscient viewpoint of knowing all while the characters themselves are still oblivious. But even when the story is so accessible to readers, there are still questions that the story proposes but never answers.
Book Review: Fantastic!
Summary: 5 Stars
On first picking up East of Eden, I wondered if I would or could like such a book. After having read Steinbeck's other work, The Pearl, I thought that East of Eden might end up being a long, overly drawn-out description of some vines running along a white wall. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this masterpiece, a great retelling of two classic biblical tales. The characters, if anything else, make this a fantastic read.
Like a good 90% or more of Steinbeck works, East of Eden takes place primarily in the Salinas Valley of northern California. It details the lives of the Trask and Hamilton families, particularly of Adam and Charles Trask--the first generation, and Aron and Cal Trask--the second. Between each set of brothers stands the unequal love of a father, a darkness within a man's heart, and the recurring scar which comes to mark those who are "darker." From Adam and Charles to Aron and Cal, both sets of brothers face trials in their relationships, between the dichotomy of love and hate. This varying dynamic, polar in its nature, is touching in its realism. The depth of the characters, from their good sides to their bad, their joys and sorrows and triumphs and jealousies, make each pitiable and sympathetic in their own way. Cal, who is somewhat of a protagonist in the second half, strives to find a balance between the good he wants to see in himself and the bad he knows is there. This battle, in his soul, is easily relatable to--a young boy who wants to be loved, doesn't know who he is, and wants to be more.
Aside from the male figures, one of the other main characters, Cathy Ames, is considered the Eve of the story. While conventionally seen as a figure of pure evil, the bringer of sin into the world and upon men, I find her the most intriguing--and the most inspiring, of all. While she is depicted to commit evil after evil, senselessly drawing men into their dooms, feeling no remorse whatsoever, there lies the greatest hope in Cathy, who like Cal, seems aligned to the dark side in her nature. But for all of her evil, for every terrible act she makes, the hope of something good within her stirred more hope than any other element of the story. Cal, while inspiring in his struggles, is different from the tragically alone Cathy, whose seeming fall into the darkness draws me in more than anyone else. For her, I truly hoped some light would shed.
All in all, I am delighted to have been able to read this novel. Though it was a rather long read, and for academic purposes, it was so enthralling that it drew me in from the get-go. A good two days into it and I was possessed, unable to put it down until I had finished. I would truly have to recommend this novel to anyone who has the time to sit down and plow through 600 pages--it's well worth it.
Book Review: A parallel to Genesis 4:
Summary: 5 Stars
When it comes to human's struggle against evil, John Steinbeck has it all. Through the coexistence of Cathy and Sam Hamilton, the two main opposite forces in East of Eden, Steinbeck immediately foreshadows that a moral fight would be the essence of the novel. The book centers on two brothers' struggle to please their father, who then favors one and scorns the other by accepting the gift of only one son. Sounds familiar? Yes, it is the famous story of Cain and Abel. (Reading the fourth chapter of the book of Genesis would greatly help in understanding the plot and its foreshadowing.)
One might wonder: so why base a book on such story? The answer is straight and simple: it is part of us and we tend to deny it. The story of Cain and Abel is the second story accounted in the Bible after that of the Creation, therefore making it one of the most important, original ones. Although being one of the primitive stories, the account of Cain and Abel holds numerous themes found in quotidian life. The opposing characters of Cain and Abel represent the forces of evil and good, respectively, in human nature. While Abel represents the love and innocence in our nature, Cain represents the jealousy and hatred. Abel, as described in Genesis, is a young, innocent shepherd who offered to God "the firstborn of his flock and of their fat," which demonstrates his unfailing love for his Creator (NKJV, Gen. 4.4). Because God chose Abel's gift over Cain's, the latter became jealous of his brother and a feeling of hatred started to foment inside of him, resulting in the tragic death of Abel and the unbearable punishment of Cain.
One of the highlights of this novel centers on the discussion of knowledgeable Lee about the meaning of timshel. According to the original Hebrew translation, the word means "thou mayest," a translation that illustrates a human being's ability to choose between Good and Evil. In order to make such a decision, one must first know the difference between each choice. The character of Adam evolves from an obscure, ignorant follower of Cathy's evilness and cajolery, to a potent, dependent man, able to overcome his trepidations and Cathy's temptations. Adam succeeds only after realizing Cathy's genuine persona. Adam's evolution parallels Genesis, which says, "Then the Lord God said, `Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil'" (NKJV, Gen. 3.22).
The struggle that Adam faces and finally overcomes is a reflection of humanity's ability to overcome any trepidation that it might face daily. In a sense, it gives hope to the hopeless, happiness to the sad, destination to the adventurer, goal to the living, life to all.
Book Review: If you've got time to spare, you've got to read East of Eden
Summary: 4 Stars
->While it is often said that quality is much more important than quantity, there are times in which you can slap the two together to get a surprisingly good result. Such is the case with John Steinbeck's immense novel, East Of Eden. Although famous for his earlier novel Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck considered East of Eden his more important, life-long work for him. "I've been practicing for a book for 35 years, and this is it. There is only one book to a man," he said to his publisher when he completed the novel in 1952. Indeed, this novel is a truly a culminative work of Steinbeck's ->The story is tragedy, with rays of hope strewn throughout it and a moral lesson behind it. It is about the intertwining destinies of two sets of people in the Salinas Valley: the gregarious and emotionally diverse Hamilton family and the passionate, moody Trask clan. The book centers many of its themes around biblical references, such as the fall of Adam and Eve, and the deadly rivalry between Cain and Able. The importance of individual identity, and the consequences of blind love are also discussed.
->The book is a example of great story telling. Steinbeck had a natural flow of language that the reader can relate to and uses practical, to-the-point diction to easily communicate his story. The progress of the Trask family's development from zealous and impulsive into contemplative and vigilant is fascinating to watch. Steinbeck makes you either love his characters or loathe them, depending on whom he's talking about. There's something about his writing that compels you to read on to the next chapter to learn what new tragedy or jubilance will afflict the character next. It is simply a book that you won't put down; that is, until you realize how much time has gone by.
->As with many long novels, the vastness of the plot is sometimes too much to handle, and is the book's main weakness. The plot is inherently hard to follow at times, because switching back and forth between the two families proves to be challenge. And with the huge number of characters involved over the span of three generations, keeping track of who's who is no easy task. The book often goes into tangent-like sub stories from time to time about non-significant characters, and the author's purpose of doing so is not always apparent.
->Technicalities of length aside, Steinbeck here has truly written a classic with undying themes and a compelling, tragic story. If you ever have a fair chunk of time you can dedicate to serious reading, pick up a copy of East of Eden.
Book Review: Three in One and One in Three
Summary: 5 Stars
East of Eden is the reincarnation of Genesis 4. With a thrilling plot, Steinbeck retells the story of three generations and the constant struggle between good and evil, bringing his allusions to a more modern example that easily relates to the reader. Even though the novel begins with a brief and confusing introduction of characters, Steinbeck's unique and clever recipe fortifies the escalading moral of timshel, or "thou mayest". By describing the backgrounds of the character, Steinbeck asserts that each character had the choice to become whoever they became by the end of the novel.
The novel's powerful biblical allusions, discerned between its thrilling lines, engage the reader subconsciously in a battle between good and evil. From phrases like "Am I my brother's keeper" to Cal's desperate want to please his father, one can predict the fate of these characters based on the story of Cain and Abel and the original sin. Steinbeck, however, ends his novel with the word "timshel" to add a moral sense to the novel: one's choice of becoming good or evil.
According to the story of Cain and Abel, God chose Abel's gift over Cain's, causing jealousy to foment inside of Cain, resulting in the death of Abel and Cain's unbearable punishment. Steinbeck, however, ends his novel on a note that his reader does not expect. Instead of being punished for his jealousy and selfish motives, Cal is granted another chance when Adams, lying on his deathbed, blessed him, like Jacob blessed Esau, and he told him "timshel".
Steinbeck's unique characterization is a testimony to the brilliance of the novel. Cathy and Samuel Hamilton are polar opposites. Cathy, who makes others stumble, commits suicide with an overdose of morphine. Sam Hamilton, on the other hand, dies a peaceful death after raising nine successful children. Adam, who was first tormented by Cathy's betrayal, overcomes evil with the help of Sam Hamilton. With his last encounter with his former lover, Cathy is desperate to retain power over him. She even offers to have sex with him to prove that he is not better than she is. Adam, however, refuses and leaves with a serene smile. He has triumphed over evil.
Steinbeck's incorporation of Lee's speech about the varying Hebrew translations of "timshel", cleverly manifests the moral of his novel. The theme of Good overcoming Evil is a constant reminder of the individual's choice. Steinbeck's theme gives hope to the hopeless, peace to the restless, and light to the darkness, because fate does not apply in this novel.