East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
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Book Reviews of East of Eden
Book Review: Steinbeck Vindicated
Summary: 5 Stars
A biblical parallel to the stories of Cain and Abel and the Original Sin, East of Eden is written by John Steinbeck in the 1950s. Steinbeck beautifully captures the social and economic atmospheres of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and gives an honest depiction of man's struggle in a society. There was no fluff or buffer as Steinbeck presents only the very truth in this novel. From Adam Trask's generation to that of his sons', they all faced the challenge of surpassing their inner fears and jealousy. This constant struggle truthfully conveys an ever-existing problem that remains unsolved today.
Once I look past its daunting appearance (a whopping 762 pages!), this book is definitely a page-turner with its complex plotlines and dynamic characters. While there is a distinct climax (Cal, enraged and jealous when his father rejects Cal's gift of $15,000, takes out his anger on Aron by telling him about their mother's life as a prostitute and takes him to see Cathy at her brothel), the rest of the eventful novel retains a high interest level throughout with constant twists and turns.
Steinbeck also introduces the interpretation of the ultimate message of the story, centering on the Hebrew word "timshel." When Samuel Hamilton reads one translation of the story, the story seems slanted, but as Lee finally reveals through his investigations, the word is not a command, but rather a choice "thou mayest." The original sin was the choice of humans, but Cain, and now Cal, can choose for themselves to overcome the inherent evil within them by taking a stand. They will never be perfect, but from now on, they can seek what they know is right.
This novel is a pleasant surprise as compared to other Steinbeck's novels I have read - most of all however, is that it has worn off my mentality that John Steinbeck = dull. East of Eden is anything but dull.
Book Review: an enjoyable classic
Summary: 5 Stars
My daughter sent this one to me, appalled that I'd never read it. I send her Evanovich, she sends me Steinbeck. If I were an astute kind of person, that might explain some things. Good thing I'm not astute.
I've been putting off writing something about this. I think I'm a little intimidated because it's A Classic.
What the heck. The point is just to say if I liked the book and why or why not. Zillions of people have reviewed and analyzed and dissected this book, and there's really no reason for me to do that. Whew.
So, on the off chance that I'm not the only cultural illiterate out there, East of Eden is the story of the Salinas Valley of California, and about two families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks.
I had a little trouble following the connections between people at first, but it became clear later on. The Hamiltons are Steinbeck's family--in fact, he's in the second part of the story himself as a child, and my guess is they're there to make the story personal, and to contrast with the Trasks and provide a nudge to them once in a while.
Mostly, it's the story of two generations of brothers: Charles and Adam Trask, and Caleb and Aron Trask. Adam was his father's favorite, which caused a lot of problems between the brothers. He later marries and his wife gives birth to twins: Caleb and Aron, and the pattern threatens to repeat itself.
There's a bit of heavy-handed Cain and Abel imagery there, even down to the names, but the characters are so convincingly realistic that it never interfered with the story, and indeed was only apparent when I put the book down for a while. What I really enjoyed was the struggle between Caleb and Aron, trying not to repeat the pattern, and the realization that everything wasn't exactly as it seemed from the outside or on the surface.
Book Review: East of Eden: exploration of humanity
Summary: 5 Stars
The bible is possibly one of the oldest and most read book in the world. There have been countless numbers of books based on biblical allusions, and "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck ranks top among the ones that I have read. The novel is a modernized re-creation of the story of Cain and Abel, two brothers in the Bible. Steinbeck incorporates the themes of this old biblical story to explore the truths of the human soul. The story details the layers of good and evil through the characters and relationships of the families of Adam Trask and Samuel Hamilton. Adam Trask is a man who, blinded by illusions and a lost within himself, travels to California with his beautiful, but insidious, prostitute wife. There he meets Samuel Hamilton, a man poor in money but wealthy in life. The novel chronicles the development and relationships of the two men, their families, and the people surrounding their lives. It is an excellent novel, for Steinbeck effectively integrates his message throughout the book.
This is not a carefree, happy novel; rather, it is very dark as it explores the blacker areas of the human soul. Despite the foreboding mood and circumstances of the novel, Steinbeck manages to assert an uplifting message about the strength of human goodness and the perseverance of the human soul. Although the novel is fiction, he magnifies human nature through exaggerated circumstances. We may see a hidden part of ourselves, whether it is deceit on one occasion or jealousy on another, through the characters in the novel. We may also realize that the true message of the novel is indeed a very essential part of our lives. Perhaps this is why I feel that East of Eden is such an exceptional novel: not only does it bravely delve into an exploration of human morality, but it causes us to reflect on our own existence.
Book Review: amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazing. Six hundred pages of amazement. This novel is a page turner and will keep you occupied. With an equal distribution of suspenseful plot and biblical allusions, John Steinbeck adds a twist to the well known Cain and Abel story, creating two generations of brothers who endure all, injury, betrayal, isolation, curiosity, faithfulness, appreciation, doubt, and deceit.
This story begins with Charles and Adam Trask who are brothers who constantly bicker for their father's attention. When Cyrus, their father, publicly favors Adam over Charles, Charles becomes consumed by his jealousy and goes so far as an attempted murder. After this incident, Charles and Adam are not the same towards each other again; however, isolation and much time apart have partially repaired this broken brotherly bond. One day Adam meets Cathy, a beautiful yet weak girl, who he nurtures and eventually marries. Cathy and Adam have twins, Cal and Aron who are representations of Cain and Abel. Similar to the process that their father went through, Cal and Aron also bicker for Adam's attention. Since Aron is liked more by others and seems to have a bright future (his incredible knowledge that will land in college), Cal wonders why he cannot be like Aron, and so he begins finding answers by searching for his runaway mother, Cathy. When Cal learns about Cathy's real character, he wonders if a part of her is within him and if it is causing all the pain and darkness he feels. He wants to find himself and discover who he really is instead of whom people think he is.
Based off of popular biblical stories, this novel is incredibly well written, yet easy enough to read without a dictionary handy. Despite its length, this novel is not drawn out and the events occur fast enough to forget about its length.
Book Review: Timshel
Summary: 5 Stars
"East of Eden", although a bit long, is a truely worthwhile read. John Steinbeck paints a magnificent portrait of the Salinas Valley, his hometown, and encompasses The Hamilton family and the Trasks in a unique fashion. Though spanning several generations and jumping around a bit, Mr. Steinbeck composes a compelling epic tale which revolves around the fall of Adam and Eve, and the famous rivalry betwixt Cain and Abel. Steinbeck sections the novel into four parts. The theme of Part I [impulses] leads directly into what man desires most in life [glory], the theme of Part II. The greatest glory man can achieve for himself and for God, is to overcome sin through being gven a choice (which is discussed in reference to the Cain and Abel aspect). The theme of Part III is the choice that God gave to Cain [timshel] which means "thou mayest"...indicating that although he has sinned, he will overcome in the end. The theme of Part IV ties in all of the prior focuses: Man is likely to fall into sin as a result of the 'rejection cycle'. [Desire to achieve Glory] - [Rejection] - [Anger] - [Crime] - [Guilt]. Steinbeck's characters discuss this idea, and if applied to almost any character in the novel, one is able to see how the cycle works in each life.
The Elia Kazan-directed film starring James Dean is very well made, however in correlation to the novel itself, does not do it justice as it only covers Part IV. The fact is that you simply cannot cover the time and experiences of a 600+ page novel in a concise manner. To capture the true essence of Steinbeck's message. Don't be intimidated by the size...once you pick it up, you will find that the intimate relationship you develop with the characters forbids you to lay it down.