East of Eden... An epic retelling of the biblical story of cain and abel

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	• East of Eden John Steinbeck Penguin Books, 2002 - 602 pages average customer review:based on 218 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

East of Eden... An epic retelling of the biblical story of cain and abel

In Steinbeck's masterful retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, he explores the meaning behind the idea behind the meaning of his interpretation of timshel and the passing of the original sin through the experiences of the Trask and Hamilton family.

Writing as the descendant of the third generation descendant of the Hamiltons, Steinbeck weaves the two families together that are drawn towards the rich and fertile farmlands in California. Steinbeck's book is divided into a series of four parts, each focusing on the different characters in the book. The first part tells of Adam and Charles Trask growing up under the care of their father Cyrus, a swindler and a liar who at his death wills a large sum of money to be divided into half to each of his sons. The money, gained from shady dealings, would represent the passing of sin from father to son, much like that of the biblical Adam to his offspring, Cain and Abel. Furthermore, much like how God favors Abel over Cain in the biblical story, Steinbeck applies the same parallels and character traits to Adam and Charles.

Steinbeck's most prevailing focus would be on Adam's children, Aron, who is basically a happy-go-lucky kind of person and Cal, who is dark, brooding, and manipulative, much like his mother... and this you will need to read out for yourself! As the story progresses, it is Cal, who the story centers on the most and it is revealed that he has a sensitive and intimate side and wishes to be more like his brother. It is through him, that Steinbeck is able to convey his interpretation of his prevalent theme, timshel that thou mayest, that people have the will to choose their life. Although at the story's conclusion, the same chain of events occur as in the biblical story, Steinbeck offers deeper insight with his story as it is in fact the characters of the story that changed, which made this one wholesome ending.

Don't get intimidated by the book's hefty size, although it starts off rather slow and may at times be quite boring due to Steinbeck's sometimes rather simplistic details in his prose, but if one has the will to toil on, he or she can find himself in a position where it his two hours past midnight and still want to read more because of the interesting character development and come to admire Steinbeck's simple, yet powerful use of language.

Though initially I thought that this book would be long and tedious and only read the book because of it was an assignment, I finished the book with a sense of contentment and satisfaction that had long been extinct from previous experiences with some of the "required" literature.

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Compelling

East of Eden is truly a work of art. It is much more than a story about two families; in fact it is a sin to call it one. The story explores concepts that are rooted within every family: love, hate, jealousy.

Drawing on the book of Genesis and the story of Cain and Abel, Steinbeck creatively weaves a tapestry of the interaction of two familial generations. Much of the story is devoted to explain the brotherly struggles between Charles and Adam (first generation) and Caleb and Aron (second generation).

The interactions between the characters are quite amusing, as each pair of brothers try to outdo one another in order to gain their father's love. However, in both cases, the father reluctantly favors the one with an `A' (Adam/Aron).

To say East of Eden as one of the best books ever written would be an understatement. It is much more than a book; it is a story of life. Don't let its length throw you off, every single page is worth it.

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A must read

East of Eden is an unforgettable book because of its brilliant plot and characters. Steinbeck sets the story in Salinas Valley, his hometown, and focuses on two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. The story passes fairly quickly from one generation to the next in the three sections of the novel.

Its plot is filled with Biblical allusions, specifically the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. Steinbeck explores brother rivalry in two generations as the father favors a son, causing the other to experience overwhelming jealously and anger. The novel is profound as it explores this and other deep emotions, such as guilt. In the end, timshel emphasizes that forgiveness is necessary to allow one to move on in life.

The characters are entertaining with their contrasting personalities. Cathy especially interested me as I questioned if she was completely evil or not.

Also, Steinbeck's style is enjoyable because it is easy to understand.

Even though the novel is long, the reader will love every page as they watch the amazing story unfold in front of their eyes. This book is a must read as it teaches many things and entertains at the same time.

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A Compelling Novel

East of Eden, with over 600 pages of text, may seem daunting at first, but throughout the entire length of the book, Steinbeck keeps the reader focused and on track with his masterful story telling. Set against the backdrop of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel, this modern account is a must read for many.

Beginning his tale with the parents of Cain and Abel, Steinbeck follows this family for three generations, describing their lives and thoughts as they sadly reenact the lives of their Biblical counterparts. The only downside to this book is the introduction. Though it is fair from boring the first few chapters are slow. They are not as powerful as the rest of the book but it does create the proper context for the rest of the story. These few chapters bring us deep within the plot of the novel before flaring up and continuing full force for the rest of the book.
While East of Eden can be read for its plot and storyline, Steinbeck's writing allows it to be much more. One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is the characters. Each character behaves in a dynamic way, they change and grow and most importantly, live. Steinbeck so flawlessly portrays his characters that they seem real and alive. Their actions and thoughts mimic our thoughts as we read. The development and maturing of these characters are a joy to read. We are eager see as Cal struggles to live up to his brother's ability and talents while we watch as he weeps in his shadow. Cathy is another powerful character. Her chilling ability to destroy and ruin those that love her is uncanny. I have found it hard to comprehend the actions of her twisted mind as she slowly devastates those around her. Yet, this added another level to the story by introducing a wild and unpredictable character. It is exciting to read about her exploits and the evil she can unleash.

Though a story book by nature, East of Eden is able to incorporate deeper meaning with its complex characters. Cal's and the other character's experiences become our own as we read and learn from their mistakes as they struggle through their version of Adam and Even and eventually, Cain and Abel.

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Sooooooo worth it

East of Eden is well-written book, a classic deemed worthy of reading. Steinbeck does a great job of making the piece of literature entertaining. I felt glued to the book many times because the plot would be wonderfully constructed, leading readers on an adventurous journey through the lives of the characters in the Salinas Valley.

What surprised me the most were the characters in the story. Each individual character had his or her own unique personality. Each person seemed real and true to life. I would be going through the book and start saying to myself "oh this character reminds me of so and so." Plus, the characters are dynamic and many of their personalities are not at the extremes, but instead they have both the good qualities and bad qualities of mankind. I love how I can read into each character and judge him or her through his or her actions. The subtlety in revealing the motives behind each character was astonishing. The way Steinbeck depicted the characters through their dialogue and actions was overwhelming as I soon developed my personal opinion on each character. It made me feel like I was involved in the story itself.

Adding to the amazing characters is in intricate, well-developed story line. The plot was complex in that there were many subplots running through the main action. However, when I was reading, the complexity of the story did not hinder my progression because everything seemed to flow. The story was being pieced together in a rhythmic fashion as one event leads to another. The biblical allusion to Cain and Abel was also a fun thing to locate. After reading the story of Cain and Abel, I would go through the East of Eden and get excited when I would notice the similarity or the differences between East of Eden and the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck truly does a fascinating job of weaving his story together.

Although the book is rather long, the wonderful characters and amazing plot line makes up for it ten times over. East of Eden makes you appreciate good writing.

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