East of Eden by John Steinbeck Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of East of Eden
Book Review: A world apart...
Summary: 5 Stars
These book is one of the greatest clasics you can come across. It is a serene insight in relationship on man-women and brotherhood issues. Though is not very crystal on answering the question why the main character is so sentimentaly naive and as such against all odds, but still the situation, the consequences of it are colorfuly depicted. It's a book how Good can survive against the Evil but still it gets the shorter end of it. There is no ideal or divine realization that good will win overall. Being truly and naivly good doesn't mean that you will be awerded for it and that a true love can win at the end. It can be farse to itself.Book Review: AFTER THE FALL
Summary: 5 Stars
I usually do not read the comments of fellow reviewers at this site (or, in some cases, at least not until after I have written my own). I was, however,interested in finding out whether Steinbeck and his tale still held interest for today's readers. The answer seems to be yes. Moreover, I was also interested in what other people had to say about the symbolic nature of the clash between brothers and its relationship to the old oft-told biblical tales going back to the `first family'.
Damn, life has definitely been tougher since the `fall' from the garden. The morale to be derived from Steinbeck's novel is, apparently, that while the `fall of man' under the spell of earthly temptations had its downside humankind is better for the struggle. A strong argument can moreover be made that without that struggle by fallen humankind no serious progress would have been made. That struggle here is epitomized by the characters, tensions and actions of the two brothers (in both generations father Adam's and son Aron's) which makes me believe that that Steinbeck may see this process an eternal struggle and that we are endlessly doomed to roll that rock up the hill just to have it come crashing back down on us.
Those who have only seen the 1950's movie version of this novel starring, among others, James Dean and a young Julie Harris have missed some great writing about the effects of the struggle to rebuilt and attempts at redemption in the wake of the fall of Adam Trask and his struggle to change his ways. And through him, his sons. The movie (that I had seen long before reading the book) skips over the compelling first section which deals with the seemingly pre-ordained destruction of Adam, by his `wife', and his own character, among others. Moreover, in the movie the demonic role of the `wife' Kathy is glossed over (probably due to the less tolerate and more squeamish mores about `fallen women' in the 1950's). She is not a `nice' person. However, in the book she is positvely evil. Read the book and see why we, even the best of us, are all living just East of Eden.
Book Review: Absolutely Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
Standing in front of monsterous shelves at Border's, staring at my summer reading list with 600 pages of Steinbeck in my hands, I think: "My teacher is trying to kill me." That was two years ago.
If I could pin down any one reason or instance that transformed me from the proverbial couch potato to avid reader, this epic novel would be it.
Steinbeck's East of Eden is absolutely spacktastuler (yes, so good, I just had to fabricate a word for it). The novel, set in the early 20th century, follows the story of the Trask family. A parallel to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the conflicts between members of the family in two generations serve to explore the nature of good and evil and mankind's tendencies toward each. Steinbeck is able to envoke deep-seeded, universal questions while stunning the reader with a playful subtleness.
Perhaps most defined is the developement of character. The reader cannot help but fall in love (or undying disgust)with each of Steinbeck's masterfully crafted personas.
The book is long - 600 pages in four parts - but every bit the worth and more. The ending, not to be spoiled, even served to leave a beading tear in the eye of this hopeless "tough guy."
Truly a masterpiece of modern times.
Book Review: Absolutely Incredible
Summary: 5 Stars
Long before Oprah and her book club, I was a kid in school and ran out of books to read. My Mom had the whole collection and I grumbled at the plain dictionary-type covers. Little did I know that I was about to read a collection of the most magical author I've ever known. East of Eden is something that you can only experience yourself. It's my favourite out of all Steinbeck's novels (and there isn't one bad Steinbeck book that's not good). I recommend this to you, your family, your friends, your children. I think everyone should read this book once in their lifetime.Book Review: Absolutely beautiful, truly a work of art
Summary: 5 Stars
John Steinbeck's East of Eden is truly a work of art, blending history and Biblical allusions into a masterpiece. The story is set in Salinas Valley, California, and follows the journey of the Trasks and the Hamiltons, two families whose fates intermingle in a beautiful and devastating relationship. The characters each find his or her own path in life and inevitably meet one another, impacting each character's life in the most profound and unique way. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck touches on powerful themes, including fate versus freewill and the search for one's true identity as well as the complications and consequences of both requited and unrequited love.
The novel is separated into three sections, each an interesting story that reveals a part of the characters' lives. The stories overlap, as characters grow older or pass away between sections. Relationships are renewed, broken, or newly established. As the plot progresses, the characters become involved in more than one story, creating a complicated yet beautifully woven story.
Each character on his or her own contributes part of his or her life to the ever-growing plot. From the secretive Cal and the lovable Aron to the murderous and vengeful Cathy, each character presents a different personality, either fitting or contrasting with other characters. The reader can sympathize with Cal, who is jealous of his good-natured brother Aron and wishes to be accepted as much as his sibling. The reader can relate to the boys' experiences, innocent young children who grow up and commit sins and lose their childish naiveté. Referring to the story of Cain and Abel, Steinbeck elevates the story of these two brothers to Biblical proportions, setting the foundation of behavior and emotions that every person goes through. The effect of Steinbeck's allusions is that the reader applies the story to his or her own life, making chilling discoveries on how similar people are, no matter the difference in character. The relationships between these unique individuals of the novel have such a powerful impact on their lives that the reader is forced to stop and wonder at the ways people are affected and altered, regardless of the size of the change.
Steinbeck's masterpiece reveals to the reader the way people touch each other's lives and the impact of these changes through the intricate relationships between his characters. East of Eden is at once both powerful and mesmerizing, a literary journey that captures the audience's heart and leaves the reader deep in thought long after completing the book. East of Eden is highly recommended, not only as a beautiful work of art to cherish but also as a guide to self-discovery.