East of Eden by John Steinbeck Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.68 You Save: $13.32 (74%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of East of Eden
Book Review: An all time favorite
Summary: 5 Stars
Though it's been years since I read this book it still remains to be one of my favorites. A classic tale of good vs. evil... highly recommended.Book Review: An allegorical masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which was a late, great masterpiece in the author's career, is also one of the greatest American novels of all-time. The book is unique in many ways, with many idiosyncrasies, some of them quite out of Steinbeck's usual style. To start with, many of Steinbeck's works are overtly political; among these are some of his best and best-known works. East of Eden is not among them. As the title suggests, and almost every mention of the book points out, the book is a modern retelling of the Biblical Cain and Abel story. Contrary to what such proclamations -- not to mention Oprah -- might lead one to think, however, this is not a theological, a religious, or a Christian book: the Cain and Abel allegory is the bare bones that Steinbeck uses to prop up his own visionary, allegorical masterpiece. Aside from its non-political nature, Eden is also distinctive in the Steinbeck canon for other reasons. For one, it features almost no dialect, unlike most of his other famous works; Steinbeck's deceptively simple prose is at its best here, clear and yet philosophical. It also has a much different structure than, say, The Grapes of Wrath: though it tells the parallel and intersecting stories of two families, it does not feature alternating chapters; it also tends to be quite discursive. It also proves to be quite distinctive for other reasons: as an allegory, this is not a psychological novel. The actions of the characters in the novel are presented, more or less, per se, without their actions being unduly analyzed and without their inner thoughts being much probed. Their actions are not explained: they simply ARE. In the case of the perpetually evil Cathy, this can be somewhat frustrating; much of the novel's criticism has focused upon her believability as a character. On that note, it is worthwhile to remember that, in keeping with the book's Biblical bent, she symbolizes Satan. Cathy sees only the bad in people and exploits it for her own purposes. Her downfall comes because she fails to ever see the other side of the coin.And the fact that there are two sides of the coin is the point of the book. The novel is Steinbeck's wake-up call to everyone drifting toward a determinist future. Yes, we have evil coursing through our veins -- but we also have good. Which one we choose to make use of is our own choice -- and no one's but our own. No matter whom our parents are, no matter what our circumstances may be, no matter what others may think of us -- the choice, in the end, resides with us, and us alone. Steinbeck also explores some of his other favorite themes in this monumental work. One of these is the inexplicability of love, symbolized both for Adam's apparently-unfounded yet mysterious love for Cathy and by Cyrus and Adam's preference for one son over another. Another is the consequences of not being loved -- of rejection. Charles and Cal believe that their respective fathers do not love them; they use this thought to justify much of their sometimes questionable behavior. This would seem to be the message of the book for many: that parents must love their children equally, that rejection and favoritism have, sometimes quite literally, murderous consequences and can lead to cruelty and hatred. With such an interpretation, the doctrine of original sin has its origins not in the Fall of Adam and Eve, but in God's rejection of Cain's gift. Such is the reading on the novel's glossy surface. However, it is well to remember that Cathy IS loved; and yet, not only does she does not love back, she carries out her evil deeds all the more -- not IN SPITE of her being loved, but perhaps even BECAUSE of it. This relates back to Steinbeck's true message: it the end the choice between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate -- regardless of rejection, regardless of whether or not we are loved -- is ours, and ours alone.
Timshel!
Book Review: An easy epic to read
Summary: 5 Stars
The main thing that makes Steinbeck great to read is that he's actually wise, he has genuine insights to impart to his readers. In this book, he often "tells" instead of "shows," which is supposed to be bad writing technique, but it works for Steinbeck because what he has to tell is so interesting and thought provoking, and because he tells it so well. His characters are beautifully and lovingly sculpted, even his "monster".
Before I read it, I had reservations. I was worried it would be too long. This was not a problem, because Steinbeck's writing is so good, and I was sucked in quite early in the book. I've read much shorter books which were much more laborious to read.
I was also worried it would be too dreary--after all, a "modern re-telling of Cain and Abel" is clearly going to be tragic. I had also heard that the book is humorless. And, it is true, a lot of his other work displays a lightness of touch, a subtle sense of humor, even when dealing with big, harrowing stories. (After all, there were even passages in the "Grapes of Wrath" that made me laugh out loud.) This book mostly lacks that light touch. What he does still display here is a humane-ness, he seems to me to be non-judgemental in his treatment of most of his characters, even as he shows them being "sneaky" or "mean". And I suppose that may be the thing I liked best about the book, the humane way he treats his characters, while putting them through the choreography of a compelling, moving story. This is not one of those epics about which you say to yourself, "Wow, I'm so proud that I was able to slog through that enormous, diffficult thing." Even though it's not a pretty story, this is a big, easy read, with all the "epic" characteristics the other reviewers talk about. Good stuff.
Book Review: An incredible, intelligent masterpiece
Summary: 4 Stars
It has been said that "East of Eden" is Steinbeck's best work, although it was "Grapes of Wrath" that garnered him the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. I personally prefer Steinbeck's earlier works, such as "Cannery Row," "Sweet Thursday," and "Tortilla Flat," but found that "East of Eden" was worth the time to become reacquainted with this masterful author. But this novel is lengthy at 600 pages. It's also complicated, multi-faceted, and requires patience and understanding to get through. You can read a lot into the story as an analysis of dysfunctional family life, or enjoy it for the incredible, intelligent piece of fiction that it is. Either way, it is well worth the journey.
Book Review: An unbelievable expose on the meaning of life
Summary: 5 Stars
East of Eden is truly a novel of unfound proportions. It plays on the juxtaposition of naivety and wisdom, truth and faith, struggle and redemption, and most importantly, good and evil. Within the given boundaries of 600 pages, Steinbeck explores the psychological and mental desires of everybody, while also enlightening the readers with a theory on the purpose of life and its attributes.
The main storyline follows the vicious cycle of two generations of siblings in the Trask family, while also playing on the biblical reference to the stories of Cain and Abel, and Caleb and Aron. The two set of brothers, who set the stage for the novel, are always in conflict with one another in their desire to gain the love of their fathers. In its exploration of their interaction with the people around them and with their fathers, Steinbeck uses the brothers in order to explain life as the Bible does. He directly calls upon the stories in the vastly popular book in order to expound on God's meaning of life as it pertains to society and how people should view their lives in respect to others. He creates a whole commonalty of characters that help extenuate and expose the interactions of people and their effects. Cathy, another important figure in the book, is Steinbeck's way of placing evil in a light that takes a tangible form. Cathy is one character alone that while she amazes and builds suspense for the reader, she also disgusts and shocks the reader with her cunning ability to manipulate people at the lift of a finger. Her evil genius is solely a product of her desires: to get out of work in dismissing responsibility, to subjugate blame, and gain an enormous control over people. Steinbeck also delves into the meaning of life and how it is defined completely on the ability of choice. He acquaints the readers with the word "timshel." Etymologically speaking, the Hebrew word directly translates to "thou mayest," which Steinbeck uses to express his viewpoint on choice. He tells the reader that only he has the ability to choose the path of his life, and it is he who can conquer sin and break from past trends.
Ultimately, the book brings out the true battle of good and evil as the Bible interprets it, and reveals the true definition of life. As Steinbeck explores the issues that surround life in terms of faith, trust, and love, he creates an unbelievable book, despite its licentiousness, that leaps out of the boundaries delineated by society. The characters, the themes, the story itself, all of it comes together, creating a momentous book by all standards.