"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck - Book Review
Summary
"In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
The masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. Adapted for the 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan introducing James Dean, and read by thousands as the book that brought Oprah's Book Club back, East of Eden has remained vitally present in American culture for over half a century."
Review
This classic of American literature is a beautifully written family saga that is both haunting and compelling. The novel explores themes of generational trauma, the purpose of life, psychopathy, free will, and the role of God in our everyday lives. Through its fascinating characters and a narrative that spans decades, the book is remarkably well-crafted, weaving deep psychological insights into the story. The characters are complex and multifaceted, portrayed as real human beings with strengths and flaws, fears and insecurities, making them incredibly relatable. Reading this book is a pleasure, and the reflections it provokes are profound. By the end, you feel a bit wiser, as great literature should leave its readers.
Key Takeaways
- Expertly crafted, with profound psychological insights
- Engaging and relatable characters exploring life's great dilemmas
- A classic choice for fans of American literature
Who Should Read This
Readers who are interested in great classics and intricately crafted generational stories filled with insightful psychological elements should take note.
Favourite Quotes
"When a child first catches adults out—when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just—his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone. And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck. It is a tedious job to build them up again; they never quite shine. And the child’s world is never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing."
"Maybe—maybe love makes you suspicious and doubting. Is it true that when you love a woman you are never sure—never sure of her because you aren’t sure of yourself?"
"Nearly everyone in the world has appetites and impulses, trigger emotions, islands of selfishness, lusts just beneath the surface. And most people either hold such things in check or indulge them secretly."
"The greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears. I think everyone in the world to a large or small extent has felt rejection. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger some kind of crime in revenge for the rejection, and with the crime guilt—and there is the story of mankind."
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars)