East of Eden

My younger millennial sister insisted I listen to this. “East of Eden,” I asked. “ Really? It’s like two hundred hours!” (Okay, it’s about twenty-five hours but really the same thing.) And though I admire Steinbeck, there are only so many depression-era train rides and murdered bunnies a gal can take. “Do it,” she insisted. So I did.  

I was completely blown away. Like some amazing soap opera, this book has everything. Set in the Salinas Valley, California, in the early 1900s, the story is a sprawling generational epic of pain, sex, death, romance, a set of Cain… show more.

An outpouring of kindness for families despite their flaws—or because of their flaws.

I miss the Hamiltons and Trasks because of the forgiving portrayal of their human limitations. One tragedy involving a brother and sister left a lasting impression on me precisely because of its gentle, restrained depiction, as if the tragedy were being viewed from the seat of heaven, with an infinite and eternal compassion.

I’m a Steinbeck fan. Why? Because he wrote about California like few other writers. His sweeping descriptions of the land leave me breathless and the characters with their fatal flaws and aching humanity burn into my soul. Over the top? You bet! Working Days, his personal journals of The Grapes of Wrath, is a treasure for writers and lovers of fiction. It’s no wonder that many of his novels were adapted for the big screen. Who can forget James Dean as Cal Trask in East of Eden?

Steinbeck can string words together like no one else. He is one of my favorite writers and this is my favorite Steinbeck book. I read it for the first time in high school and then again a few years ago. When I was studying Marketing and Economics at the University of Arkansas, I had to take electives outside of my major. I took all of mine in English Lit. In one course I was the only one in the class who was not an English major. My professor was so impressed that anyone would take his course “for fun” that I… show more.

“If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him.” Genesis 4:7 KJV But is the proper translation into English from an ancient language with few words, (there are less than 9,000 discrete words in the ancient Hebrew version of the Old Testament) shalt or is it perhaps will or may? On the answer to that simple question the condition of our soul henges.  

Only Steinbeck could make a novel of that question.

What is a story without great characters? Steinbeck himself believed this novel was the apex of his career, citing all his previous works as working towards this summit. East of Eden has some very dark and chilling moments and captures a rawness of human nature rarely seen in books of his era. This emotional grit draws the reader in and showcases Steinbeck’s literary skills as a progressive, one perhaps not welcomed as readily in his day, but one that’s proven to withstand the test of time. For a vivid recreation of a distant era with characters that sizzle with emotion,… show more.

First released in 1952, East of Eden has become part of the American conscious. Maybe I should say conscience. It explores the free will of humans to bestow life and to steal it away. The Hebrew word “timshel” interested Steinbeck. It is one God spoke to Cain in the Biblical story of the first murder when Cain killed his own brother. Depending on the translation, God was saying that Cain would be able to conquer his urge to sin, or that he does not have the power of free will, that he must sin. The Irish band Mumford and Sons… show more.