A masterpiece of Biblical scope, and the magnum opus of one of America’s most enduring authors, in a commemorative hardcover edition 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 … 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.
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Fantastic!!
this book is one that I would recommend as a true classic story about the depression years.
Great portrait of the Valley in the old days
The character development in this book is insane.
It’s John Steinbeck. What more to say? A master story teller, a word picture artist.
A Classic!
Loved this book.
So dry, unhappy
Steinbeck transports you into a story that crosses from day into night.
A classic. I loved this book.
Steinbeck writes like no other author. If you appreciate great literature and the art of writing, then read East of Eden.
My first book by this author, really enjoyed the story.
Steinbeck is a true genius! Tremendous insight into human emotions. A wonderful reading experience!
Steinbeck’s writing style feels dated to me, which, of course, it is.
Excellent, superb, insightful
A classic!
My Book Club read East of Eden, and everyone read it and enjoyed it. Some of these people usually only read either “chick lit” or thrillers, and I thought they’d be scared off by the sheer size of this epic story. It held universal appeal for the whole group. Then we got together and watched the movie and were all pretty disappointed.
Classic! Eve better the second time.
Genesis heavily disguised in World War I era Salinas, California, gives insight to the ageless myth. Unforgettable.
This was my 3rd time to read this book. The first time was in high school and I was amazed by it then. I then read it again in college when I wrote a paper on John Steinbeck’s characters. Again I was amazed by it. Now years later I wanted to read it again. I still come up with the same thing — this book is amazing. Some of the best characters overall in literature can be found in this pages. You loved them, you hated them, you wept with them, and at times some of frustrated you or scared you. There is so much packed into the pages that sometimes with me it was a little slower to digest for me at my current age so it took me longer to read now than it did in the past. But I caught things this read though that I didn’t catch when I was younger. This book is definitely in my top 10 books of all time.