East of Eden (1952)

813.52 STE

Although many of John Steinbeck's novels are better known that this book, this is the one I consider the pinnacle of his writing, as well as one of the greatest "classics" and books I've ever read. I have read it three times now and I have found more meaning each time.

It's a long, tangled story; many interweaving plots seamlessly clicking together like puzzle pieces in a masterful way. The story of the Irish immigrant Hamiltons and their wise and wild patriarch Samuel; the tale of young Adam Trask and his brutal childhood with his military father and ferocious brother Charles; the story of a heartbreaking, monstrous woman named Cathy; and ultimately the story of Adam Trask's twin sons, Cal and Aron, doomed to reenact the age-old human struggle that pits brother against brother.

Set against the backdrop of Steinbeck's beloved Salinas Valley, with bits of his own family past woven in (he is actually descended from the Hamiltons in the story) that add an extra touch of realism, this is a stunning novel. Few books achieve the incredible dimension of raw character and plot power that this does. From selfish, terrifyingly clever Cathy, to strong and loving young Abra, to brutish Charles, to angelic Aron, to heartbreakingly wise Lee, to the explosive, conflicted, beautifully human Cal. It's all here. Life, love, death, triumph, cruelty, despair, power, philosophy, disillusionment, and the inevitable passage of time. It makes you laugh and cry and finishes with one of the most striking endings ever...and then you want to turn back to the beginning and start again. It is a big book, but believe me, it is so worth it. ( )

I thought I hated Steinbeck in high school. I started in the wrong place. This is epic, and sad, and miserable, and great. It started me in on reading American fiction (instead of pop-sci books about autopsies and cannibals and Bigfoot and diseases). ( )

Anybody remembers one of the greatest mini-series ever filmed and ever made called North & South? Reading this I'd gotten this amazing feeling like I was one of the side characters inside of a fictional world similar to the world of North & South, and that was such a blessing for me, something that I haven't experienced yet whilst reading a book, and something so new, and completely unexpected. So, there are really no words needed. If you loved North & South mini-series you shall love this book, and if you're lucky enough you shall feel what I had felt, and be blessed the same way I had been blessed, for this book is a true masterpiece and an immensely appreciated work of literature that shall leave you and your heart speechless. ( )

Review pending ( )