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East of Eden (1952)

by John Steinbeck

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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19,597357154 (4.39)1 / 851
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, 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.
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  1. 160
    The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (Booksloth)
  2. 51
    The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (John_Vaughan)
  3. 40
    Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (5hrdrive)
    5hrdrive: epic western novel with similar voice
  4. 30
    Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (cometahalley, cometahalley)
  5. 20
    Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (cometahalley)
  6. 20
    Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald (sushidog)
    sushidog: Epic family novels
  7. 20
    The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (cometahalley)
  8. 20
    Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey (weener)
    weener: An epic, fascinating family drama.
  9. 10
    The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street by Naguib Mahfouz (paulkid)
    paulkid: These books are fathers-and-sons family epics that are set around the turn of the (20th) century. They both have philosophical and coming-of-age themes as well.
  10. 00
    A Journey into Steinbeck's California by Susan Shillinglaw (Waldstein)
    Waldstein: Fascinating coffee table book, lavishly illustrated with photos and maps, well-written too. Sort of Steinbeck's "Californian" biography, though it also covers his living in New York and travels to Mexico. Plenty of interesting real-life background of "East of Eden" and many of his other works. Compelling insight into Steinbeck's personality.… (more)
  11. 00
    The Notebook; The Proof; The Third Lie by Ágota Kristóf (UrliMancati)
  12. 00
    Años Inolvidables by John Dos Passos (cometahalley)
  13. 02
    Abel Sánchez by Miguel de Unamuno (CGlanovsky)
    CGlanovsky: The story of Cain and Abel reimagined in a more modern setting
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English (341)  Italian (3)  French (3)  German (2)  Dutch (2)  Spanish (2)  Finnish (1)  Hebrew (1)  Swedish (1)  All languages (356)
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Showing 1-5 of 341 (next | show all)
How could I possibly have lived for 32 years without reading this life changing book? ( )
  Clarissa_ | May 11, 2021 |
Lovely book, did not grip me as much as Grapes of Wrath, but still one of the better classics I've read in my life. ( )
  summerloud | May 9, 2021 |
One of my favorite books of all time. ( )
  Rachel_Cucinella | Apr 24, 2021 |
An amazing character study that goes through a complete lifecycle. Truly an enjoyable read that touches on the philosophy of life. ( )
  Bookie379 | Apr 16, 2021 |
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It really speaks to the human condition, about good and evil. I enjoyed the references to Genesis in the book. I have an interest in religious studies so it was wonderful to think, this is like X from Genesis, and then have the author drop an almost word-for-word quote in.

I think my favorite character out of all of them is Lee, and I was fascinated by the inclusion of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations as something Lee was highly interested in. It's actually on my short list for books to read this year.

I feel like this could be one of the few books I read more than once. ( )
  SGTCat | Feb 25, 2021 |
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▾Published reviews
▾Other authors

» Add other authors (14 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
John Steinbeck—primary authorall editionscalculated
Artadi, Vicente deTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
De Angelis, GiulioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Eggink, ClaraTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kahn, HarryTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Linturi, JoukoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Poe, RichardNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wyatt, DavidIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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▾Common Knowledge
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Canonical title
East of Eden
Original title
East of Eden
Alternative titles
Original publication date
1952
People/Characters
Samuel Hamilton
Adam Trask
Charles Trask
Catherine "Cathy" Ames-Trask
Aron Trask
Important places
California, USA
Monterey County, California, USA
Salinas, California, USA
USA
Salinas River Valley, California, USA
Important events
World War I (1914|1918)
American Civil War (1861|1865)
Related movies
East of Eden (1955 ∙ IMDb)
East of Eden (1981 ∙ IMDb)
Awards and honors
New York Times bestseller (Fiction, 1952)
National Book Award finalist (1953.1|Fiction, 1953)
Western Heritage Award (Western Novel, 1975)
Oprah's Book Club selection (2003)
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay Nominee (1955)
Epigraph
Dedication
Pascal Covici

Dear Pat,

You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, "Why don't you make something for me?" I asked you what you wanted, and you said, "A box." "What for?" "To put things in." "What things?" "Whatever you have," you said. Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts--the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.

And on top of these are all the graditude and love I have for you. And still the box is not full.

JOHN
First words
The Salinas Valley is in Northern California.
Quotations
You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous.
I don't very much believe in blood. I think when a man finds good or bad in his children he is seeing only what he planted in them after they cleared the womb. - Samuel Hamilton
And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
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Original language
English
Canonical DDC/MDS
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▾Book descriptions
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, 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.
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Book description
Often described as Steinbeck's most ambitious novel, East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their interwoven stories.
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Penguin Australia

2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141185074, 0241952492

Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

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