John Steinbeck

Richard Poe

East of Eden

sariya

"'I had to find out my stupidities for myself. These were my stupidities: I thought the good are destroyed while the evil survive and prosper.

“I thought that once an angry and disgusted God poured molten fire from a crucible to destroy or to purify his little handiwork of mud.

“I thought I had inherited both the scars of the fire and the impurities which made the fire necessary—all inherited, I thought. All inherited.'"

"'Why is your sorrow more refined than my sorrow?'"

"'And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.'"

"Riches seem to come to the poor in spirit, the poor in interest and joy. To put it straight—the very rich are a poor bunch of bastards."

"'When you're a child you're the center of everything. Other people? They're only ghosts furnished for you to talk to. But when you grow up you take your place and you're your own size and shape. Things go out of you to others and come in from other people. It's worse, but it's much better too.'"

"'And are you taking pleasure from this whipping you’re giving yourself? Are you enjoying your despair?'"

"'Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change things which are and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.'"

"There, after work of course, he could live in purity and peace with the world, cut off by the little draw. He could hide from ugliness—in the evening."

"...of Abra he made his immaculate dream and, having created her, fell in love with her."

"'All great and precious things are lonely.'"

"There is no dignity in death in battle. Mostly that is a splashing about of human meat and fluid, and the result is filthy, but there is a great and almost sweet dignity in the sorrow, the helpless, the hopeless sorrow, that comes down over a family with the telegram. Nothing to say, nothing to do, and only one hope—I hope he didn’t suffer—and what a forlorn and last-choice hope that is."

"Hate cannot live alone. It must have love as a trigger, a goad, or a stimulant."

"Laughter comes later, like wisdom teeth, and laughter at yourself comes last of all in a mad race with death, and sometimes it isn’t in time."

"'He's made someone up, and it's like he put my skin on her. I'm not like that—not like the made-up one.'"

"'You’re growing up. Maybe that’s it,' he said softly. 'Sometimes I think the world tests us most sharply then, and we turn inward and watch ourselves with horror. But that’s not the worst. We think everybody is seeing into us. Then dirt is very dirty and purity is shining white.'"

"Nearly everyone has his box of secret pain, shared with no one."

"The poison of loneliness and the gnawing envy of the unlonely had gone out of him, and his person was clean and sweet, and he knew it was."

"'My father made a mold and forced me into it,' Adam said. 'I was a bad casting but I couldn’t be remelted. Nobody can be remelted. And so I remained a bad casting.'"

"His body was rearranging itself toward manhood, and he was shaken by the veering winds of adolescence. One moment he was dedicated and pure and devoted; the next he wallowed in filth; and the next he groveled in shame and emerged rededicated."

"Not being noticed at all was better than being noticed adversely."

"And once a boy has suffered rejection, he will find rejection even where it does not exist—or, worse, will draw it forth from people simply by expecting it."

"In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted shortcuts to love. When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influence and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.

"We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly re-spawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is."

"I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one... Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. I think this is the only story we have and that it occurs on all levels of feeling and intelligence. Virtue and vice were warp and woof of our first consciousness, and they will be the fabric of our last, and this despite any changes we may impose on field and river and mountain, on economy and manners. There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?"

California's fertile Salinas Valley is home to two families whose destinies are fruitfully, and fatally, intertwined. Over the generations, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of the First World War, the Trasks and the Hamiltons will helplessly replay the fall of Adam and Eve and the murderous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

East of Eden was considered by Steinbeck to be his magnum opus, and its epic scope and memorable characters, exploring universal themes of love and identity, ensure it remains one of America's most enduring novels.

What do you say about a book that has had so much said about it before? 

It's very good and it's quite different to the other Steinbeck books I've read. It was hard to follow all the characters at first, I couldn't keep the Hamiltons straight in my head. 

The later part of the book, when the narrator is omniscient was easier to follow than the earlier parts where he isn't. 

A deep cutting exposé on the dual nature of man, the inherent good and evil, the choice between them. Thou mayest.

Liam Richardson

What do you say about a book that has had so much said about it before? 

It's very good and it's quite different to the other Steinbeck books I've read. It was hard to follow all the characters at first, I couldn't keep the Hamiltons straight in my head. 

The later part of the book, when the narrator is omniscient was easier to follow than the earlier parts where he isn't. 

A deep cutting exposé on the dual nature of man, the inherent good and evil, the choice between them. Thou mayest.

The biblical account of Cain and Abel is echoed in the history of two generations of the Trask family in California.

jules

A masterclass is a masterclass, whatever they may say.

The novel reads so incredibly contemporary and still relevant and at the same time, so, so timeless - it is what they mean in literature class when they talk about universal themes. It is not subtle about its metaphors and parallels but this is executed so well that it does not feel heavyhanded or single-minded. Rather, the novel is a variation on a theme, talking about the repeated cycle in which humans (or families) are trapped and the only way to break it.

Steinbeck's writing is also so vivid that it is the first time in decades I have thought I would love to visit America and see the places these characters inhabit. The narration is relatively straightforward but not at the expense of character complexities; rather than unpretentious, I would call it focused.

An instant favourite and an instant inspiration.

A masterclass is a masterclass, whatever they may say.

The novel reads so incredibly contemporary and still relevant and at the same time, so, so timeless - it is what they mean in literature class when they talk about universal themes. It is not subtle about its metaphors and parallels but this is executed so well that it does not feel heavyhanded or single-minded. Rather, the novel is a variation on a theme, talking about the repeated cycle in which humans (or families) are trapped and the only way to break it.

Steinbeck's writing is also so vivid that it is the first time in decades I have thought I would love to visit America and see the places these characters inhabit. The narration is relatively straightforward but not at the expense of character complexities; rather than unpretentious, I would call it focused.

An instant favourite and an instant inspiration.

ellie 💐💌⭐️

Elyse 

East of Eden (Penguin Modern Classics)

"In certainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved."

Five months of reading this absolute hollowblock. I believe Cathy's and Cal's character will stay with me for quite a while. This has cemented itself as one of my 'life books'.

"In certainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved."

Five months of reading this absolute hollowblock. I believe Cathy's and Cal's character will stay with me for quite a while. This has cemented itself as one of my 'life books'.

absolutely stunning book! you get to dive pretty deeply into each character that was important and i loved to dwelve into how their minds work and think and that’s what i really love about books - to get a glimpse of people’s way of thinking or doing but also kind of relating to certain parts and characteristics they have

micki

Beautifully written, vivid characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this. 

Steve Collins

where to even begin with this. classics are classics for a reason.

in my very few years of reading classic novels, i don't think i've ever come across one this beautifully written; not referring to its prose and the language it uses, which is stunning in it's own right, but in it's message and it's sincerity. i would've never thought a long, multigenerational novel about two farming families in a dry, dusty valley of california written three quarters of a century from now would ever feel so personal and vibrant to me. i could almost feel the summer heat, the wind, the smell of breakfast in the connecticut farm; it's like the characters were jumping out from the pages, everyone: adam, charles, will, lee, cathy, cal, aron, and the many other characters in this novel all felt so real and were so loved by me. i felt strong emotions for them and the things they went through.

at it's core, this is a novel about humanity, family, and the constant fight between good and evil. but beyond that, a tale about brotherhood, choice, and the withstanding pursuit of love and companionship above all other things. i really wish i could put down more of what i feel about this but words don't reach me right now. 

carlota

where to even begin with this. classics are classics for a reason.

in my very few years of reading classic novels, i don't think i've ever come across one this beautifully written; not referring to its prose and the language it uses, which is stunning in it's own right, but in it's message and it's sincerity. i would've never thought a long, multigenerational novel about two farming families in a dry, dusty valley of california written three quarters of a century from now would ever feel so personal and vibrant to me. i could almost feel the summer heat, the wind, the smell of breakfast in the connecticut farm; it's like the characters were jumping out from the pages, everyone: adam, charles, will, lee, cathy, cal, aron, and the many other characters in this novel all felt so real and were so loved by me. i felt strong emotions for them and the things they went through.

at it's core, this is a novel about humanity, family, and the constant fight between good and evil. but beyond that, a tale about brotherhood, choice, and the withstanding pursuit of love and companionship above all other things. i really wish i could put down more of what i feel about this but words don't reach me right now. 

Valentina

Steinbeck’s writing is captivating throughout and he creates some of the most engaging characters in anything I’ve ever read. A book full of thought provoking meditations on morality, philosophy and religion. A must read.

Liam Collins

Katerina

Remarkable book. I am fascinated by this author's style of writing. Just enough conversations, just enough narration. Not too much to get bored, not too little to feel as if there isn't enough of it. The story - so touching. The characters - made out of flaws, just as any person is. I learned so much from this book, got attached to the characters as if they were created by my imagination not the author's, as if they were mine and only mine. By the end, I was clinging to this book, holding on to it as if it was my baby. I was especially fascinated by the story of Cain and Abel, the way the author managed to doom Cal and Aron to the same destiny and yet create them with their own flaws and their own charms. Absolutely amazing. I wish I could read this book for the first time all over again.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. The characters feel very real and the story is attention grabbing.

Abigail Swallow

Chris Dailey

Steinbeck's magnum opus did not disappoint. Epic and biblical (literally and figuratively) the novel follows two families in California's Salinas valley from the mid-19th century through the Great War. Full of allegory and multiple tellings of Genesis chapter four, it focuses on good versus evil, light versus dark in almost all lenses possible: family, friends and foes; class, classism and capitalism; love and romance; and war and peace. Told through two familial veins, the Hamilton's and the Trasks, with the former being a veiled retelling of Steinbeck's own family, and the former being pure fictional and the focus of the good vs. evil. The novel is fluid and feels fresh despite being 70 years old at the time of reading. There are some items that are dated and some characters that feel too flat - specifically Kate, who is almost pure evil. This one has been on my list for a long time and it certainly deserved to be.

A. D. Knapp

Amelia C 

long book... but worth every page!!!another one of my favorites!

Molly M

wow oh my god . i am crying 

not sure why i thought i wouldn’t like this book but man was i wrong

Monicap

This book draws on the biblical story of Cain and Abel and the theme of Timshel - the choice between good and evil. I liked that all the characters portrayed this internal duality in some ways. I was a bit nervous about reading a classic (at nearly 700 pages to boot!), but I found it to be fully engaging and worth the read.  

Jacqui Spears

amelo

Luke Harkness

An outstanding novel about the hardships of life, parenting, growing up and about morals.

I could read John Steinbeck's writing all day, every day. He manages to sound poetic often and incredibly simple at other times which creates such a fun read.

Roman

Jenseits von Eden

Ich bin auf das Buch durch ein Interview mit Cornelia Funke gestoßen und hab es mit hohen Erwartungen gelesen, auch weil ich "Von Mäusen und Menschen" als Schullektüre im Englisch-Unterricht sehr begeistert gelesen hatte. In "Jenseits von Eden" erzählt John Steinbeck die  Geschichte zweier Familien im Kalifornien der Jahrhundertwende, deren Schicksale über mehrere Jahrzehnte ineinander verwoben sind. Die große Frage, der Steinbeck in den vielen Charakteren und verschiedenen Erzählsträngen nachgeht und die mit biblischen Anspielungen umrahmt ist, ist die nach dem Gut und Böse im Menschen. Mir hat dieses Überthema sehr gut gefallen und mir sind die Charaktere allein schon durch die Länge der Geschichte sehr ans Herz gewachsen! Gleichzeitig fand ich das Erzähltempo wirklich sehr langsam und das Buch zuweilen zäh zu lesen, was irgendwie zu der Geschichte passt, aber bei mir dazu geführt hat, dass ich das Buch immer wieder weggelegt und wirklich lange gebraucht habe bis ich es zu Ende gelesen habe, deshalb nur 4 Sterne, auch wenn die Geschichte sicherlich 5 verdient! 

East of Eden

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