Book Review: East of Eden, John Steinbeck
I just finished reading East of Eden, by Steinbeck, and I have to say that it was one of the most moving pieces of literature I've ever read. I never really liked Steinbeck, before; in my high school experience I'd read The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, and although I found the latter to be mildly interesting, I absolutely loathed the former. Enough to make me steer clear of Steinbeck as long as possible. But then a girl at work told me that Steinbeck was her favorite of all time, and that I should at least give it a try now, being older and more understanding of literature. So I read it.
The ending moved me to tears. At first, I found the book to be well-written but not mind-blowing, but by the last 200 pages I could hardly put it down. It speaks so loudly of human nature and the trials and tribulations of family and how fortune can favor you or fuck you. I found Cal to be absolutely heart-breaking-- so convinced of his own inherent badness, handed down to him by his mother and therefore trapped in his blood-- but Aron was equally affecting, striving so wildly for goodness and purity only to be dealt a bad hand. Like Abra said, he knew how he wanted the story to end and couldn't bear it any other way. The naivete there makes me ache, and that in the face of a disgrace beyond his control, he basically sends himself to death.
Steinbeck's style is lovely. I have trouble with long-windedness-- I like Hemingway largely because I would rather read "she said" than some convoluted description of the act of speaking, as I think wordiness can drag a reader from the story-- and Steinbeck was concise without being too bare. His descriptions were apt. I also enjoyed his little interludes, describing the going ons of the time and the progression of the war. There were parts that I didn't like-- although I thought the little detour concerning Steinbeck's mother, Olive, was charming and humorous, I kept waiting for it to somehow be connected with the plot and didn't ever find anything concrete enough to merit its inclusion. But oh well.
Steinbeck's preface was moving, as well, and I would transcribe it but I'm lazy and I'm sure it's all over the internet. It set the tone for the book very well.
Stories about family and brotherhood and fathers and sons are always the most compelling to me, and this one was no exception. It was moving and real and heart-breaking.
I would recommend this to anyone. Tomorrow I'll stop by Barnes and Noble on my way home and find something else, although I'm not sure what. I'm thinking The Screwtape Letters, as I heard that was a great read, but I'll probably just wander around the store until I find something I like. Lolita is sitting on my shelf. I started to read it, and at first it was tolerable, but about a third into it Nabokov becomes so explicitly sexual it makes my skin crawl. Funny, that I love reading Connor/Angel but can't stomach Lolita.
The ending moved me to tears. At first, I found the book to be well-written but not mind-blowing, but by the last 200 pages I could hardly put it down. It speaks so loudly of human nature and the trials and tribulations of family and how fortune can favor you or fuck you. I found Cal to be absolutely heart-breaking-- so convinced of his own inherent badness, handed down to him by his mother and therefore trapped in his blood-- but Aron was equally affecting, striving so wildly for goodness and purity only to be dealt a bad hand. Like Abra said, he knew how he wanted the story to end and couldn't bear it any other way. The naivete there makes me ache, and that in the face of a disgrace beyond his control, he basically sends himself to death.
Steinbeck's style is lovely. I have trouble with long-windedness-- I like Hemingway largely because I would rather read "she said" than some convoluted description of the act of speaking, as I think wordiness can drag a reader from the story-- and Steinbeck was concise without being too bare. His descriptions were apt. I also enjoyed his little interludes, describing the going ons of the time and the progression of the war. There were parts that I didn't like-- although I thought the little detour concerning Steinbeck's mother, Olive, was charming and humorous, I kept waiting for it to somehow be connected with the plot and didn't ever find anything concrete enough to merit its inclusion. But oh well.
Steinbeck's preface was moving, as well, and I would transcribe it but I'm lazy and I'm sure it's all over the internet. It set the tone for the book very well.
Stories about family and brotherhood and fathers and sons are always the most compelling to me, and this one was no exception. It was moving and real and heart-breaking.
I would recommend this to anyone. Tomorrow I'll stop by Barnes and Noble on my way home and find something else, although I'm not sure what. I'm thinking The Screwtape Letters, as I heard that was a great read, but I'll probably just wander around the store until I find something I like. Lolita is sitting on my shelf. I started to read it, and at first it was tolerable, but about a third into it Nabokov becomes so explicitly sexual it makes my skin crawl. Funny, that I love reading Connor/Angel but can't stomach Lolita.