East of Eden

Spoiler Alert: The decisions we make shape our lives and the lives of our loved ones in ways more grand than you ever believed possible.

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In a timeless tale of love, loss, and the perpetual struggle between good and evil, Steinbeck takes readers on a journey through generations in this well-written and memorable novel. I believe this book to be the best I have ever read. Insightful and philosophical, with many parallels to the Bible and the very parables that are fundamental to mankind, this story is not one I am likely to forget. Set against the backdrop of the Salinas Valley, and covering a time period from the Civil War all the way to World War I, East of Eden follows the intertwining stories of the Trasks and the Hamiltons, two very different families. With heavy themes of brotherhood and redemption at play here, the story likely draws inspiration from biblical stories such as Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel; although perhaps a more correct thing to say would be that the Bible draws inspiration from human nature. I deeply enjoyed the long narrative because it gave readers an opportunity to get to know at least three generations of each family. In seeing all the many characters grow and learn and make the same mistakes as their ancestors, I was struck not only by the common threads throughout humanity but also by the inherent patterns that are followed throughout history. The book additionally had many intriguing and unique characters. Particularly striking to me was the character of Cathy -- in fact I have never read about a female character quite so complex. Despite being the villain, and perhaps being the character most worth reader's apathy, I appreciated the writing of a three-dimensional and compelling female character. I was also quite struck by the caring and charismatic Lee, who serves as a sort of nanny for two of the main characters, Cal and Aron Trask. Lee is arguably the most likeable character in the novel and has a fully developed story-arc. I found his character quite powerful not only because of his actions in the story but also because of what his representation meant in the time that this story was published. In spite of still being dominated by white-male characters, I found this story to be incredibly progressive for the time. Although not everyone can relate to the extreme novel, complete with a psychotic murderess, vengeful brothers, mountains of secrets, and a terrible war, it seems that many obstacles can prove universal; every aspect of this story still managed to feel familiar. Despite dealing with many heavy themes, the book makes the point that in the end there is only one that matters: overcoming evil. The fight between light and dark permeates this story's every page. While there are many characters and plot details to keep track of throughout this novel, the constant struggle to combat evil and power over sin kept me on the edge of my seat. This was no comic book or action movie, yet I was totally and utterly entranced; I found myself forever rooting for the resilience of the human spirit -- the triumph of good over evil.

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Favorite Quotes: “All great and precious things are lonely.” ~~ “I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.” ~~ “And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.” ~~ “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. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?” ~~ "Timshel."