East of Eden

Well I just finished East of Eden, an incredibly novel by John Steinbeck.

WOW!!!

Throughout my reading, I wasn't always thrilled with the story line and sometimes I got confused, but there was something that kept me turning the page. This book my made my mind think about things I had never thought of before - of my faith, of my choices, of my will. The message of this book is one of the most powerful that I have ever read, although I didn't realize it until the last page, literally.

The story follows the history of two families: the Hamiltons and the Trasks. This story is 601 pages of good versus evil, and right versus wrong; it is 601 pages of love; it is 601 pages of blindness, betrayal and deceit.


This is John Steinbeck at his best! J and S Books says this:

"East of Eden is described as the classic Cain and Abel story replayed. The conflict of brothers is powerful in both generations. The Biblical story itself plays an important role in the novel. Yet East of Eden doesn't end the same as the original story in the Bible. Plus this novel takes the story further, showing the effects on the people around the brothers as well.

This is a masterful book, complex, and layered. The characters stay with you when you close the cover. After I finished it, I kept going back and re-reading different parts. The tone of the book is determined when Samuel, Lee, and Adam discuss the meaning of the wording of the original Cain and Abel story. That section needs re-read numerous times to get the full impact both of that scene and on the whole book.

East of Eden is considered one of John Steinbeck's greatest works. ... This is a longer, deep novel. It is worth every page of reading. Prepare to meet real people that you will respect, disregard, like and dislike depending on the circumstances - just like the people we know every day."