Book Title: East of Eden

Author: John Steinbeck

Stars (Out of 10): 10

Full Review:

           Buy a newer copy of East of Eden these days, and you're usually greeted with a somewhat tacky (but removable) book sleeve proclaiming it to be "The book that brought Oprah's Book Club Back!". For me, it was almost a turn off – I wasn't sure what Oprah's taste in books was, and whether or not it would agree with mine. For those who share my skepticism, I give you this advice: ignore the Oprah sleeve. Read the book. For those who idolize Oprah, I say this: Do as she says. Read the book.

                  East of Eden is incredible. Steinbeck has never written anything as good, and it is almost a privilege to be able to read it. The story is addictive, the descriptions are stunning, the character depth is unbelievable.

                  East of Eden follows two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. The novel dips back a generation into their histories, and forward towards their futures. The reader observes, dazzled, the entire life of Adam Trask, from his youth in the East with a simple but complex brother, to his unfortunate adoration of a maniacal woman, to the birth of his two sons and the betrayal of his wife, and finally to his inevitable fall. Intertwined within this story is the life of Samuel Hamilton and his children, a fascinating family who is as much different as they are bonded.

                  With glimpses into the psyche of almost every character, Steinbeck easily allows the reader to sympathize with all, which in turn makes the conflict richer and more complex.

                  The novel runs about 600 pages, and by the end the reader is a multitude of emotion. Weary of all the life she has encountered, energized to make human connection, stunned by the simplicity and complexity of good vs. evil; hungry to experience such emotion. Most of all, however, she is satisfied – with the characters, with the story, and with the conclusion.

Read This Book. You'll be glad you did.

Release Date: September 1992

Book Length: 602 pages

Genre: 20th Century American Fiction