Timshel. Beautifully done. Perfectly crafted. ( )

4.5 rounded up, I was expecting to love this as much or more than The Grapes of Wrath, but I think I liked those characters more. I did love the themes in this one, the second half of the book is where things come together and the themes of goodness and innate character come into play. I think it will grow on me as I sit with it longer. ( )

East of Eden is a fascinating exploration of the concepts of good and evil and whether our ability to make morally correct decisions is inherited or can be learned. Each of its characters are wonderfully written and memorable, all facing unique challenges and approaching the central moral themes of the book in different ways. The setting of Salinas Valley is described in magnificent detail and feels believably warm and inviting from the first page of the novel. East of Eden never failed to keep me engaged while reading for all of these reasons and more. It is a sweeping journey about love, betrayal, greed, and morality that everyone should read at least once. ( )

Read this years ago and loved it, but now I can't get through it. Too long and depressing.

. Book club re-read. Even better second time around.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a wonderful read.

I believe that Steinbeck wrote this book for his sons Thorn and John who were just small boys when it was written. Steinbeck hoped that as they grew up the novel would show them their roots in California’s Salinas Valley and guide them through their lives . What a wonderful book with just about all the elements a good story needs, we have father son relationships, and sibling rivalry, murder, greed, sex, love and lust and throughout all this we find a values of life in the real world and the struggle between right and wrong.

Why have I not read this novel years ago? For some reason I have been ignoring it on my book shelf and am so glad I finally took the time to read and enjoy this novel. It took me longer to read this novel than normal but that was my choice as I wanted to take my time to savour and enjoy it.

I loved the characters and the depth which Steinbeck forms his characters, I love the description of people and places and the warmth of his writing. This is a sweeping, dramatically told story which captures images of the land and its people but mostly you get a story of good and evil of which people are capable, I especially loved the character of Samuel and what he and his family stood for.

Excellent book club read and I think this book has great discussion topics.

This is my 4th Steinbeck novel and so far my favourite. ( )