East of Eden

Simply amazing it totally lives up to the hype! This is literature

East of Eden tells the story of two families in the Salinas Valley (California) over three generations, from the Civil War to World War I.

The work contains several biblical allusions.

Brothers Cal and Aaron (Cain and Abel) have an honorable father and were abandoned by their wicked and evil mother Cathy.

Aaron is studious and hardworking, while Cal feels he has inherited his mother's evilness, and his actions lead him "East of Eden."

The novel features several characters that integrate in a homogeneous and harmonious way. The plot develops slowly but is extremely captivating.

I recommend reading East of Eden; it is a deep and entertaining novel that speaks about good and evil in human actions. (Translated from Spanish)

July 20, 2023
East of Eden
John Steinbeck

A novel that narrates the story of two families over three generations, the Trasks and the Hamilton family, spanning from the American Civil War to World War I. The story primarily takes place in the Salinas Valley, California. It is a very good story that covers many themes such as abandonment, love, betrayal, and dehumanization, among others. The characters are very well-developed; we have Cathy, a woman who appears to be noble but is actually a terrible, unscrupulous, cruel, and wicked person. The brothers Caleb and Aaron represent good and evil. Overall, a somewhat lengthy novel, a bit dense in some passages, but despite that, it leaves pleasant sensations. (Translated from Spanish)

I hadn't read anything by John Steinbeck until now, and I was pleasantly surprised. It has been a very dynamic and entertaining read; the fact that it is divided into parts and chapters makes it easy to stop and pick up again whenever you want. (Translated from Spanish)

I confess that I tried to read it about 4 times and found it tedious; it was a bit slow and had a narrative style I wasn't used to. It's excellent, I loved the characters, especially CATHY. I recommend it ? (Translated from Spanish)

While I agree with some opinions that it is, at times, disorganized in its storytelling, I was moved by the story. The characters are well-defined and show us their souls, good or bad (an eternal struggle) through the pages. I really liked it and enjoyed the reading very much. (Translated from Spanish)

A story with many characters, where the author dedicates time to each one. It's one of those books that seems to have alternate stories, where you are left wanting to keep reading about your favorite character. (Translated from Spanish)

This book tells the story of two families over three generations. It is a great, intense, and sad story with a precise description of the landscape and the characters. At first, it feels dense and complicated; it is not easy to keep reading, but as the story progresses, or perhaps the characters capture you, you can no longer stop reading; you just want it never to end. Highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

Dense and slow at times, sublime exquisiteness at others, narrative chaos in almost all.
A crossword puzzle almost always, which never stops being surprising for its refined use of words and the disorder of its pen.
But there are books that are better than their writers, and this one, despite everything, is a delight. (Translated from Spanish)

This novel is ALMOST perfect, almost by the end you can guess what is going to happen... but with some really strong characters, very strong... it's worth reading and checking if I was right... (Translated from Spanish)

It is a book about the nature of people and, therefore, about love. Love in the broadest sense of the word: fraternal, familial, platonic... and also about unrequited love, hatred, and revenge, and the process of almost dehumanization that occurs in people who are carried away by these equally visceral feelings. East of Eden is a poorly constructed novel that, however, is read with the eagerness and thrills of good stories. The characters and their discourses on various topics are the best, especially those of Samuel Hamilton and Mr. Lee. Do not miss it. (Translated from Spanish)

A blend of a regional novel, a story of overcoming, Southern sadness, framed in a halo of biblical mysticism, it again mixes narrative strength, based on the literary language of Steinbeck, with the depressing lack of hope of a devastated and arid Southern United States, which gives this novel its worth that I believe should be considered a classic, just as the film based on this book is, both for its content and for the magnificent performance of the unfortunate James Dean. (Translated from Spanish)