East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Juan Valdez Columbian
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For this first review, I will be discussing the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I finished this book at the start of the New Year and held back on reviewing it because I was still coming down from the overwhelming emotions the story left me and trying to wrap my mind around the thought-provoking messages. I hope that gives off the type of review you will expect.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but we all know the gist of the Biblical stories of Adam & Eve and original sin; and Cain and Abel. East of Eden, essentially, is a modern take on the passing down of original sin and a retelling of Cain and Abel. The story is told by interweaving the lives of two families – the Trask’s and the Hamilton’s. Steinbeck describes this book as his masterpiece, his greatest novel. He claimed that all his works before East of Eden were just practice in preparation for this grand novel. And to be honest, as one of his most well-known works, I feel like East of Eden holds true to that.

But that’s all I want to tell you! I know, what a terrible review. You’re just going to have to trust me.

A picture of my copy
(Steinbeck Centennial Edition)
Retails for about $18

To me, the best part of the novel are the little gems that Steinbeck leaves behind in the form of random chapters that work us through his views on society. He takes the time to talk about the destruction of individualism with the rise of capitalism and what it means to be evil. These chapters really add to the storyline while giving succinct criticism of the changing world.

Additionally, I recently had a discussion with a friend over dinner about who was our favorite character in the story (I know, my life is so exciting). He said Samuel Hamilton, which seemed right. I’m probably prejudging, but most people’s favorite characters in novels are the morally right ones, those exuding with wisdom or have a heart of gold. Or at least, I could see my friend loving this character. For me, however, my favorite character is the most “unbelievable,” “unrealistic,” and “evil” character – Cathy, or Kate. Whatever you want to call her.

Snippet from Chapter 8

People must think I’m crazy for liking such an evil character (as my friend did), but I think that’s what’s so amazing about her. Critics have claimed that this is the one flaw of the book—this unbelievably evil character that Steinbeck created. Instead, I think it pushes us to reexamine the people in our lives that we cannot explain. I don’t think she was not believable enough. I think she was Steinbeck’s way of showing us that we are all incapable of understanding every single human being, no matter how much we try. I don’t know about you, but I have encountered people in my life that I will never understand. They seemed so inherently evil to me and I never knew what they wanted or why or how I played as a pawn in their life.
Here, we see Steinbeck do the same. He is unable to fathom and understand someone so complex, as we all feel we are unable to do at times. Does she ever get what she wants, or do we ever know if she ends up with what she wants? To me, I don’t want to know nor do I care. Sure, that’s the fun of the book—to know omnisciently everything about certain characters. But from a book that discusses the human experience in such a complex way, I think it’s essential we leave Cathy/Kate as a character whose mindset we can never grasp. Perhaps, we should consider our own position as people who create distances and partitions from others as a way to protect our own vulnerabilities and insecurities. No? Just me? Well then…

If you ever have a chance to read this book, please do. It’s a fairly easy read despite being somewhat lengthy. But the storyline is so compelling that you will find yourself completely immersed in the story, rooting for one character and then losing faith in them later. It’ll create a whirlwind of emotions and a gripping tale of good, evil, and redemption. Please leave your comments below if you’ve read it and we can definitely start a discussion!

Click for more about the author and my opinions on his other works.

If you’ve never read any of his works, Steinbeck was born in Salinas, CA and it's clear that growing up here affected his writing as his settings are usually in rural, California valleys. If you have read his books, most likely The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men as they are high school staples, East of Eden is a much easier read than The Grapes of Wrath. Without going into too much detail, The Grapes of Wrath was just too political and dry—perhaps a style he used to emulate and accentuate the dry dust bowl. Clever, clever. Of Mice and Men, however, is a much easier and shorter read for sure, but in my opinion, is in a league of its own. Of Mice and Men is more of a novella, like Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and accomplishes a lot within a novel that is under 200 pages. With that being said, imagine having 600 pages to explore complex topics and a well-known biblical story in depth. This is where East of Eden excels. Unfortunately, those are the only two other novels by Steinbeck that I have read, and I probably have to revisit them before I do any type of review. I have heard, however, that Cannery Row is also very good if you’re looking to get into more Steinbeck.