“The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost.”

Like the Book of Genesis, where it pulls its inspiration from, “East of Eden” is the story of us. The good and the bad, and our struggle to be ruled by one or the other, acknowledging that both are inherent in our natures. It is a beautiful book filled with people I felt strongly about, and all of them so fully and wonderfully human.
Steinbeck continues to impress me with his ability to create a complete characterization in only a few sentences. Even cameo roles in this text are flesh and blood people. One of the joys of this book was that I genuinely enjoyed peeking into the lives of many of these characters. One highlight is the character of Samuel Hamilton and his wife and various offspring. I fell a little bit in love, and the parts of the book that focused on them soared in my opinion. The Trask twins are also well rendered and what Steinbeck does with the two of them (no spoilers here) is brilliant!
The people of “East of Eden” are so real, that at the death of a truly unsavory character I felt unexpected sadness. This was not a good person, a monster even, but they still had a humanity. I love when a novel forces me to remember that.
Chapter 34 of this text is everything. One of the best summations of what the human story is that I have come across in a novel. And the closing paragraph of this chapter…
“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.”
Wow!
At one point Steinbeck writes, “In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved.” There is a lot in that statement, and a hopefulness that I (and I hope all of us) refuse to yield.
When you read a novel, and you see yourself reflected in many ways, in bits of many characters, you know that you are reading a great story of the human condition.
“East of Eden” is such a book.

در کتاب شرق بهشت ، جان اشتاین بک کبیر جهانی کامل ، سرشار از جزئیات ، طبیعتی محسور کننده ، آدمهایی از جنس های متفاوت و در کل آمریکای اوایل قرن بیستم را به زیباترین شکل ممکن به تصویر کشیده است .
از زیبایی قلم و سحر و جادوی نویسنده چیزی نمی توان گفت ، گویی که کتاب را به پرده بزرگ سینما تبدیل کرده است ، کلمات جاندار و قوی ، محیط زنده و سرشار از رنگ ، شخصیت های داستان جملگی عمیق و ریشه دار. استاد کتاب را به زیبایی تمام نقاشی کرده بر بوم طبیعت ، با قلم مویی از جنس مردمان کتاب واستاد البته با استعاره های فلسفی بوم را رنگ و طرحی هم زده.
اشتاین بک تصویر بسیار زیبایی از آمریکای قبل از جنگ اول نشان داده ، بزرگ و وسیع ،صبور و آرام ، خاکی با برکت ، پر آب غرق در صلح و صفا . مردمی با خصوصیات متفاوت ولی عموما ساده و آزاد اندیش ، راستگو و قابل اعتماد ، کاری و سختکوش .
گویی قدر سرزمین موقعیت ها را می دانند و هر کس به دنبال ساختن آینده خویش است ، هرکس خود را می سازد و از ساخته شدن افراد است که جامعه قوی حاصل می شود .نسلی که پوست انداختن آمریکای در حال رشد را می بیند ، نسلی که پیشرفت را در راندن ماشین های هندلی به جای کالسکه می بیند ، برایش مهم هم نیست که روشن کردن ماشین هندلی بسیار سخت یا زمان بر باشد ،نسلی که به تدریج با مفهوم سرمایه داری و قدرت دلار آشنا می شود ، نسلی که محصول لوبیا را جمع آوری و احتکار کرده و سپس به چند برابر قیمت به انگلیسیهای در جنگ می فروشد . نسلی که خوبی و بدی را با هم پرورش می دهد .
در جهان اشتاین بک حتی نژاد پرستی هم جایی ندارد ، دو شخصیت بسیار دانای کتاب همیلتون آمریکایی و لی چینی هستند . این دو هستند که درون و ذات انسان ها را ، روح سفید یا سیاه آنها را خلاصه ریشه های خیر وشر را درون آنها می بینند و حس می کنند .
اشتاین بک با بیانی ساده و بسیار روان خواننده را با خود به کالیفرنیا و شهر سالیناس می برد ، او را بر فراز قله ها و کوه ها ، رودها و جوی ها ، جنگل ها و بیشه ها می گرداند و سپس برای او از خانواده های تراسک و هامیلتون می گوید ، و از همین جا فرآیند طلسم شدن خواننده شروع می شود ، گویی که او هم در آن خانه ها حضور دارد ،گویی که خواننده هم سنگینی نگاه اخم آلود پدر بر چهره پسر را حس می کند ، آهنگ پای مصنوعی بر کف چوبی خانه ، وزش باد میان درختان ، با استادی تمام توصیف شده اند .
اشتاین بک برایمان از برادر کُشی می گوید ، نسخه مدرن هابیل و قابیل ، او برایمان از بهشت می گوید وانسان رانده شده ، از گناه ، از عذاب وجدان ،از تفاوت آدمیان ؛ از جبر و انتخاب ، از سرنوشت و از ریشه بدی ها : شر
اشتاین بک حتی از تربیت فرزندان هم می گوید ، این که چگونه تبعیض بین فرزندان می تواند آینده آنها را دگرگون کند ، این که چگونه یک نفر تاجر می شود و دیگری بی کاره ، یکی که می گذارد و می رود و کسی که می ماند ، کسی که تغییر ایجاد می کند و کسی که خواهان ثبات است ، گرایشهای مختلف افراد است که بنای جامعه آینده می شود .
شرق بهشت کتابی ایست که خواننده را رها نمی کند ، چه در طول داستان و چه پس از اتمام آن ذهن خواننده کاملا مشغول دنیای آفریده شده نویسنده است ، کتابی ایست که کهنه نمی شود و قطعا می توان آن را بارها خواند ومستش شد .

On a side note, this is the 100th book I’ve reviewed this year, and I’m incredibly thankful that such a title fell onto a novel that mattered so much to me.

This was my first fully engaged experience with Steinbeck, and I was completely blown away. His prose was lovely in the way a desert is lovely; sparse but absolutely breathtaking in a certain slant of light. I read The Grapes of Wrath in college, but did so while reading 4 or 5 other classic chunky novels at the same time for various classes, meaning that none of them really stuck with me. But man, this book will stick. The ending gave me literal goosebumps, which is incredibly rare. If there is such a thing as The Great American Novel, I strongly believe that this should be it. I’ve never read a novel that felt more quintessentially American. The landscape described, the eras experienced, and the mentalities revealed all felt like an ode to everything that makes us American, which was one of the reasons it resonated with me so strongly. It just exactly captured our identity as a nation, both what we regret being and what we yearn to become. Not that this book won't ring true for NonAmerican readers. Not at all! Instead, I believe it would shed some light on our history, on who we are, and who we wish to be.

“I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?”

East of Eden spans various families and generations, but centers around the intersection of the Hamilton family and the Trask family. Unbeknownst to them, the Trask family is caught in a cycle of living and reliving a curse as old as time: the battle of wills between Cain and Abel. This curse makes itself felt in multiple generations, and in multiple ways. It’s the saddest thing in the world to watch, but was an incredibly powerful trope to develop into the central focus of the plot. If you’re well acquainted with the Cain/Abel narrative from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, there are so many little Easter eggs in the story to track down and keep your eyes open for, which added another layer of fascination for me. There are so many clues to look for, but discovering them for yourself is half the fun.

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about.”

This was one of the most deeply philosophical books I’ve ever read, which made me love it far more than I expected. The love I have for Samuel Hamilton and Lee knows no bounds. Their conversations on philosophy and Scripture and life in general were my very favorite parts of the novel. The linchpin of the entire story is the conversation they had about the Hebrew word Timshel, translated by some as “Thou shalt” and others as “Thou wilt.” But Lee contended that a third translation held more truth: “Thou mayest.” Free will is imperative to humankind; without it, we would be mere automatons in the hands of God. But instead, He imbued us with the capability of determining our own fate. That’s where Timshel comes into play. The words “Thou mayest” are incredibly powerful, as they put our choices back in our own hands. And that is the central struggle in the novel; becoming who you want to be in spite of the genetics or past stacked against you.

“An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie. It takes great courage to back truth unacceptable to our times. There's a punishment for it, and it's usually crucifixion.”

I don’t know that I’ve ever been this impacted by a classic outside of C.S. Lewis’s novel, Till We Have Faces. It moved me and made me think and I think it will stay with me. This is a book deserves to be reread. It deserves to be highlighted and annotated and tattered. It deserves to be discussed and debated. Most of all, it deserves to be read.

“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”

This was a buddy read with these lovelies: Mary, Haïfa, and TS.

I read this first when I was at university and I loved it.
I read this again now as a 30-year-old avid reader who has become much more critical when it comes to books.
I’m happy to say that while this was a bumpy revisit, “East of Eden” remains one of my favourite books!
This novel is about inheritage and how hard it sometimes is to develop away from your inheritage. What makes you good? What makes you bad? And do some of us contain more of one or the other? Those are some of the questions that Cal asks himself in the second half of the book, because it takes the first half to lead us up to his, and his brother Aron’s, story.
John Steinbeck remains one of my favourite authors because his books are raw and honest. I remember reading “The Grapes of Wrath” last summer and it left a deep impact on me that makes me think of the book now and then even today. “East of Eden” is different and I had forgotten most of it when I started my reread, but once I got started everything came back to me, and towards the end it became clear to me why I love this story so much.
Cathy, who is mean, selfish, and pure evil, is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time - believe it or not! She’s perfectly described as this devilish woman with small, sharp teeth and she makes for a perfect contrast to Adam.
Lee is another absolute favourite character of mine who surprises you and takes you by storm, and he’s one of the characters I’m going to miss the most after having finished this novel.
I know that I must get my hands on more books from Steinbeck because he’s simply brilliant! The only question is where to go next and what book of his to pick up? Let me know if you have any recommendations because I would truly love to know :)

A beautiful and moving story of families. I simply cannot believe that this is my first Steinbeck. I loved learning about the ways of life and the many intricacies of all of the characters in this story.

Update to my review: I was so tired when I finished this book last night (had been up since 4 a.m.)....anyway, here's my opinion of things: There are characters in certain books that just make me wince and others that I admire. Cathy Ames is one that made me wince. Although it was upsetting for Aron and Cal to realize the truth of who and what their mother was, I was glad Cathy became afraid of the results of her actions. I wish there had been more in the story about the Hamilton family, but I realize that would have made the book yet longer, and I enjoyed reading it.

Fantastic read, I'm so happy I found myself back to Steinbeck after two decades apart. We will be discussing this for a Reading Envy Podcast, June 29 at 8 pm EST. (Anyone may participate who has read the book!) More to follow.

ETA: Fixed the date - JUNE 29 not July. I'm time traveling.

Niezaprzeczalnie pięciogwiazdkowa powieść.

This was... something.

*It made it to my best books of 2022: https://youtu.be/WmTndjsYFIc

Read years ago, this review is now being made available for Goodreads.

Was it the 5 stars that gave away my feelings? This novel follows the destinies of two families - the Trasks and Hamiltons - whose generations sound hopelessly biblical.

Steinbeck is a visual writer. I am a visual learner. Already we have a connection.

Setting is important to a Steinbeck novel. This setting is the first thing we experience in this novel. The way he describes the Salinas Valley of the time, makes it sound like Paradise. I find myself enchanted. Even though I am a beach girl, through and through, his descriptions of the valley are mesmerizing.

This is truly a human story. Steinbeck shares...

"We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil."

Cain and Abel. The re-telling of that bible story. But he also creates characters that resonate with us. One actually based on his own grandfather - the character of Samuel Hamilton (his grandfather actually being born in Salinas).

Mostly this is truly a literary story because it is so good.

It is thrilling and suspenseful, funny and heartbreaking.

It is full of great characters that you care for and sometimes fear for them, as well. You can see what horrible things are awaiting them, and want to warn them, because you are so invested in their well-being. Sometimes you might even recognize yourself in their strengths...and weaknesses.

When you are this close to a book - you know, this one is the one that stays with you. And when you close the pages at the end, you can't help but notice... this book, it is still with you.

What do we call this book - East of Eden? A masterpiece. Am I wrong?

Very easy for me to rate this book 5 stars. It is amazing. There is so much in it and it is not hard to read. It just tells it like it is and does it so well.

It is like a high priced, high quality buffet with lots of different stations. At each of those stations is a main table with an awesome featured food (thick cut prime rib, chocolate fondue fountain, Mongolian BBQ bowl, etc.). In layman's terms, there is SO MUCH awesome story here with a HUGE payoff every 50 pages or so. I am very satisfied with the story I got - full of literature!

Oh, and this book has one of the most heartless and despicable villains ever put on paper.

I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a decent story told very well. This has solidified with me that Steinbeck is a literary genius - cannot be denied!

Classics are classics for a reason
I was too busy to write a proper review of this last year after I'd finished it, but let me try now. It's Steinbeck's epic look at two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – in the Salinas Valley, California setting of his own childhood. (Steinbeck himself is a minor character in the book.)

There are lots of biblical echoes: Cain and Abel; the sins of the father; etc.

What amazed me was how contemporary the book's language and insights felt. This is not some dusty, fusty classic.

I'm not sure about the character of the depraved Cathy, who seems to have been born simply evil. But she's certainly a powerful figure in the book, and the mystery around her drives a big chunk of the book. Also of interest is the character of Lee, the Chinese-American cook, who speaks in a pidgin English (even though he's well-educated) because he says that's a reality the people can accept.

East Of Eden is like a lot of great art; it feels like it's always been around. When you read it, it will resonate deep in your bones as something essential, true and disturbing.

Note: the famous James Dean movie only covers a fraction of the novel. I tried watching it afterwards, but found it overwrought and unduly melodramatic.

روح الإنسان
الشيء الجميل الفريد في هذا العالم
دائما ما تهاجم ولا تهزم أبدا‏

لي تاريخ قديم مع شتاينبك
وهو من أوائل من قرأتُ لهم بالإنجليزية

وقد أدمنته على الفور
تستطيع أن تقول أنه فهمني جيدا ففهمته جيدا
وأحببت حقا ما فهمت

هذه هي الرواية الأهم والأشهر
وإن لم تكن الأقرب لقلبي كما هي رواياته العظيمة الأخرى‏
اللؤلؤة،عناقيد الغضب،ورجال وفئران

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جنة عدن
هي المكان الذي تبدأ منه كل الحكايات
كل ما هو قادم وكل ما هو كان
الخطوة الأولى في تاريخ الإنسانية
الخطيئة الأولى
الصراع الأول
‏"دم أخي لطخ يدي"‏

شرقي عدن ‏-المكان الذي ذهب قايين إليه
بعد قتله أخاه
ومحادثته مع الرب‏
المكان الذي يبدو أننا جميعا نذهب إليه
إن عاجلا أو أجلا‏

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هناك أشباح في الخلفية تطوف
تصنع من اللاواقعي الأشد واقعية
تجبرك على الإنصات لهمساتها الحكيمة
يختلطا الجد والهزل
تندمج زوجة لي المتخيلة
مع دخان ورقات النقود التي يحرقها كال

بينما الغرفة الرمادية في الخلفية
تكاد ستائرها تصيح صيحات الفزع
الذي يغزو كايت ببطء حتى يبتلعها‏

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هي رواية كلاسيكية مخلدة
تعطي من العظمة أكثر مما تعطي من الإبهار
يتشابك قدري عائلتين يسكنان وادي بسيط
تتناظر جبال الوادي مع حضن الأم
هذا الحضن الذي لا ينفك يحرم منه الأبطال بطريقة أو بأخرى

يعلمك شتاينبيك كيف تكون أكثر انسانية بخطاياك

لا دونها..

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الشخصيات المعقدة في الرواية رسمت حقا ببراعة
أحببت تشارلز بشدة بكل شره وجنونه وعقليته الفاسدة‏

و برغم كل ما فعلَته ،فإنني قد أحببت كاثي
قطعة الثلج التي ما إن تلمسها حتى تتجمد بلا أمل في الخلاص
إنها قطعة من روح الشر ‏
بل خلاصته إن أردتُ أن أكون دقيقة

وقد رسمها شتاينبك كما لم يرسم شخصية من قبل
صنع كائنا جديدا ربما لم تصادفه في رواية قبلا
معالجته لها تستحق التأمل حقا
أما هذه الثنائية التي صنعها قرب نهايتها ‏
بينها وبين أليس بلاد العجائب فهي صدقا من أجمل ما قرأت‏

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شخصيتي المفضلة هي لي
الطباخ الصيني الساحر بكل تأكيد
لقد أمتعني بحكمته
بنقاشاته
بحواراته الداخلية
بطريقته في التصرف
بعمقه وعاطفته وأصوله الغامضة
الممسوسة بشياطين لا مرئية
كان كل ما لي يفعله يبدو
وكأن هناك قداسة من نوع ما تسبغ عليه

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هي ملحمة حب وحرب
تجمع رائع من الشخصيات الإنسانية
والتي تحارب قدرها ويحاربها

وينتصر دوما الأدب الجميل