John Steinbeck - East of Eden

Pros: A moving novel, 55 chapter masterpiece

Cons: Oprah had to approve it for people to go out and purchase it!

The Bottom Line: Buy it, it's a good read.

Review: "A fantasia of history and myth... a strange and original work of art" - New York Times Book Review East of Eden is an awesome novel! Some say it is Steinbeck's best and that is huge praise considering the work that man Steinbeck put out (Grapes of ...

Pros: Wonderfully crafted by an amazing painter of words and craftsman of plot and symbolism.

Cons: The plot seems to stretch thin in places and the novel is quite long, but these are truly minor complaints that have little baring on my love of this novel.

Review: Adam Trask is a good man. He is fair and decent in his behavior, if a bit misguided with some of his judgements. Adam is, in so many ways, the Adam. He is God's son, God's pride, and God's test.

Using his literary paintings Steinbeck...

Pros: great characters, strong storytelling.

Cons: none

The Bottom Line: A definite read.

Review: "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck is one piece of literature that stands the test of time. After you get past his first couple of (boring) pages describing the landscape of Salinas,California, you jump right into the Trask family history. You are ...

Pros: Strong Theme, Great Details, We can learn a lot from this book =^)

Cons: Certain areas of the book drag a bit and don't really go anywhere.

The Bottom Line: I would definitely recommend East of Eden to anyone looking for a great historically accurate novel about a family's struggles.

Review: In literature, the proper use of irony helps to develop the character’s persona in the story. When a reader finds out that there is something unexpected in the story, this is usually the result of irony. In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the quite...

Pros: Fascinating & hard to put down

Cons: None

Review: East of Eden was a book I was "forced" to read in high school. I am so glad! This book has had such an impact on me.

It revolves around the lives of the Trask family: patriarch Adam, his brother Charles, Adam's twin sons, Aron and...

Pros: well written, great characters

Cons: none

Review: Upon growing up in the Salinas Valley one of the requirements is to read John Steinbeck's novels. One of the first ones I picked was "East of Eden" because I saw the movie with James Dean and loved it. So I eagerly grabbed the book and I...

Pros: demonstrates the authors good writing skills

Cons: is a long book which gets more exciting and involved as it goes on

Review: East of Eden by John Steinbeck is one of my favorite books. It shows the amazing writing styles of the author in a historical sense. He describes all the surroundings of the town of Salinas very well, even describing the people and their every day lives....

Pros: This is not just fluffy reading. It is deep and thought provoking.

Cons: The book is not easy to get into. The beginning is very slow.

Review: East of Eden is possibly my favorite book now. It takes a hard look at sibling rivalry, the blindness of love, and sin. The story is set first in New England and then in the lush fertile valleys of California at the turn of the century. The story centers ...

Pros: Steinbeck's “carefully planned reflection on national and personal identity.”

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: I'm reposting this at the request of Stephen_Murray who is hosting a write-off for Steinbeck's 100th Birthday on February 27, 2002

Review: This extraordinary autobiographical novel is considered to be John Steinbeck's “carefully planned reflection on national and personal identity.” When he spoke of East of Eden, he said, “I’ve been practicing for a book for 35 years.” He...

Pros: Well written multi-generational epic novel. A classic you don't want to miss.

Cons: Dare I say a tad too long? But, who am I to criticize John Steinbeck!

The Bottom Line: Classic novel....don't be left out...everyone else has read it.

Review: Required reading in some class I took, probably back in high school, Steinbeck's lengthy East of Eden is the only book (besides the Bible) that I have ever re-read in my life. I don't recall particularly enjoying it the first time around, but I ...