What I'm Reading: "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck is without dispute one of the great American treasures. A Nobel Laureate, Pulitzer prize winner, and prolific author, Steinbeck and his works are staples in English education and shining examples in American literature. To date, I have read three of his books -- The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, and now East of Eden -- and I intend fully to read the rest.

East of Eden is set in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. The story parallels the Biblical stories of Adam and Eve and their children, Cain and Abel. Set alternately in the Salinas Valley of California and a farm town in Connecticut, we follow through a sometimes rambling manuscript the lives of a number of characters and indeed whole families, including Samuel Hamilton and his wife and their many children, Adam Trask and his wife Cathy, and the Trask's twin sons, Cal and Aron.

This book has been a part of a great change in perspective within my own life. In particular, Adam Trask and his having served in the Army of the day touched me deeply. I find that I share some of his great intolerance for the taking of human life. I share, too, his adventurous spirit, even to a fault. I have never, in fact, felt so connected to a character in any story. Now, for those who've read the book, don't think that I mean my family life was anything like his -- these are the details that distinguish his personality from my own. In general though, it's truly been interesting to see how his path has unfolded and compare it to the way I think mine would have in a like situation.

The book has been interpreted in film as a movie in 1955 starring James Dean (focused only on the Trask twins' part of the story) and a mini-series in 1981 starring Timothy Bottoms and Jane Seymour. It is also slated to be made again in 2009 (not remade) with a focus on the entire story. I look forward to seeing all three of these productions and hope indeed that they can live up to the book.

Madness and joy, pain and pleasure, all the things we look for in a good story may be found in multitudes within the pages of this book. I will not disgrace the world with yet another full, detailed review or analysis of the author's writing and skill at doing so -- this volume has existed for long enough that I believe I'd have nothing to add worth considering. So, then, I'll leave it at this: East of Eden is a fabulous work of literature by one of the most prolific and talented authors of the 20th century, and I'd recommend it for just about anyone.

Some Favorite Quotes:

"Then the soldiers went to Mexico and it was a kind of painful picnic. Nobody knows why you go to a picnic to be uncomfortable when it is so easy and pleasant to eat at home. The Mexican War did two good things though. We got a lot of western land, damn near doubled our size, and besides that it was a training ground for generals, so that when the sad self-murder settled on us the leaders knew the techniques for making it properly horrible."

"It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them."

Originally published at The Aspiring Professional