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Title: East of Eden (Oprah's Book Club) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0-14-200423-5 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 18 June, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (116 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Epic novel
Comment: This book has it all--sweeping themes which are common to all people, fascinating and flawed characters, and an interesting interweaving of people's choices and the impact this has on those around them. The novel is based on the Biblical account of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Steinbeck dwells on the sibling rivalry which pits one brother against another for their father's love. This occurs in two generations with Charlie and Adam in the first generation and Adam's twin sons Cal and Aron in the second. There are fascinating characters, such as the wicked Cathy who finds men's weaknesses and preys on them for her own gain, the wise and philosophical Chinese servant Lee, and the wonderful dreamer named Samuel Hamilton. The Hamilton family is patterned after Steinbeck's maternal family and he sometimes takes side-trips to the plot in order to tell some family tale which has been passed on to him by oral tradition. Another interesting theme has to do with dreamers, like Adam and Aron, who only see what they want to see, and realists, such as Samuel's wife, whose view is likewise narrowed by her practical nature. Abra starts out as a dreamer, but grows into a woman who sees the greys in life and learns to accept them without letting them detroy her. A favorite theme seems to deal with paternal expectations and how these can overpower and sometimes detroy a son. Steinbeck delves into the question of inherited predisposition towards sin and resoundingly concludes that we all have choices and we are not driven totally by our genetic disposition. This is a fascinating study of human nature and of good vs. evil and is a wonderful read.
Rating: 5
Summary: Still mourning it...
Comment: Yes, I finished this book in July 2003, and I still wish that I was reading it anew.It's one of those books that is so entirely satisfying that you still wish for more after you're finished. It is among one of the best books I have ever read and I'm still searching for another like it. It's scope, profundity, emotion, and lyricism are untouchable. This book is about people, and how we treat each other, and it attempts to explain why the world is so messed up, but without any arrogance or pretention, and it doesn't get in over it's head. How? Because despite it's epic themes and questions, Steinbeck insists that the answers can be found amongst us, on a human level. He takes a painfully honest look at a generational history of two families with the knack and panache and common touch of a sage and wizened storyteller who you'd find at a local pub or in your grandma's kitchen, but with the beauty of a poet and the depth of a philosopher or theologian. It's deep, dark, ancient messages and truths and larger than life, prophetic characters are trapped in the trappings of everyday life and in the bodies and souls of fallible human beings who we grow to love, or love to hate.Steinbeck's descriptive power is beautiful (and as a native Californian, I loved his renderings of the Salinas Valley). There are some passages you are compelled to read over and over, but not just because they're poetically phrased, but because of the message. The beginning of Chapter 13 dazed me when I read it because of it's beauty and wisdom merged together. It's inspired.This book is, truly, an inspired work of art. They are few and far between, but this is one of them. Get it and plunge into a world of ancient truths, age old crises, inspiration and wisdom, and characters you'll cry over, hate, love, and feel for. And maybe at the end you'll be a bit changed, this book can do that to you.
Rating: 5
Summary: East of Eden
Comment: A few books have actually changed my life (isn't this what they're SUPPOSED to do?). "The Fountainhead" was one, and John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" was another. These are not short "easy to read" and light books to be throw aside after you've finished. These are major classics that cause you to think and reflect--again, something a great book should make you do. The story of "Eden" has been covered here in numerous reviews, so I won't go into that, but suffice it to say that if you haven't read this book, you're missing out on one of the best pieces of American literature ever written.
Would also recommend: "The Bark of the Dogwood" by McCrae, and "Atlas Shrugged"--two other great reads that will cause your wheels to start spinning!
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Title: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown ISBN: 0385504209 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd ISBN: 0142001740 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 28 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ISBN: 0060740450 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by LAURA HILLENBRAND ISBN: 0449005615 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 26 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Life of Pi by Yann Martel ISBN: 0156027321 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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