11k reviews for:

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

4.46 AVERAGE

icyirisreads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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“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?”

This is a six star book for me, and I would read 600 MORE pages about the NEXT three generations of Trasks and Hamiltons. Nobody writes characters like Steinbeck. Each one has beautifully fleshed out dreams and fears, and each feels wholly human. I am already missing reading this book. 

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

nigelpen's review against another edition

4.5

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

tumssimon's review against another edition

3.0

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jjobrofo's review against another edition

4.5

dark hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

clairesinow's review against another edition

3.0

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A genuine slog.

mardybumm's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

hadyzuzanna's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

amelyy's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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surprisingly great, wish there had been more Cathy.

mraejohnson's review against another edition

4.25

challenging reflective

kplat's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes