Review by mmccombs - East of Eden

mmccombs 's review for:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

4.5

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

This book is just breath taking from the very first page. I first read this book when I was like 16 and it quickly became one of my favorites. I decided to reread this with a friend, now 10 years after I originally read it, and found even more depth and more to love. I remember being wowed by the characters in this story, but this time around I was blown away by the simple yet striking descriptions of setting and characters. Every person and place felt real in a way I can’t say I’ve felt about any other book I’ve felt recently. Their psychology and motivations and actions were clearly linked, and the way each character interacted with another led to even deeper mediations on what it means to be human. I will say I was like “alright, I don’t think I need to learn more about this random Hamilton family member” and wished we spent more time with Cathy/Kate near the end. And also, very much jarred by racial slurs and stereotypes (esp about Natice American women), a good warning going into this if you’re thinking of starting it. On the whole though, Steinbeck has a way of painting something so subtly that you can’t tell he’s doing something stunning until you step back and see the entire picture. A timeless classic that I think I will continue to reread, getting something new out of it as I get older. Thou mayest!!

Content Warnings