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ereader92 's review for:
East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a book I know I want to return to at a later part of my life. It is so layered and I feel like I only scratched the surface. This is a book I want to discuss; a book I wish I’d read in a college level class and had the ability to analyze, digest, and discuss with others. As much as I enjoyed it, I feel like I didn’t fully unpack the message Steinbeck was trying to convey.
The characters are wi human even in their monstrosity. Their foibles are understandable. Their motivations confused, as it is most of the time in reality. This is an epic that you need to read as an epic—taking your time and stopping frequently to think over what you just read.
My favorite character was Lee because he felt so human and so conflicted. The choices he made, or was forced to make, in order to survive resonated. So did his failures to “achieve” what he thought he wanted. He is so human.
The idea of “timshel” is the core of the book. I understood it as that we have choices, not destiny. And what a beautiful way to end a book—a father telling his son “thou mayst” and giving him the freedom to live on his own terms.
The characters are wi human even in their monstrosity. Their foibles are understandable. Their motivations confused, as it is most of the time in reality. This is an epic that you need to read as an epic—taking your time and stopping frequently to think over what you just read.
My favorite character was Lee because he felt so human and so conflicted. The choices he made, or was forced to make, in order to survive resonated. So did his failures to “achieve” what he thought he wanted. He is so human.
The idea of “timshel” is the core of the book. I understood it as that we have choices, not destiny. And what a beautiful way to end a book—a father telling his son “thou mayst” and giving him the freedom to live on his own terms.