I’ve mentioned in a couple of different posts that I am attempting to familiarize myself with what are considered literary classics, and while I still have a very long way to go, I am pleased that I have several under my belt. My mom recommended John Steinbeck’s works to me because she has read many, and after I read The Grapes of Wrath, I knew I wanted to read more of his pieces.
With the movie coming out soon, I figured now is a good time to read East of Eden. I did not read a synopsis of this book prior to starting, so I truly had absolutely zero idea of what the story would be.
East of Eden begins by telling the story of two brothers, Adam and Charles. The boys are very different, with Adam being more reserved and emotional, and Charles being hard and angry. The boys lose their father early on in the story, and are surprised to learn of the tremendous inheritance he has left to his sons. Charles wishes to continue farming, but Adam decides to move away to the Salinas Valley with his new wife, Cathy, to begin a new life. Unbeknownst to Adam, however, is the fact that his wife is by no means who he perceives her to be, and that he has quite literally married a monster. In Steinbeck’s words, Cathy is born ‘wrong,’ and I can’t help but agree with him.
The story is Steinbeck’s take on the well-known story of Cain and Abel from the bible, addressing how the rivalry between two brothers, sparked by favouritism on behalf of their father, can destroy a family, as well as marrying the wrong person, and, furthermore, how such dynamics in families tend to repeat themselves throughout future generations. It is excellent, and it is certainly a read.
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