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East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a rendition of the biblical story of Cain and Abel set in Salinas, California. This novel is filled with memorial characters that are not too far fetched, as they are based on families in Salinas. Each brother tries to win his father’s love by going down different paths. Steinbeck includes truly riveting descriptions of the scenery and events, something he is known for in his works.
My Two Cents…
East of Eden is by far one of my favorite books of all time. I have sat down with this novel more than a handful of times, with my cup of tea, and experienced the lives of the different characters.
My favorite two characters are probably the same as most, Samuel and Lee. They are likable, interesting, and kind. Although, Cathy is the most intriguing of all the characters with her utter wickedness. I cannot imagine someone as delightfully and horrifically as Cathy is in this novel. Throughout all my reading, I have not come across another character like her.
The aspect I enjoy the most about a Steinbeck novel is his incredible talent as a writer. His characters are always very well developed and his descriptive words flow out of the pages and through my head like a river.
All of these things earned East of Eden a place in my top five as well as a spot on my “Tea Drinking Readers” page!
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