Steinbeck also wrote EoE as a family mythology of his own extended family in California. So he attempted to ground a 'Californian Genesis' as you say within a deeply personal set of characters whom he knew well or knew family lore about (hence the mother in an airplane aside).
Steinbeck wrote to his editor and friend, Pat Covici, that EoE was his attempt to put 'everything' into a book, meaning everything he knew and understood of the world, all of his personal history, the essence of America and California, and by hyperlocalising amd specifying it, he managed the difficult task of showing us the universal through the particular.
East of Eden remains one of my favorite novels. I recently read a Steinbeck biography, Mad at the World, and one of the big questions I ended with was whether or not Steinbeck was aware of how much he was like the absent father figures in his own book--if he was intentionally exploring one of his own life's weaknesses, or if it simply came out in his characters at a subconscious level.
The other thing that stands out to me from your essay here is the part of the novel where he talks about emotional monsters, people who are born evil...and if that is possible. It does seem like the book could have done without the author's explicit stating of this thesis, but what we often see in Steinbeck, I think, is an author who doesn't always trust his reader to pick up on the important things he's trying to convey in the work.
I just read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Its narrator also is impossibly omniscient, and dishonest besides. Maybe he is trying to be Moses retelling the story of Zachaeus.
Steinbeck varied his word count across his career. Some of his novels are bricks and others are little more than novellas. But you feel his authorial presence in everything regardless.
Dude. I totally agree. I was at once impressed by "East of Eden" and a little let down. I had many of the same critiques as you shared and parts of it just left me feeling confused and frustrated. I will say I raced through this book and enjoyed reading it. I didn't love the overt moral message to the reader. It felt like I was watching an old movie or something where all the acting feels out of place with current times. Then again, maybe that was the point. I see why Steinbeck was criticized by his peers. This is not the same sort of book as, say, "For Whom the Bell Tolls." But I will say your balanced review made me want to read it again. I can't tell if all the clunkiness is on purpose or not. The ending did feel hamfisted to me, like a Disneyland ride. But again, maybe that's the point. Maybe it really is a small world after all.
I enjoyed this review. Well written and insightful. And I agree that East of Eden has a powerful ability to entrance. I can also recommend Steinbeck's other work like "Of Mice and Men", "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Cannery Row".
Steinbeck also wrote EoE as a family mythology of his own extended family in California. So he attempted to ground a 'Californian Genesis' as you say within a deeply personal set of characters whom he knew well or knew family lore about (hence the mother in an airplane aside).
Steinbeck wrote to his editor and friend, Pat Covici, that EoE was his attempt to put 'everything' into a book, meaning everything he knew and understood of the world, all of his personal history, the essence of America and California, and by hyperlocalising amd specifying it, he managed the difficult task of showing us the universal through the particular.
East of Eden remains one of my favorite novels. I recently read a Steinbeck biography, Mad at the World, and one of the big questions I ended with was whether or not Steinbeck was aware of how much he was like the absent father figures in his own book--if he was intentionally exploring one of his own life's weaknesses, or if it simply came out in his characters at a subconscious level.
The other thing that stands out to me from your essay here is the part of the novel where he talks about emotional monsters, people who are born evil...and if that is possible. It does seem like the book could have done without the author's explicit stating of this thesis, but what we often see in Steinbeck, I think, is an author who doesn't always trust his reader to pick up on the important things he's trying to convey in the work.
I just read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Its narrator also is impossibly omniscient, and dishonest besides. Maybe he is trying to be Moses retelling the story of Zachaeus.
It was a fun realization to see the characters who followed in Cain's footsteps had names beginning with 'C', and Abel with an 'A'.
Steinbeck varied his word count across his career. Some of his novels are bricks and others are little more than novellas. But you feel his authorial presence in everything regardless.
Excellent. I have not liked what Steinbeck I read before, but this made me want to read this novel! Thank you.
Your excellent review suggested an interesting future topic: what are some really good works of fiction that retell Biblical stories?
Dude. I totally agree. I was at once impressed by "East of Eden" and a little let down. I had many of the same critiques as you shared and parts of it just left me feeling confused and frustrated. I will say I raced through this book and enjoyed reading it. I didn't love the overt moral message to the reader. It felt like I was watching an old movie or something where all the acting feels out of place with current times. Then again, maybe that was the point. I see why Steinbeck was criticized by his peers. This is not the same sort of book as, say, "For Whom the Bell Tolls." But I will say your balanced review made me want to read it again. I can't tell if all the clunkiness is on purpose or not. The ending did feel hamfisted to me, like a Disneyland ride. But again, maybe that's the point. Maybe it really is a small world after all.
I enjoyed this review. Well written and insightful. And I agree that East of Eden has a powerful ability to entrance. I can also recommend Steinbeck's other work like "Of Mice and Men", "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Cannery Row".
This review piqued my interest; I'm going to read it. Thanks.