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Keith Mosman: Five Book Friday: Fearless New Collections from Asian American Poets (0 comment)
As Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month draws to a close, I wanted to highlight some of the recent books of poetry that have so impressed me. Here are five poets who have written collections that are each rich, wise, and fearless...
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East of Eden

by John Steinbeck
East of Eden

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  • Synopses & Reviews

ISBN13: 9780140186390
ISBN10: 0140186395
Condition: Standard


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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

A masterpiece of Biblical scope, and the magnum opus of one of Americas most enduring authors

In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

The masterpiece of Steinbecks later years, East of Eden is a work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. Adapted for the 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan introducing James Dean and read by thousands as the book that brought Oprahs Book Club back, East of Eden has remained vitally present in American culture for over half a century.   This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction by David Wyatt.

For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

 

Review

John Steinbeck knew and understood America and Americans better than any other writer of the twentieth century. (The Dallas Morning News) A man whose work was equal to the vast social themes that drove him. (Don DeLillo)"

Review

"A novel planned on the grandest possible scale...One of those occasions when a writer has aimed high and then summoned every ounce of energy, talent, seriousness, and passion of which he was capable...It is an entirely interesting and impressive book."

—The New York Herald Tribune

 

"A fantasia and myth...a strange and original work of art."

—The New York Times Book Review

 

"A moving, crying pageant with wilderness strengths."

—Carl Sandburg

"When the book club ended a year ago, I said I would bring it back when I found the book that was moving…and this is a great one. I read it for myself for the first time and then I had some friends read it. And we think it might be the best novel we've ever read!"

—Oprah Winfrey

 

Synopsis

Today, nearly forty years after his death, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck remains one of America’s greatest writers and cultural figures. We have begun publishing his many works for the first time as blackspine Penguin Classics featuring eye-catching, newly commissioned art. This season we continue with the seven spectacular and influential books East of Eden, Cannery Row, In Dubious Battle, The Long Valley, The Moon Is Down, The Pastures of Heaven, and Tortilla Flat. Penguin Classics is proud to present these seminal works to a new generation of readers—and to the many who revisit them again and again.

Synopsis

The masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is the powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is both family saga and a modern retelling of the book of Genesis.

Description

Includes bibliographical references (p. xxix-xxx).

About the Author

JOHN STEINBECK (1902–1968) was born in Salinas, California. He worked as a laborer and a journalist, and in 1935, when he published Tortilla Flat, he achieved popular success and financial security. Steinbeck wrote more than twenty-five novels and won the Nobel Prize in 1962. Nearly all of his books are available in Penguin Classics.

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Average customer rating 5 (3 comments)

`
allyede , May 04, 2010
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is literature in its most artistic form. A novel overflowing with biblical allusions and symbolism, East of Eden is a perfect mix of intriguing and complex characters as well as relevant and timeless themes. The novel is set in the fertile farmlands of the Salinas Valley in Northern California. Steinbeck portrays the lives of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons as they recreate the stories of Cain and Abel and Adam and Eve. By incorporating one of the most evil characters created in literature, Steinbeck manipulates his characters to demonstrate the never-ending struggle between good and evil and how good will prevail, if only we will choose it. Biblical allusions are a central part to the novel as a whole. The story of Cain and Abel in particular is a motif that reappears throughout the book. In reenacting this well known story, Steinbeck explores the fragile existence between love and rejection. Like Cain, Steinbeck’s characters, Charles and Caleb, experience rejection at the hands of their fathers. The jealousy created by this rejection causes these characters to commit acts of violence or revenge. By making an ancient and well known story the central thematic focus of his novel, Steinbeck appeals to a broad audience while conveying challenging yet lasting themes and characters. Steinbeck’s complex characters are part of what makes East of Eden the successful piece of literature that it is. His characters do not only fit the molds of the characters in the biblical stories, but also fill numerous other important roles. Some symbolize broad concepts, such as life or evilness, others are used as givers of information and are portrayed as wise and all knowing, and still others have the role of demonstrating the internal struggles of identity and the cruelties of love. But no matter what the role, all of Steinbeck’s characters play a part in developing the central theme of choosing to live a life of good, or one of evil, a theme that has been relevant for hundreds of years. As long as the struggle between good and evil endures, East of Eden will hold relevance in the world of literature. The point that makes this novel unique in its depiction of the age-old concept is its original interpretation and its overall message. Steinbeck modernizes this struggle and applies it to a set of characters that are relatable to the audience. Characters are the chess pieces in this interpretation of good vs. evil. They are manipulated experience the event, go through a given situation, or demonstrate to the audience a certain symbolic meaning. On top of these unique interpretations of the ancient concept, Steinbeck also puts his own twist on the overall message of this struggle. He believes that it is not merely that good should and will prevail, but that we have a choice. We have a choice in which path to choose and which will triumph over the other. Due to the fascinating symbolism, characters, and thematic concepts, my evaluation of East of Eden is one of optimism. Steinbeck controls elements such as plot, characters, and symbolism to keep the novel intriguing and engaging. Readers must play an active role while reading in order to understand the many hidden meanings. This is important because if the reader is not engaged or unaware of certain symbolic meanings, they may not obtain all of what the novel has to offer. East of Eden requires that you think deeper, but this only makes the understanding of the plot more enjoyable and rewarding. Steinbeck more than achieves the goal of depicting a unique interpretation of the struggle between good and evil while engaging the reader through symbols, complex characters, and biblical allusions. In East of Eden, Steinbeck masterfully creates complex characters, explores the concepts of identity, free will, and the pains of love and rejection, and develops a plot overflowing with symbolic meaning. His interpretation of the timeless struggle of good and evil will make East of Eden relevant and popular for decades to come.

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Kimberly Smith , January 03, 2010
I have read other Steinbeck books (Grapes of Wrath, and To a God Unknown) and enjoyed them, but this one is my favorite, and is also possibly the most enjoyable book I have ever read. The characters are very interesting, and the story itself is superb. Steinbeck has a way with detail that pulls you into his stories...he makes you feel like you're right alongside his characters, watching every moment unfold before your eyes. East of Eden is a rich story with a profound undertone.

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Denise Barnett , July 23, 2008 (view all comments by Denise Barnett)
I know this is an established literary classic but I just have to say this is an AWESOME book. Steinbeck never wastes his words. Every sentence and description is perfect - you can SEE Salinas as you read. The story is weird, wonderful and full of twists.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780140186390
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
10/01/1992
Publisher:
PENGUIN PUTNAM TRADE
Series info:
Penguin Twentieth Century Classics
Pages:
640
Height:
1.13IN
Width:
5.00IN
Thickness:
1.25
Series:
Penguin Twentieth Century Classics
Age Range:
18 and up
Grade Range:
13 and up
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
1992
Series Volume:
v. 10, no. 2
UPC Code:
2800140186392
Author:
David Wyatt
Author:
Richard Poe
Author:
John Steinbeck
Author:
David Wyatt
Author:
John Steinbeck
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Salinas River Valley
Subject:
Brothers
Subject:
Fathers and sons
Subject:
American fiction (fictional works by one author)
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Salinas River Valley (Calif.) Fiction.

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