Book of the Day : 'East of Eden' John Steinbeck

today,  I would like to recommend you and say a few words about a novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

this book is just a classic novel with epic, timeless story. East of Eden, wrote by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck and published in September 1952, is one of the best his books, and is described as Steinbeck's most ambitious novel.

about what it is:

from one side the story is simple: life of people, their good and bad moments, their view of life, love, bad and good things. from the other side this story has many personal fights - for honour, family, for being oneself, for the respect, for finding own life's way in this world. but also the book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, vagabond, and the struggle for acceptance, greatness, and the capacity for self-destruction and especially of guilt and freedom. 

East of Eden is a story about Adam Trask, his relation with father and brother Charles, his mysterious wife, his sons and their not too clear relation; about Samuel Hamilton and his family, his great mind and ideas; and finally about life of people in Salinas valley. this book focuses on Adam's story and also his sons and is showing resemblance to the story of the Hamilton family. we can see the same relation between Adam and Charles, and then between Cal and Aron - comparing to the story of Cain and Abel.

why you should read it:

good question. I think I can show you many reasons why you should read it, to be honest. the most important is fact that this book is about free will, because we always can choose between good and bad and always it will be ur decision, not somebody else; free will because we always can choose will we be good or bad person, no matter of or genes or place where we live - we are creating oneself, our mind and character, our future. East of Eden is about attempt to find oneself also, because 'live' it's one thing, but 'be somebody' it's the second. 

questions about sin, conscience of guilty person and self-destruction, and also question 'what to do to be a better person, to think as a better person?' - another reason why to read it.

of course inside this book we can find religious allegory, Eden (obviously), but also the story of Cain and Abel - that's why title of book is East of Eden:

and Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the Land of Nod, on the east of Eden

                                                                                                                                Genesis

the next reason why you should read this book is just exceptional, unique and amazing style of Steinbeck. for me you can find between the lines questions and answers, happiness and tears, the beginning and the end, you can even find yourself there. as for me this book isn't just a normal story, it's something more: sincere, fascinating, surprising, giving questions, inducing for giving some thought to oneself and these characters - remarkable.

things to look out for:

I think it's a friendship, or relation as who likes, between Adam, Samuel Hamilton and Lee, Adam's manservant. all their conversations, ideas, problems and advices. I think it's a real base and real heart of the book. and I think Steinbeck wanted to show this thing, philosophy of it.

where / when you should read this:

everywhere! but I think that it would be really good if you had a little peace around yourselves to think about the story, about words inside the book.but you can read it everywhere and anytime, trust me. it's not important where or when but what will you feel when you will be reading it.

ok, East of Eden is, more or less, long (mine book has 848 pages) but it's nice to read. trust me, it's not so bad.East of Eden is worth it.

favourite quotes from the book:

* All great and precious things are lonely.

* Courage and fear were one thing too.

* An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie.

* Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man.

* But you must give him some sign, some sign that you love him... or he'll never be a man. All his life he'll feel guilty and alone unless you release him.

* It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them.

* I wonder how many people I have looked at all my life and never really seen.

* A man without words is a man without thought.

* And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.

* Strong and brave and rather childlike.

* There’s more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty.

* A man so painfully in love is capable of self-torture beyond belief.

* My imagination will get me a passport to hell one day.

* Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.

* It’s awful not to be loved. It’s the worst thing in the world. It makes you mean, and violent, and cruel.

* No one who is young is ever going to be old.

* It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routine life, even if you hate it.

* Perhaps the less we have, the more we are required to brag.

* Maybe-- maybe love makes you suspicious and doubting. Is it true that when you love a woman you are never sure-- never sure of her because you aren't sure of yourself?

 * I think I love you, Cal. -Abra; I'm not good.-Cal ; Because you're not good. -Abra

* When you're a child you're the center of everything. Everything happens for you. Other people? They're only ghosts furnished for you to talk to.

* Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost.

* In my own way I tell jokes because people come all the way to my place to laugh. I try to be funny for them even when the sadness is on me.

                                                                                       - Samuel Hamilton

 * I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents.

* We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.

 * Dear Lord,' he said. 'let me be like Aron. Don’t make me mean. I don’t want to be. If you will let everybody like me, why, I’ll give you anything in the world, and if I haven’t got it, why, I’ll go for to get it. I don’t want to be mean. I don’t want to be lonely. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

                                                                                            - Cal

yes, in my opinion East of Eden it's just a great book. to be honest, it's just 'must to read', even once in a lifetime.

this book can change your lives, your world view... and it'll happen when you read it - trust me.

P.S.
to be honest I'm just like Cal. I'm sure of it.