East of Eden

By John Steinbeck

Categories: Literature & Fiction

East of Eden is John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, set mainly in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley. It follows two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, across generations, from the Civil War era to the end of the First World War. Their intertwined stories echo the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck considered it his magnum opus, exploring identity, love and the consequences of love's absence. A young Steinbeck appears briefly as a minor character.

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• Sam Hinkie
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• Jenn Im
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• Ben Shapiro: “Truly a beautiful book.”
• Florence Pugh: “I want to say maybe my early 20s, I read the book... I'm rereading the book now while we're heading into press, just so I can like fine-tune what I thought I knew.”