East of Eden
Readers rate it 4.5 (1.2K on Hardcover)
601 pages · Released 2002 · Penguin Books
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East of Eden parent’s guide: what’s inside
LGBTQ+ themes
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A note for parents
East of Eden is Steinbeck's literary masterpiece exploring good, evil, identity, and human nature across three generations in early 20th-century California. While the novel contains some violence, mature themes including psychological abuse and moral corruption, and occasional coarse language, it is primarily a philosophical and character-driven work focused on family struggles and the human capacity for growth and redemption. This is sophisticated literary fiction best suited to mature teen readers and adults who can engage with its complex themes, biblical allegory, and exploration of depravity alongside profound messages about choice and freedom.
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From the publisher
Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his masterpiece. In his journal, Journal of a Novel (often read as a companion to the novel) he notes that “this is the book I have always wanted and have worked and prayed to be able to write Set primarily in the Salinas Valley in the early twentieth century, the novel traces th... Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his masterpiece. In his journal, Journal of a Novel (often read as a companion to the novel) he notes that “this is the book I have always wanted and have worked and prayed to be able to write Set primarily in the Salinas Valley in the early twentieth century, the novel traces three generations of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – as they grapple with the ever-present forces of good and evil. From this plot emerged some of Steinbeck’s most fascinating characters – many of whom are modeled after people in his own life. Part allegory, part autobiography, and part epic, East of Eden was an ambitious project from the start – a gift to Steinbeck’s sons that was meant to teach them about identity, grief, and what it means to be human. Tinged with biblical echoes of the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel, this sprawling saga has captivated audiences everywhere for generations. It is through the popularization of East of Eden that the Salinas Valley was truly transformed into “the valley of the world”; a place where everyone is able to find a piece of themselves in the golden, rolling hills. ([source][1]) ---------- Contains: - [East of Eden 1/2][2] - [East of Eden 2/2][3] ---------- Also contained in: - [East of Eden / The Wayward Bus][4] - [The Grapes of Wrath / The Moon is Down / Cannery Row / East of Eden / Of Mice and Men][5] - Novels 1942-1952 - Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Spring 1953 Selections [1]: http://www.steinbeck.org/about-john/his-works/ [2]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17811975W/East_of_Eden_1_2 [3]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL18023025W/East_of_Eden_2_2 [4]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15138391W/East_of_Eden_The_Wayward_Bus [5]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23165W/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_The_Moon_is_Down_Cannery_Row_East_of_Eden_Of_Mice_and_Men
Shelved under
- migrant labor
- historical fiction
- domestic fiction
- depravity
- beneficence
- love
- the struggle for acceptance
- self-destruction
- guilt
- freedom
- literary fiction
- classics
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ISBN 9780142000656 · Penguin Books