East of Eden by John Steinbeck

“We only have 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.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow putting into words how much I loved this book is going to be so difficult. From the first 30 pages, I knew this would be a 5-star read. John Steinbeck regarded this book as his magnum opus, and I completely understand why. Backdropped by California's Salina Valley, East of Eden spans multiple generations, focusing on the interconnected lives of the Trasks and the Hamiltons. A lot of biblical symbolism is sprinkled throughout the book, with the poisonous rivalry between Cain and Abel being the main biblical story portrayed. This theme is reflected in reoccurring C&A pairs, starting with Adam and Charles and again with Aron and Cal. Steinbeck's mastery of his craft truly shines in every aspect of this book, especially when it comes to his characterization. He is able to add so much depth to his characters in half a page, a couple of sentences, even a single line. His characters are endlessly fascinating. Even when characters fall into the same archetype, they are still so unique. The recurring characteristics and behaviors of various characters greatly enhanced the book's overarching message: we all possess choices in our internal struggle between good and evil.

My favorite part of the book was the way the matters discussed in the story are still relevant to the world we live in today, from the pain of absent fathers to our awe and trepidation at unfamiliar technologies to the conflict between advancement and tradition and of course the battle of good vs. evil. The timelessness of this novel marks it as one of the greatest classics.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Also cannot end this review without mentioning my girl Cathy. Oh how I love to read about truly villainous women.