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Mar 14, 2018SPPL_Betsy rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
John Steinbeck sets this family saga in California’s Salinas Valley, the same region his mother’s family settled after leaving Ireland. In fact, the Hamilton family portrayed in East of Eden is based on Steinbeck’s maternal side of the family, and he can be found within the pages as a minor character. The second family East of Eden follows is the Trasks, a fictional family that Steinbeck created in part to represent biblical stories such as Adam and Eve (Adam and Kate Trask), and Cain and Abel (Cal and Aron Trask). The Hamiltons and Trasks are intertwined throughout this epic novel after the patriarchs of each family, Samuel Hamilton and Adam Trask, befriend one another and remain neighbors throughout much of the book. East of Eden is a classic novel that explores themes such as free will, good versus evil, light versus dark, and hatred versus love. At the same time, Steinbeck writes about the history and geography of the Salinas Valley, and the battles fought within and outside of the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a piece of literature that will appeal to fans of classics, and historical fiction. Those who enjoy literary fiction will appreciate Steinbeck's richly descriptive writing style and his intense psychological analysis of multiple characters.