A Book Review:
TIMELESS MASTERPIECE "EAST OF EDEN"
I thought it would be good to start here with a book review of one of my favorite books. Let's begin!
Writing about "East of Eden" is one of my most difficult things. A masterpiece that I’m afraid I will not be able to talk about it enough.
Loads of reviews are available, offering insights into the story and characters. What I wish to talk about here is what I’ve learned from it.
With his natural storytelling power, John Steinbeck imparts a profound message:
We all have one story. That at the end of our life, the only thing that matters is answering this question: was it good or evil? And no matter what is your situation in your life, you are responsible for it, you have a choice and you can’t deny it! That we, humans are all connected, like the Yayoi Kusama idea:
“Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos... When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment.”
Autor is a great observer, he tells us how environment, family, and society can shape us as human beings from our childhood and how parents' influence is powerful in shaping one’s personality.
The book is packed with amazing quotes that make you think:
“And it never failed that during the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all the memory of the dry years. It was always like that way”
“If you can go down so low, you will be able to rise higher than you can conceive, and you will know a holy joy, a companionship almost like that of a heavenly company of angels. Then you will know the quality of men even if they are inarticulate. But until you have gone way down you can never know this.”
This book is like a guideline for life, you can live and see your life through the character’s eyes, I moved to London from Tehran more than one year ago, and whenever I face difficulties, I forget many reasons that made me decide to my country and all the things that I remember are the good parts, I was reading this book and reached to this part, and I was like, ok ok think again about your situation:
“He remembered quite inaccurately the time before Adam went away as the happy time, and he wanted it to come again.”
Or after reading this part, I thought, ok I’m not the only deluded person in the world, and it’s a must for me to live in the moment:
“And people found happiness in the future according to their present lack.”
The narrator of this book is John himself. His story happens in the Salinas Valley, where he lived and his family is part of the story. Sam Hamilton, his grandfather, is one of the main characters - a wise, handy, and handsome Irish man who immigrated with his wife Liza to Salinas to create a better life.
Most of the characters are immigrants, and the difficulties they face resonate with me as a new immigrant. Read this part from Lee, my favorite character who is a wise, book lover with the dream of opening a bookstore (Like most of us), a Chinese immigrant who was born in the US, but still feels like an outsider:
In response to Samuel who told him if he dressed and talked like an American they would accept him instead of acting like a Chinese man who can’t speak English properly, he says: “To the so-called whites I was still a Chinese, but an untrustworthy one; and at the same time my Chinese friends steered clear of me. I had to give up.”
Or when Adam is talking about Samuel to Cathy: “It does take a time to get used to a new country. It’s like being born again and having to learn all over” and it’s dead on!
And all of the issues that first and second-generation immigrants face throughout the book are still relevant.
My favorite sections of the book are those in which Lee and Samuel discuss a topic. It's as if you're listening to two book enthusiasts and wise guys, and I sometimes wish I could join in on their chats.
In one part Lee talks about his big dream, of opening a bookstore, and at the end, he says “I probably won’t do it though. A servant loses his initiative.”
Omg, I can't explain to you how I felt after reading it! This is a true story about most of us as employees. We fantasize about beginning our own business, but we never do, and I wonder if it's because we're afraid of starting over or because we're so reliant on our monthly paycheck that we can't risk it. It felt like Lee was speaking to me, stating that it was because you lost your initiative!
If you want to read about the story and what it is about you can read good reviews available on the internet. I recommend watching this incredible video by Benjamin McEvoy: Hardcore Literature to learn more about this masterpiece.
The only thing that I think was neglected in other reviews of this book is talking about Cathy. The only main woman character in the book. Obviously, she’s the Eve. The new version without any good inside her. I kind of liked her thou. She knows what she wants, and I learned from her (In a good cause of course!) if I want something I need to be patient, dedicated to the target, and not talk about it to anybody, and never give up. And of course, being evil is your choice!
Also, in 1955, an adaptation of the movie was created by Elia Kazan, based on the fourth and final part of the book, starring James Dean as Cal Trask. I haven't watched it yet, but as soon as I watch it, I'll write about it here.
I can talk about this book for hours, but I don’t want to spoil the book. Read it and enjoy the art of a great storyteller and a magnificent masterpiece!