I've just finished the third book on my list that deals with American culture, East of Eden by John Steinbeck; perhaps one of the most well-known American authors.
My initial reaction is that I enjoyed this book, I picked it up and put it down over the course of six days and I managed to get through it. I anticipated it taking me a lot longer to read since it's over 700 pages long so the fact I read it in less than a week speaks volumes to me.
Steinbeck considered this book to be his greatest work and it does have an air of grandiosity (although I understand why others may say it's pretension!).
The book meanders across a huge time span, from the American Civil War until the First World War. We follow the stories of two families throughout the course of a few generations, which means that you are quite invested in the characters' lives and their journeys. The only downside, for me, was that, a few of the characters weren't present throughout the whole story and they were monumental characters that had a huge impact on me and the book.
The book also alludes to a lot of biblical references; it's called East of Eden, characters have parallels to Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. Even as someone who is not particularly well versed when it comes to the Bible, the themes running through the book were pretty clear. You also have the fact one of the main characters is called Adam and others Cal and Aron. It obviously gives the book a solid moral backbone.
The book explores the idea of identity as well and this gave me an insight into the melting pot of American culture. Lee, who is a Chinese immigrant in the States, stated that he got treated as a foreigner in the States and when he went back to China after growing up in the States, he was a foreigner there as well. It's a very interesting concept as I imagine it's something that a lot of people can relate to.
As I said, I enjoyed this book but the heavy religious symbolism and themes made it a little inaccessible for me. However, I can see why it is said to be one of the most revealing pieces of American literature. It reveals the progress of American culture from the Civil War to the First World War, both on an industrial/technological and a family level.
Have you ever read any of Steinbeck's novels?
The book also alludes to a lot of biblical references; it's called East of Eden, characters have parallels to Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. Even as someone who is not particularly well versed when it comes to the Bible, the themes running through the book were pretty clear. You also have the fact one of the main characters is called Adam and others Cal and Aron. It obviously gives the book a solid moral backbone.
The book explores the idea of identity as well and this gave me an insight into the melting pot of American culture. Lee, who is a Chinese immigrant in the States, stated that he got treated as a foreigner in the States and when he went back to China after growing up in the States, he was a foreigner there as well. It's a very interesting concept as I imagine it's something that a lot of people can relate to.
As I said, I enjoyed this book but the heavy religious symbolism and themes made it a little inaccessible for me. However, I can see why it is said to be one of the most revealing pieces of American literature. It reveals the progress of American culture from the Civil War to the First World War, both on an industrial/technological and a family level.
Have you ever read any of Steinbeck's novels?
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