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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

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This was quite the ride. Like most of Steinbeck's writing, I don't really love it, but I respect it. Parts of it were brilliant, insightful, cutting, thoughtful, and will stick with me for a long time. Parts of it felt unnecessarily gruesome, dramatic, and over-the-top. Some of it just felt like filler.

Part of my issue with this book was that I was way more interested in the Hamiltons, but they weren't actually the point of the story. ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) So some of the scenes that really stick with me, like Grandma Hamilton in the airplane, and the tragic end of Tom, actually had basically nothing to do with the forward progression of the main story. I wish Steinbeck had just written a story about his mother's family. I think I would have enjoyed tracing their tale from Samuel's immigration down through his grandchildren.

The Trasks were an interesting family, and I appreciated the ⬇ 6mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) repeating, yet different, Cain and Abel motif. This is a book that is unabashedly philosophical and contemplative. It navel-gazes, but because it isn't pretending that it's not, it somehow works.

I can't say that I particularly loved any of the Trasks (although I did love Lee), so it made me somewhat ambivalent towards where the story was heading.

Those of you who read along with me (or have already read it and want to jump in haha), ⬇ 6mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) any final thoughts? How did you feel about the ending? Did you have a favorite scene or character or quote? Did you find it overall a worthwhile read?

Thank you for plowing through this one with me!! 😁

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 6mo

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BarkingMadRead I enjoyed it overall. You explained it perfectly, I would much rather have heard about the Hamiltons! The Trask family was very messed up! Lee was perfection, and I loved Abra as well. So I guess I just want to hear about everyone who is Trask adjacent 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6mo

Librarybelle The Trasks were drama. I liked this and am glad I finally read it. I love your photo! 6mo

TheBookHippie Perfect explanation of the book. I will never read this author again 🤣😅😵‍💫🤷🏻‍♀️😝 but I‘m so glad I have the knowledge of this book and finally got to it! I put the movie on hold at the library 👀. Thanks for leading us through it! 6mo

Cvfrailing Another wonderful book! 6mo

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TheAromaofBooks #RandomClassics

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 6mo

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

(thru ch 49) Honestly, I've been totally hooked on this book during the last week or two. What is going to happen with the twins?? Is Cal going to give into the darkness within himself? Is Aron going to break? Is Kate going to destroy their lives somehow?

It's also been kind of interesting to read a book set during WWI; I feel like most books are set during WWII. The story about everyone making the life of the man with the (German??) accent ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) miserable - so sad. :-(

How do you feel about Steinbeck writing himself into the story? Supposedly the Hamiltons actually are based on Steinbeck's maternal family, while the Trasks are fictional.

Today's chapter ended a little ambiguously - do you think Cal took Aron to see their mother?

We actually only have one week left!! Monday should be our last chapter!! I haven't exactly enjoyed this book, but I've found it intriguing. 6mo

BarkingMadRead I finished this over a week ago 🤣 I‘m afraid to comment in case I have a spoiler or something in it! 6mo

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TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRead SAME! 😅 6mo

BarkingMadRead Let me see if I can do this without spoilers 🤣 i really hope Cal doesn‘t take Aron to meet his mother, it would likely destroy him! He‘s been trying so hard to be good, but he might fail! 6mo

Librarybelle It‘s interesting that Steinbeck includes himself in the story. I‘m not sure if it adds any real value, though it does make this a bit more of a personal story for Steinbeck, like it lends credence to the story since his family is tangentially related to it. As for Cal…I feel so sad for him and hope this doesn‘t lead him to be “bad.” 6mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie - Now that we're in the final week, I will probably be reading more than a chapter a day to find out what happens 😂 6mo

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - it is somewhat jarring to me, especially because it happens so infrequently that I kind of forget that he's supposedly narrating his own family history. But it did finally make me look up to see how much of this book really was based on his family, so there's that 😂 6mo

BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie I had to finish it yesterday! Once I get down to the last 20-30 pages, chapter-a-day tends to go out the window 😆 @Librarybelle I feel the same, that it doesn't seem to add anything. It pulled me out of the narrative every time! 6mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

This post contains spoilers

(thru ch 41) I feel like we've gotten more actual story this week, so that's been interesting. Cal's character is really developing in a direction I wasn't expecting. Once again, Steinbeck seems to be emphasizing the concept of choice. Aron is turning into a bit of a prat, though 😑

The chapter focusing on Cathy/Kate was another interesting twist of her character as well. I'm a bit fascinated by what she considers “trapped“ vs her control. ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I'm scared that her paranoia is going to somehow end up harming Adam and/or the boys.

Any thoughts from you all this week?

#RandomClassic @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 6mo

BarkingMadRead Kate scares me, I feel like she‘s going to lash out of the boys somehow! Kyle interest me the most, because he knows that he has those bad tendencies but he wants to be good. I do not like the turn that Aron took, he seems to have a bit of an obsessive personality. Poor Abra! 6mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead - Aron definitely seems not as bright, one of those people who just decide what they like/want/are/think is good or bad and then stubbornly insist on sticking to that opinion no matter what else they learn. If Abra can get him focused in a decent direction so that he just keeps plodding along the way she wants him to go, she might be able to make it work 😂 6mo

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Librarybelle I get chills down my spine reading about Cathy/Kate. We have about 20% of the book to go, according to my Kindle app. It‘ll be interesting to see how this turns out! 6mo

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - It's been interesting to watch C/K become more and more pitiful as time passes - always looking for the worst, always willing to destroy anything that gets in her way (even when it's not actually a bad thing or an actual threat), constantly manipulating and assuming everyone else is doing the same thing - it was always sad, but as she's getting older it's becoming pathetic and tragic as well. Such a waste! 6mo

Librarybelle Completely agree, @TheAromaofBooks ! 6mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

This post contains spoilers

(thru ch34) - Well, quite a few people have kipped over since our last check in! Poor Tom! I did a little research to try and figure out what actually killed Dessie. Most people seem to think appendicitis, but I couldn't find out why the salts would have made it worse (or even what they were for - to make her vomit? As an antacid?). Also would appendicitis last so long? She's already complaining of the pain when she first goes to stay with Tom. ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) So all that to say, I don't know but I'd love to hear anyone else's theories haha

I'm worried about Adam and his sons moving so close to where Cathy lives. That seems foolish. Aren't there any other towns where he could take his sons to go to school??

The end of ch30, where Cal is trying to do better, wants to do better - wow, that really got me. I hope that he doesn't turn into a terrible person like his mother! At least he isn't a ⬇ 7mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) total psychopath!

Today's chapter was short but poignant. I'm still thinking about the line: “if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.“ I remember back when I was an early teen recognizing how when some people walk into a room, everyone is glad to see them, but with others everyone seems to sort of heave a deep sigh ⬇ 7mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) and bear it. I wanted to be one of the happy ones. I don't want to be the cranky person that when someone gets home they tell their spouse, “ugh I had to deal with SARAH today, you wouldn't BELIEVE what a pain she is!“ So all that to say, I think the parts of this story that appeal to me are the parts about choice. That we choose if we want to do good or not, if we want to add or take away.

...but I do have to agree with the ⬇ 7mo

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) hypothetical child at the beginning of ch34... “What's this story about?“ 😂

Please share your thoughts!!!

#RandomClassics @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 7mo

Librarybelle I think, too, that this is a story about choice, a story about good versus evil. Some choose the path of good, others evil. We all wrestle with our own demons, who affect the way we respond to situations. There are definite chapters of rambling and meandering! 7mo

shortsarahrose Appendicitis can be chronic! 7mo

BarkingMadRead Poor Dessie, I wondered at first if it was stomach cancer, but then I was thinking it was appendicitis and that it burst at the end. Poor Tom, he has so much guilt and it wasn‘t his fault! 7mo

TheBookHippie I do think it‘s about choice. I agree lots of rambling on… 7mo

BarbaraJean I‘m finally caught up!! I‘m with @BarkingMadRead - at first I thought cancer, but once the doctor is called and he knows exactly what it is, appendicitis seemed more likely. It seems odd that it went on for that long, though. I felt SO bad for Tom. That letter to Will—😭 I was also so frustrated that Dessie never consulted a doctor about the pain. 7mo

BarbaraJean I don‘t understand Adam moving so close to Cathy, either. It does show how he‘s moved on, but it‘s just SO easy for the boys to find out. And that part with Cal is heart wrenching! He can see so clearly how he is vs. how Aron is—he understands people‘s motivations. But he also wants so desperately to be different. That sets him apart from Cathy. Like Adam tells her, she can‘t even fathom there could be good in people. Cal can, and he wants that. 7mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

This post contains spoilers

(thru ch 29 because I haven't finished today's chapter yet haha)

Well, I can't say I was sad to leave creepy Cathy behind and check in on some other characters this week. Mr. Hamilton though 😞 He and Lee are literally the only two people I even like in this book!

I was so glad that Adam finally got some closure with his psychopath wife and can move on, but I definitely get the feeling that his lies to his sons about their mother will come ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) back to bite him.

At this point, I just want Lee to get out of there and open his bookstore. THAT is a story I would enjoy reading!!!

I don't like this book at all, but I do find myself continuing to read with a kind of fascinated horror. My husband said he had to read this in his sophomore English class. It's not even that this seems like inappropriate high school material (although it does), it's more like - POINTLESS high school ⬇ 7mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) material?? Like why???? At least Grapes of Wrath has some historical context and insights into the struggles of the Great Depression. Frankly, I've found this book to be just kind of dumb and pointless. Sometimes I swear they pick high school reading material with the idea of discouraging kids from reading on their own.

ANYWAY are any of you enjoying this more than me?? I realize that just because I don't like a book doesn't mean that⬇ 7mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) no one does, so please feel free to express conflicting opinions in the comments 😂

#RandomClassics @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 7mo

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BarkingMadRead I‘m not minding it 🤷🏻‍♀️ I won‘t say I love it, because it‘s very disturbing, but I like it. I‘m wondering if these boys are Adam‘s? Charles? One of each? I‘m voting Charles, Cal is sincerely creepy. Lee needs to hightail it out of there. But not in that car 🚗 (edited) 7mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead - I have to say that I loved the car scene. And also... not sure if I would enjoy driving if I had to go through so many steps every time I started mine!!! 7mo

Librarybelle I agree with @BarkingMadRead …I like it, not love it. Some of the chapters seem to meander too much for me, but then others are absolutely horrifying. I have a feeling we‘ll see Cathy again. She‘s a bad penny. 7mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

This post contains spoilers

(thru ch 21) So APPARENTLY this book is about a psychopathic prostitute! Who knew!

But seriously, what the HECK is going on?! I don't actually enjoy reading about Cathy/Kate and am much more interested in what is going on with Adam and the twins, and the Hamilton family. But also I can't help reading these chapters with a kind of horrified fascination. Any thoughts from you all??

I did love one thing Samuel said to Adam, when Adam was thinking ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) about just giving up on life. He said, “You're going to pass something down no matter what you do or if you do nothing. Even if you let yourself go fallow, the weeds will grow and the brambles. Something will grow.“ I don't know why, but I just really liked that quote.

I also like the term “Welshrats“ (ch 16) - “the world sadness that rises into the soul like a gas and spreads despair so that you probe for the offending event and can ⬇ 7mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) find none.“ What an apt description!

Love to hear everyone's thoughts on this book. A much crazier ride than I was anticipating, if I'm honest 😂

#RandomClassics
@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 7mo

Librarybelle I had no clue! None. I‘ve seen none of the adaptations and had only read The Grapes of Wrath in high school. There is the struggle of good versus evil in this, but I did not realize how psychologically terrifying this would be. Geez…but, I‘m liking this way more than I liked Wrath (or remember liking it…it‘s been awhile). 7mo

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BarkingMadRead This woman is nuts! And yet I can‘t look away 🤣 7mo

TheBookHippie It‘s like watching a train wreck I‘m so intrigued I keep reading… 7mo

TheBookHippie Also no clue going in we‘d be on this type of reading adventure. 7mo

BarbaraJean “Horrified fascination”—YES!! She‘s fascinating exactly because of how horrifying she is. And because she‘s such an anomaly in this story—pretty much all the other characters are good-hearted and well-intentioned in their own ways. And then there‘s Cathy, basically a hollow void of humanity. 😬 7mo

BarbaraJean I also loved that quote from Sam to Adam. It feels like such foreshadowing for the twins—what is Adam going to pass down, what will grow in them, what will be the results of their heritage? 7mo

Read4life Exactly like a train wreck, @TheBookHippie . I can‘t look. I can‘t look away! 🫣 7mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

(thru ch 14 - I haven't finished today's chapter, but wanted to post this before I leave haha)

Sorry I missed Monday's check in!! Is everyone keeping up? Some of these chapters have been DARK and consequently a bit of a struggle for me. What do you think of Cathy? She's an interesting juxtaposition to the other women mentioned so far.

The chapter where he goes off on a tangent about Olive/narrator's mother felt super random, but the story of ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) her in the airplane WAS pretty entertaining.

Any other thoughts? I still have no idea where this story is going, what the point is, or even who the main characters are supposed to be 😂

#RandomClassics
@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 7mo

BarkingMadRead I can‘t wait until we settle in to the actual storyline 🤣 Olive in that plane was priceless! Cathy is one messed up chick and I‘m wondering who the baby daddy is 🤷🏻‍♀️ 7mo

Librarybelle Oh yes, some parts are really dark. Cathy is horrible! 7mo

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TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @Librarybelle - Why do you think she's so against being in California with Adam? It seems like she has everything she wants - he's super rich and worships the ground she walks on. I'm a little confused about why she wants to get away so badly/what she is looking for? 7mo

Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead Maybe it‘s a control thing. She did not have the idea, so she doesn‘t want to do it. She always felt trapped by her parents, which to me was weird because they let her do whatever, but this is a situation where she could not manipulate Adam to do what she wants. The way Steinbeck describes her…yikes! He calls her a monster from the first introduction, and he certainly portrays her as one. 7mo

BarkingMadRead @Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks I definitely think she likes being in control, I also think she liked the idea of leading on both brothers at the same time 7mo

BarbaraJean Ugh, Cathy!!! I remember Cathy being fascinatingly creepy--one of the most chilling characters I've ever read. I agree with @Librarybelle and @BarkingMadRead that she's against being in California partly because of control--it wasn't her choice, and it narrows her options. I think she only married Adam as a short-term measure and going to California means she's stuck in the marriage for longer. I also think she's pretty clearly a sociopath! 7mo

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

(thru ch 6) I think this is the part of the program where I remind all of you that I'm just a random person reading a random book, and actually know nothing about this book or its cultural impact, so these will literally just be my opinions, not, like, insightful commentary from a literature professor haha

So, disclaimer out of the way - what do you all think? I feel like the first six chapters have literally just been introductions! I finally ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) got out a piece of paper and wrote down all the Hamiltons, goodness. And found it quite interesting to discover that our narrator is Samuel and Liza's grandchild. I didn't realize that this was going to be a more personal story, rather than just a straight third-person account.

As always, Steinbeck's writing is beautiful and depressing. The entire (LONG) chapter recounting Adam's childhood, whew.

I don't know why, but I loved this ⬇ 8mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) line about Samuel's son, Tom - “He was born in fury and he lived in lightning.“ What a description.

I feel like Steinbeck always presents religious people has being dour, repressed, hateful, etc. and it does annoy me. “Idleness was a sin ... she was suspicious of fun whether it involved dancing or singing or even laughter. She felt that people having a good time were wide open to the devil.“ I just... yes, many religious people are ⬇ 8mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) strict/grim, but many are also full of joy, love, kindness, and generosity, and it would be nice to get some of that representation on the page as well.

So, let me know any of your thoughts!! I feel like we don't have much of a story yet, just lots of character sketches. Does anyone jump out at you? I honestly don't even know who the main character is supposed to be at this point haha And literally still have no idea what this book is ⬇ 8mo

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) about, so that's fun. We'll see how the next week goes.

Also, is a chapter a day too much reading? Let me know if we need to cut back to five chapters a week instead.

#RandomClassics @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @SamAnne @TheBookHippie 8mo

Librarybelle I‘m fine with a chapter a day! Adam‘s childhood chapter was so sad. It is beautiful writing. 8mo

BarkingMadRead It‘s working so well, I think k a chapter a day is great. I saw the movie as a teen in my James Dean obsession days and I still don‘t know what this book is about. I barely remember the movie! I‘m loving it so far, though! 8mo

TheBookHippie The evangelical religious people here are hateful, spiteful, repressed, rigid and legalistic so that read true. My experience and of course that isn‘t all people - just the ones I know and experience, I hear it is different in other parts of the country/world. Chapter a day is good. The writing is better than I remember from this author and I can‘t really remember the movie either. 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle @BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie - We'll probably stick with the chapter a day pace for now then. We may take a break around Memorial Day weekend depending on life 😂 May have to look the movie up when we're done if it means James Dean!! 😁 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie - Well, I would consider myself to be an evangelical Christian, so I would hope that being a dreadful person is not a universal requirement lol 8mo

SamAnne I‘m slow starting but very much looking forward to finally reading this classic. 8mo

TheBookHippie @TheAromaofBooks One would hope😵‍💫 I work with many Protestants in Chicago in a charity that I support that are very kind and loving. But in my town there‘s no hate like Christian love is a daily occurrence. It‘s generational and they don‘t know another way. It‘s sad. Look at the joy they‘re missing. 8mo

BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie @TheAromaofBooks It's SO interesting to note the “joyless“ depiction of anyone religious. I hadn't clocked that; maybe because I'm used to seeing that depiction of “religious“ Christianity without much faith or heart behind it. I've also met a lot of those joyless people (both when I was in evangelical churches and at my (Episcopal) church now!), so in many ways it rang true for me as well. It's sad--there's so much more to faith. ⬇ 8mo

BarbaraJean Honestly, it's a lot easier to depict any religion based on negatives: narrow-minded, rule-following, repressed, etc. It would be nice to see some nuance instead of that stereotype. But Steinbeck isn't usually about joy, so...😂 What stuck out to me was how the women receive very little page time, and those he does focus on are in that negative, joyless (religious!) category.

I'm interested to get into the story as we get out of “intro“ mode. 8mo

BarbaraJean I remember so little of the story from reading this before, so I don't know who the main character is, either!! When Steinbeck went back to the Hamiltons after the Charles and Adam chapter, I said: “Wait, who are the Hamiltons again??“ 😂 Adam definitely sticks out as a main character, but the grandchild comment and the return to the Hamiltons threw me off, and I'm not sure where the focus will land. 8mo

TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean Is he following the I write what I know? Or are women supposed to be background 😬 I agree joy not a word for this author😅 I usually get in trouble with my stance on religion and religiosity -I‘ve never met anyone that is kind or joyful. Faith and spirituality an entirely different thing -lots of hope generally and joy. I can‘t wait to see the rest of this story panned out. It‘s intriguing. 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @theBookHippie - He does seem to use “religion“ as a shorthand for letting you know someone is a grump 😂 I hadn't thought about the correlation between that and all the female characters so far. His women are all very “small,“ very narrow-minded, very uninterested in life outside their own four walls. It will be interesting to see if all the women characters stay that way as the story progresses, or if that will be a continuous theme 8mo

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BarkingMadRead

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

Starting this today for #randomclassics I‘m a couple of chapters behind, I‘m hoping to catch up!

KathyWheeler This may be my favorite Steinbeck book. I read it for a buddy read a few years ago. 8mo

dabbe @KathyWheeler It's definitely mine! 🤩🤩🤩 8mo

5feet.of.fury Power to you! 8mo

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KathyWheeler @dabbe For me, it‘s between this and The Grapes of Wrath. I also recently reread Travels with Charley, which is read and liked in the 7th grade, and found I also still liked it a lot too. 8mo

dabbe @KathyWheeler My order would be: 1. EDEN; 2. MICE & MEN; 3. CHARLEY; 4. GRAPES; and 5. CANNERY ROW. What an incredible author. 🤩 8mo

KathyWheeler @dabbe I love all of those. 8mo

dabbe @KathyWheeler 💙🩵💙 8mo

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Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

We should be finished with The Robe by the end of April, which gives us a fresh slate for starting East of Eden. I have a kind of love/hate relationship with Steinbeck's writing, so we'll see what happens 😂 Some of the chapters are long, but some are really short, so I think we're going to go with a chapter a day and hope it averages out. There are 55 chapters, so this one will carry into June. We may take a little break around Memorial Day if ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) it feels like we need some catch up time, or just a break from what I'm assuming (being Steinbeck) will be fairly unrelenting depression haha

June is going to be a Kipling I've never read. July is going to be tricky because I own two copies of Robinson Crusoe and they both have wildly different chapter divisions. So. That's fun. We'll figure that out when we get there haha

Tagging the master list, so let me know if you want to be on ⬇ 8mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the East of Eden list. As always, no worries if a book isn't your cup of tea, or if you decide it isn't your cup halfway through 😂

@AnneCecilie @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @BookingitwithSandra @Bookwormjillk @catiewithac @CatLass007 @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @CoverToCoverGirl @Cuilin @eeclayton @janeycanuck @julieclair @Lcsmcat @Librarybelle @Meshell1313 @Read4life @SamAnne @TheBookHippie

#RandomClassics 8mo

Librarybelle I‘m in for May! I have a copy of East of Eden ready to go!! 8mo

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SaceReads I might be able to make May. I‘ll definitely be on board for November. I‘d love to be tagged, even though I‘ll mainly be watching from the sidelines. 8mo

SaceReads Oh! I just searched my bookshelf and I have The Red Pony too! Maybe I can make it for September too. I love John Steinbeck. 8mo

BarkingMadRead I‘m ready to go!! 8mo

Bklover Please include me on the list! 8mo

TheBookHippie I too feel this way 😂😂😂 I put it on hold should be here in time!!! 8mo

Read4life I‘m ready to go for May! 🤓 8mo

CogsOfEncouragement I appreciate this schedule. I‘ll join in for July and November. 8mo

BarbaraJean Ohhh, would you tag me for East of Eden? I often think about re-reading it, and you know my weakness for buddy reads… 😆 Two of my current buddy reads will end in April, and Kindred Spirits is starting up again, so why not slot in another buddy read to keep my overcommitments going? 😂 8mo

julieclair I‘m in! I have always wanted to read East of Eden. And @BarbaraJean is there any way to live other than in a state of overcommitment? 🫠🥴 8mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair When it comes to reading commitments for me, apparently there is no other way to live!! 😂 8mo

SamAnne I‘m in. Really looking forward to finally reading this Steinbeck! 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - That's the kind of can-do attitude I like to see around Litsy 😂 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @Librarybelle @Read4life @SaceReads @TheBookHippie - Okay, I have all of you down for East of Eden!! Literally know nothing about it, although my copy's blurb describes it as a “sprawling and often brutal novel“ so that sounds super fun 😂 😂 😂 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @SamAnne - Accidentally skipped you in the previous comment, but I have you on the list, too!! 8mo

TheBookHippie @TheAromaofBooks I have zero knowledge… 😂 8mo

Read4life @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie We‘re going in clueless together! 🤣 8mo

CoffeeNBooks I would love to read Robinson Crusoe with you all in July- it's been sitting on my bookshelf for years! 8mo

TheAromaofBooks @SaceReads @CogsOfEncouragement @CoffeeNBooks - Yay!! I would love to have you along for later this year!!! I'll tag everyone each month and you can remind if you want to read along that month or not haha 8mo

CoffeeNBooks @TheAromaofBooks Thank you!! I put a reminder in my calendar so I wouldn't forget which month I'm joining. 😁 8mo

Catsandbooks I'd love to join you for Fahrenheit 451 in August! I've been meaning to do a reread 8mo

ChelseaM6010 Oh, crumbs! I thought I had responded to this 😰🫣🙃😅 I am planning on returning for Robinson Crusoe in July! 🙂 7mo

TheAromaofBooks @ChelseaM6010 - No worries, I'll be creating that tag list when I get a little closer haha But check your copy... I have two copies and one has chapters and one doesn't!!! So I'm not completely sure how to divide up the buddy read LOL 7mo

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Larkken

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

1. HAL from 2001
2. Snape/Alan Rickman (I know…fight me 😜)
3. Cathy Ames from the tagged book

Fun question! #tlt @dabbe

dabbe 1. “I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Dave.“ Yikes!
2. Snape was one of the best heroic villains I think ever created. Just like relationships used to be on Facebook, “it's complicated!“ 🤩
3. Oh, man, was she evil! 😱
Thanks for playing! 🧡💜💛 1y

18 likes1 comment

IndoorDame

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

#ThinkPositiveBePositive @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Thanks for the tag @dabbe @Eggs !!!

5feet.of.fury I couldn‘t hack it with that book, but it‘s a great quote 1y

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 That's a great one. 1y

51 likes2 comments

LiseWorks

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

May 11 #MayMontage Generational I think i want to read this one. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

TheKidUpstairs One of my all time favourites. 2y

dabbe @TheKidUpstairs #ditto ⬆️ 💙💚💙
2y

Eggs Popular choice today! 2y

22 likes3 comments

Larkken

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

pick

I very much enjoyed this novel and wouldn‘t have picked it up (thanks to its reputation as a bit of a slog) if it weren‘t for #AuthoraMonth
There is some awkwardness, I won‘t lie - why does Steinbeck include anecdotes from his own family history, and why do I connect with them more than to the cyclical, “Biblical” Trask generational saga? - but there is some great food-for-thought in the prose, and I adore evil Cathy! I also can‘t ⬇️

Soubhiville

Larkken picture anyone that has ever been cast in the movie(s) as characters in the book! Pic above is of James Dean as Adam??? And Florence Pugh is slated to play someone in the new adaptation??? 2y

BarkingMadRead James Dean was amazing in the movie, I can‘t remember if I‘ve ever read the book though lol I was obsessed with him in high school so I watched all of his movies 2y

Larkken @BarkingMadRead I will have to check it out! Do you remember what character he played? 2y

See All 7 Comments

BarkingMadRead He played Cal 2y

Larkken @BarkingMadRead ohhhh interesting! OK… now I‘m intrigued lol 2y

Bookzombie You have made me want to reread this. I enjoyed it the first time though. I found an article that Pugh will play Cathy and I can see that. I‘m excited that it‘s a series because they won‘t have to cut so much. I haven‘t seen the James Dean movie. 2y

Larkken @Bookzombie Oh, good! It does seem like the length scared off many an author-a-month reader this month, lol. The audiobook was really excellent, if you are into that kind of thing, and I ended up buying a used copy when my partner saw me eyeballing it and mentioned how much he liked it (of course, now that I want to talk about it, he says he doesn‘t remember it that well 🤪). 2y

26 likes7 comments

mrp27

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

#adventrecommends

Classics are classics for a reason. I read this a couple years ago as a Buddy read here on Litsy and I absolutely loved this tale of two brothers, a take on Cain and Abel, good versus evil. A sweeping story with great complicated characters. This is a story that will never get old and stands the test of time.

emilyrose_x

MemoirsForMe 😍🙌🏻 2y

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Leftcoastzen

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

#ManicMonday #LetterE
📚East of Eden
🖋George Eliot
📽Empire of the Sun 📺Ellen
🎸Elvis Costello
🎤Everybody Hurts R.E.M. Eton Rifles The Jam

CBee

CBee Thanks for playing 😊😊 2y

TrishB Great song choices 👍🏻 2y

vivastory So many great E choices from REM! 2y

See All 8 Comments

Leftcoastzen @TrishB thanks! 2y

Leftcoastzen @vivastory they do have some good E choices! 2y

AmyG Elvis was my choice too.👊🏻 2y

Leftcoastzen @AmyG yay ,other Elvis !👊 2y

Liz_M I ❤ EoE and EotS!!!! 2y

39 likes8 comments

DebinHawaii

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

#BookMoods #600 #600PlusPages

Being a restless & moody reader, #chunksters are not my favorites but I do have several books with #600+Pages that I‘ve read. The Harry Potter books more than once even. The last 600+ page book I read was the tagged, for a #buddyread

Susanita GMTA 😀 3y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I forgot about 😳

The Host: A Novel

DebinHawaii @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks For some reason, and it kind of pains me to say it, I liked the book. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣🤣🤣 The movie not so much! 3y

Eggs Well done 👍🏼 3y

41 likes4 comments

Read.Riot

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

I love when my books arrive well read + notes. It‘s nice to see other perspectives. I‘m rereading East of Eden so I can discuss it with an old university friend. She‘s an editor, and I‘m a historian. This should be fun!

3 likes1 stack add

SheReadsAndWrites

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

On a road trip with The Hubby. I finished my Masters program so we are headed to my graduation. 👩🏻‍🎓🙌🏼 This has been a wonderful part of the drive so far...

AmyK1 Congratulations! 4y

SheReadsAndWrites Thanks! @AmyK1 4y

mrp27 Congrats!! (edited) 4y

SheReadsAndWrites Thanks! @mrp27 4y

34 likes1 stack add4 comments

Kelly326

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

I forgot to post my July #bookspinbingo. I only got 1 bingo, but read through my whole library stack and almost my summer book club books. All set to do it again with a list of new books!

2 likes

mrp27

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

#springintoreading #siblings

I love old movies and East of Eden is one of them. James Dean played a great Cal. Sadly, I've never read the book and of course it's on my tbr.

vkois88, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

KellyHunsakerReads It is incredible! Move it way up the TBR. 6y

bewareofwords I absolutely love this book! Actually one of my favorites. 👏🏽 6y

mrp27 @bewareofwords @Hunsakermountain Looks like I'm going to have to push it up! 6y

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EadieB

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

Day 15 - #adventrecommends

Another one of my favorite classic books!

emilyrose_x

CoffeeNBooks Such a great book! John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors! 6y

Amiable Great pick! 6y

CuriousG One if my all time favourites!! I remember reading it in the car as a 14 year old when our family was on a road trip across Canada. Thought I would hate it because my mom recommended it (teenage cliche, I was 🤣) - more than 20 years later and I've read it at least 10 times and own 3 copies 6y

CuriousG Excellent #adventrecommends pick! 6y

Andrew65 Not read this Steinbeck yet. 6y

81 likes2 stack adds5 comments

Nbrandolini

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

I loved this book!

MusingsOnMidlife

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

This beautiful beast arrived today! Can‘t wait to dive in 😍

5 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect.

51 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

[He] fell right into the oldest conviction in the world-- that the girl you are in love with can't possibly be anything but true and honest.

44 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

What freedom men and women could have, were they not constantly tricked and trapped and enslaved and tortured by their sexuality! The only drawback in that freedom is that without it one would not be a human. One would be a monster.

32 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

Perhaps the best conversationalist in the world is the man who helps others to talk.

Cathythoughts 😀 7y

38 likes1 comment

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

I wonder how many people I have looked at all my life and never really seen.

Cathythoughts Far too many ( for me anyway ) 7y

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost.

Cathythoughts The truth takes courage. An Irish Song writer , Noel Brazil ( I think you would like him ) wrote “ the truth is going to save our lives “ (edited) 7y

GoneFishing @Cathythoughts thanks for the suggestion. I‘ll have to check out Noel. 7y

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East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

You can boast about anything if it's all you have. Maybe the less you have, the more you are required to boast.

28 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

The church and the whorehouse arrived in the Far West simultaneously. And each would have been horrified to think it was a different facet of the same thing. But surely they were both intended to accomplish the same thing: the singing, the devotion, the poetry of the churches took a man out of his bleakness for a time, and so did the brothels.

31 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

Time interval is a strange and contradictory matter in the mind. It would be reasonable to suppose that a routine time or an eventless time would seem interminable. It should be so, but it is not. It is the dull eventless times that have no duration whatever. A time splashed with interest, wounded with tragedy, crevassed with joy - that's the time that seems long in the memory. And this is right when you think about it...

25 likes

East of Eden | J. Steinbeck

...underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted shortcuts to love...We have only 1 story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending 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.

batsy I think I prefer Simone Weil's version https://twitter.com/thebookslut/status/930843427658522631 7y

27 likes1 stack add1 comment