East of Eden is a work of the heart and the soul. Reading this novel will insist upon you tackling your inner self, and confronting all of the worlds problems you chose to set aside. It is beautifully written and very confrontational at times. One of the things I enjoyed most is Steinbeck's use of character development; the novel follows two intertwining families whose lives progress and falter right before our eyes. His use of religious satire is brilliant, and often the key to getting larger points across that are normally difficult to conceive. Overall, East of Eden is a stunning masterpiece of love, hate, and a will that cannot be broken. This novel will change your perception of family and morality as we know it, and I cannot recommend this book enough to any serious thinker.
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. "A strange and original work of art".--New York Times Book Review.