Scan barcode
i_llumi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shoutout to uncarley and emma chamberlain for making me read this masterpiece.
east of eden. what a fucking book, friends
once I finished reading the last line, my hands went to my face as I stared in shock at the back cover of the book. timshel. thou mayest.
if you are somehow reading this, all I can say is: please pick up this book. it is one of the most engaging, breathtaking, thought-provoking, and human stories I have ever read. the characters begin to feel like family and you'll constantly be asking that there were more than 600 pages to spend with them. I feel like a part of my heart will forever live in the Salinas valley, looking at the willow tree and smelling Lee's ng-ka-py from the Trask ranch. books like this make reading magic to me.
some notes to self (please skip these please)
- lee. I love lee. i could read about his thoughts forever and could talk about how good of a character he is for longer. i hope him and sam hamilton are both laughing and talking about fucking meditations by marcus aurelius in heaven now. bless him. he was the true mvp of the trask household and arguably of the entire plot
- cathy/kate. she is genuinely a scary character and just SO well written it's insane. shes literally the of gaslight gatekeep girlboss and honestly, for that alone steinback deserves all the praise he gets
- CALEB TRASK. CAL. I WANT TO HUG HIM SO BAD. i want to tell him that everything is okay and that i love him god i want to hug him. i wish him nothing but hapiness
- I wanted to visit dessie's sewing place so much... it seemed like so much fun... just imagine all the jokes and funny amazing women ..... oh god..
- charles!!! an underdog who honestly deserved better :/ him and cal would get along so well,, just imagine the uncle nephew bonding,,
- anyways. I am utterly, undeniably in love with this book and i shall forever keep thinking about it
east of eden. what a fucking book, friends
once I finished reading the last line, my hands went to my face as I stared in shock at the back cover of the book. timshel. thou mayest.
if you are somehow reading this, all I can say is: please pick up this book. it is one of the most engaging, breathtaking, thought-provoking, and human stories I have ever read. the characters begin to feel like family and you'll constantly be asking that there were more than 600 pages to spend with them. I feel like a part of my heart will forever live in the Salinas valley, looking at the willow tree and smelling Lee's ng-ka-py from the Trask ranch. books like this make reading magic to me.
some notes to self (please skip these please)
- lee. I love lee. i could read about his thoughts forever and could talk about how good of a character he is for longer. i hope him and sam hamilton are both laughing and talking about fucking meditations by marcus aurelius in heaven now. bless him. he was the true mvp of the trask household and arguably of the entire plot
- cathy/kate. she is genuinely a scary character and just SO well written it's insane. shes literally the of gaslight gatekeep girlboss and honestly, for that alone steinback deserves all the praise he gets
- CALEB TRASK. CAL. I WANT TO HUG HIM SO BAD. i want to tell him that everything is okay and that i love him god i want to hug him. i wish him nothing but hapiness
- I wanted to visit dessie's sewing place so much... it seemed like so much fun... just imagine all the jokes and funny amazing women ..... oh god..
- charles!!! an underdog who honestly deserved better :/ him and cal would get along so well,, just imagine the uncle nephew bonding,,
- anyways. I am utterly, undeniably in love with this book and i shall forever keep thinking about it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
riverson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I have the feeling that I may have given it five stars had I read it instead. If reading is accessible for you and you’re torn between reading or listening, I think I would recommend reading it.
The writing is beautiful, as are the characters. I know it’s a classic and was written in the context of a different time, but I did find myself wishing for more character development for any character that wasn’t a white man.
The writing is beautiful, as are the characters. I know it’s a classic and was written in the context of a different time, but I did find myself wishing for more character development for any character that wasn’t a white man.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
fionaf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
An Amazing! read. The book starts off very slow (I almost put it down during the first 100 pages or so), but picks up largely about halfway through. The way Steinbeck writes his characters is so multidimensional that they are practically jumping out of the pages. This is a must read, and deserves a spot among the classics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
lily1304's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Classics are hit or miss for me, but this one really exceeded my expectations. It's VERY long, but the characters are fascinating and I'm a sucker for a good Biblical allegory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Alcohol