Title: East of Eden
First published: 1952
Description: Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his masterpiece. In his journal, Journal of a Novel (often read as a companion to the novel) he notes that “this is the book I have always wanted and have worked and prayed to be able to write Set primarily in the Salinas Valley in the early twentieth century, the novel traces three generations of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – as they grapple with the ever-present forces of good and evil. From this plot emerged some of Steinbeck’s most fascinating characters – many of whom are modeled after people in his own life.

Part allegory, part autobiography, and part epic, East of Eden was an ambitious project from the start – a gift to Steinbeck’s sons that was meant to teach them about identity, grief, and what it means to be human. Tinged with biblical echoes of the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel, this sprawling saga has captivated audiences everywhere for generations. It is through the popularization of East of Eden that the Salinas Valley was truly transformed into “the valley of the world”; a place where everyone is able to find a piece of themselves in the golden, rolling hills.
([source][1])


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Contains:

 - [East of Eden 1/2][2]
 - [East of Eden 2/2][3]

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Also contained in:

 - [East of Eden / The Wayward Bus][4]
 - [The Grapes of Wrath / The Moon is Down / Cannery Row / East of Eden / Of Mice and Men][5]
 - [Novels 1942-1952](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15334093W/Novels_1942-1952)
 - [Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Spring 1953 Selections](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15158232W)


  [1]: http://www.steinbeck.org/about-john/his-works/
  [2]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17811975W/East_of_Eden_1_2
  [3]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL18023025W/East_of_Eden_2_2
  [4]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15138391W/East_of_Eden_The_Wayward_Bus
  [5]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23165W/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_The_Moon_is_Down_Cannery_Row_East_of_Eden_Of_Mice_and_Men
Subjects: migrant labor, historical fiction, domestic fiction, depravity, beneficence, love, the struggle for acceptance, self-destruction, guilt, freedom, literary fiction, classics, Fiction, Twins, Novela hogareña, Hermanos, Brothers, Fathers and sons, Classic Literature, Open Library Staff Picks, Sibling rivalry, Padre e hijo, Novela histórica, Rivaldad entre hermanos, open_syllabus_project, Niños de prostitutas, Rural families, Children of prostitutes, Ficción, Father-son relationship, Reading Level-Grade 7, Reading Level-Grade 6, Reading Level-Grade 9, Reading Level-Grade 8, Reading Level-Grade 11, Reading Level-Grade 10, Reading Level-Grade 12, American fiction (fictional works by one author), Fathers and sons, fiction, California, fiction, American literature, Large type books, Children's fiction, Poor, History, Murder, Revenge, Jealousy, Rich people, Social life and customs, Pauvres, Romans, nouvelles, Histoire, Meurtre, Vengeance, Jalousie, Riches, Pères et fils, Mœurs et coutumes, Manners and customs, World War, 1939-1945, Novela, Vida social y costumbres, Guerra Mundial II, 1939-1945, Problem youth, Brithers
Places: California, Salinas River Valley, Salinas, Valle del Río (California), Salinas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Northern California, Stanford University, San Francisco, Salinas River Valley (Calif.), Californie, Vallée du Salinas, Salinas, Vallée du (Calif.)
People: The Trasks, The Hamiltons, Cain, Abel, Charles Trask, Adam Trask, Cyrus Trask, Cathy Ames, Caleb Trask, Aron Trask, Abra Bacon, Samuel Hamilton, Liza Hamilton, George Hamilton, Will Hamilton, Tom Hamilton, Joe Hamilton, Lizzie Hamilton, Una Hamilton, Dessie, Olive Hamilton, Mollie Hamilton, Mr. Edwards, Faye, Ethel, Joe Valery
Time periods: 19th century, 20th century