Hi everyone.
I'm Rincey and this is Rincey Reads.
Today I'm going to be doing a review of East
of Eden by John Steinbeck.
The story mainly follows kind of like a family
through a couple generations.
It is meant to basically parallel the story
of like Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel in
the Old Testament.
That's basically all I knew going into this
story, but I feel like there's so much more
that happens in this book that I was not expecting
whatsoever.
I really enjoyed this book.
I mentioned this in my September Wrap Up,
but I really had a good time reading this
book.
I shouldn't say "good time" but I really enjoyed
the experience of reading this book.
Steinbeck has really beautiful prose and just
his writing style just really draws you in
or at least drew me in.
This is, you know, kind of a longer book,
but I was kind of buddy reading this with
some other Booktubers and so I was reading
it slightly slowly at first and really absorbing
it and just getting used to the style and
the way it was written.
I feel like I haven't experienced another
book like this, at least not any time recently.
So it took me a minute to just get used to
the style, get used to what was happening,
get used to, like, the metaphors and just
the parallels and trying to really pick up
on what Steinbeck was doing in this story.
But then once I got into it I was just like
devouring it in big chunks.
Like I said, this story follows over multiple
generations.
And so there were some characters when we
were following their storylines I was super
into.
And then there were some characters where
I wasn't quite as much into and I don't know
if Steinbeck purposely slowed down the plot
in those sections or what, but there are certain
characters, like Cathy.
When Cathy in this book, and had a major role,
you'll find out who Cathy is if you read the
book I'm not going to say who she is, but
she is just the most captivating, I suppose
would be the best word, character that I've
read in a long time.
I think what Steinbeck did with her was really,
really interesting.
Just really analyzing and questioning the
ideas of good and evil and what's inherently
in us versus the choices that we make and
things like that.
He obviously explores that with some of the
other characters in this novel, too.
But, especially the way that he handles it
with Cathy was really interesting and just,
I don't know, made me think and really drew
me in and made me want to read more about
Cathy.
As opposed to maybe like Adam.
If there were Adam solo chapters or solo sections
I wasn't completely into it, maybe because
Adam was meant to be sort of like a baseline
compared to some of the other characters.
I also think the relationship between Adam
and Charles was really interesting.
So when the two of them were together, Steinbeck
was talking about their relationship, I found
all of that really interesting.
Yet I also kind of wish there was more of
that.
I mean, I understand why there wasn't more
of that, it makes sense.
But at the same time, I kind of wish that
we'd gotten to experience more of it.
But like I said, overall I really enjoyed
this book.
I feel like it's a book that just really makes
you analyze your own character.
Or, I shouldn't say "you".
It made me really analyze my own character
and the way we judge people and just the choices
that we make and what's, you know, inherent
versus a choice and things like that.
So I feel like for that and for the way that
it is written, 4 out of 5 stars, really great
book.
It can be a little bit drawn out and a little
bit repetitive sometimes.
Some of the stuff, especially with Cathy,
felt a little bit like beating a dead horse.
Like all right, we get it already.
But I was willing to forgive it just because
I found the characters so engaging that I
didn't really mind.
So yeah, those are my quick thoughts on EAST
OF EDEN by John Steinbeck.
If you've read this book, feel free to leave
your comments down below letting me know what
you thought of it.
And also if you've read any other Steinbeck
feel free to leave your comments down below
about that as well.
I'm hoping to read more Steinbeck soon.
The only other one I've read is OF MICE AND
MEN.
But hopefully I'll pick up another one before
the end of the year, but no guarantees because
we all know how well I do with TBRs.
So yeah, that's all I have for now and thanks
for watching.
