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Aug 14, 2017Andrew Kyle Bacon rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
(very slight spoilers contained herein) Each summer I try to undertake a somewhat rigorous (rigorous for me anyway), reading program which culminates in reading an epic tome of one sort or another. Last summer my tome was Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot," and this year the selection was Steinbeck's "East of Eden." All at once this book is overwrought, excessive, self-indulgent, and marvelous. The very basic concepts of its narrative stem from the book of Genesis, although attempting to make too many comparisons will likely cause one to read too much into the text. But the basic DNA of Genesis is found here and Steinbeck uses it effortlessly to craft a story that stretches decades and generations. Primarily the story is concerned with two families: the Hamiltons and the Trasks. The Hamiltons, as it turns out, are the forerunners to the Steinbecks, giving this novel a slight (however fictitious) autobiographical quality (certainly Steinbeck himself appears in the novel). The Trasks, however, are the central focus of the novel, with their story largely be concerned and focused into the man of Adam Trask and his two sons, Caleb and Aaron. The great flaw of this novel, unfortunately, is where the Hamiltons are involved, or, rather, where their story takes precedent over the novel's actual narrative. For chapters at a time the story revolves around the Hamiltons for no reason, it would seem, other than they are personally interesting to the author. The real dynamic force of the novel is completely held within the Trask family and their narrative. The involvement of the Hamiltons works best when they remain secondary characters. Yet somehow this great flaw seems even more so to connect to the book to its source: the book of Genesis, and its narrative detailing the origins of humankind. The difference, of course, being that the whole population of the world is not singularly descended from the Hamiltons and the Trasks. But this greatest of flaws somehow still empowers the book, driving you beyond the scope of the Trasks and yet ever you remain zeroed in on this story which ultimately culminates in the twin brothers Cal and Aron (we are told that Aaron likes to spell his name with one A and not two). Steinbeck seems to reverse much of the narrative of Genesis, beginning with the birth of Adam and his brother Charles in a relationship that seems inspired by that of Jacob and Esau or even Isaac and Ishmael. After this it moves onto Adam discovering his Eve, marrying her, and her reveling against the man. Here, rather than man plunging the world into sin from a spiritual standpoint, Steinbeck takes a more literal interpretation and has the woman plunge man into sin. From their relationship comes the twins Cal and Aron, the two more charismatic and likable characters in the entire book, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt how their story must end. When it finally comes to the point and Cal says the line we've all been waiting for, "How do I know? Am I supposed to look after him?", it is incredibly satisfying. It seems as though through this single novel Steinbeck set out to redeem Cain from the murder of his brother, and I must say that he gives it a splendid try. Because the end of all things man has agency in his life and this side of death he can make of his choices whatever he wishes. His parents may leave a lasting imprint on him, but ultimately each man decides what kind of man he is. "Timshel — thou mayest — that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if Thou mayest — it is also true that Thou mayest not..."