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Challenge January 2015 - Your Plans
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By PDXReader · 27 posts · 64 views
last updated Jan 07, 2015 09:49AM
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By PDXReader · 258 posts · 127 views
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By Lauren · 22 posts · 63 views
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What Members Thought
Whenever I read a beloved classic and like it, but don't love it as much as everyone else, my reviews are weird. They feel like lists of complaints, and then at the end I say "but I liked it! I just didn't love it!" I can feel this review taking that form already, and I'll get it out of the way now: I liked it! I just didn't love it!
This should have felt like a really epic book, but it doesn't. It spans three generations of two different families and it's inspired by Biblical stories. But it doe ...more
This should have felt like a really epic book, but it doesn't. It spans three generations of two different families and it's inspired by Biblical stories. But it doe ...more
This book is my favorite of all time. I first read it as a teen, and then re-read in early 2006, and I enjoyed it even more the second time around. The mother is one of the most evil characters in fiction and what she does to her two sons is devastating. Steinbeck is my favorite author, and this novel is a literary classic that provides a most enjoyable read.
Historical fiction, family saga, morality tale, all written in Steinbeck's unique style. What more could I want? I just love this quote about how differently a father and son read books. East of Eden is definitely one to get all over your face and hands.
Samuel rode lightly on top of a book and he balanced happily among the ideas the way a man rides white rapids in a canoe. But Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with ...more
Samuel rode lightly on top of a book and he balanced happily among the ideas the way a man rides white rapids in a canoe. But Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with ...more
This is an amazing novel. The writing is exquisite without being in the least pretentious. The characters are compelling, complex and drawn with such subtle detail that closing the book felt as if dear friends had moved away. The themes of good, evil and human will was explored with the sensitivity and insights of a philosopher and poet, leaving the reader with a lifetime of material to ponder.
I think that because of my extremely limited knowledge of the bible, I didn't get everything out of the book that I could have. Otherwise I might have rated it higher.
...more
I'm shocked to report that East of Eden has been my least favorite Steinbeck read so far. I took issue with the heavy-handed messaging early on, and struggled to invest myself in characters who read more like symbols and who slogged along in unrealistic relationships. All the women fall into one of the "virgin, mother, or (psychotic) whore" archetypes, and with the exception of the more nuanced Cal, every other character can be labeled as either pure and Good with a capital "G", or Evil.
So, I gu ...more
So, I gu ...more
I have been picking my way through Steinbeck, but have yet to read Grapes of Wrath, which most say is his best. This is an epic tale of famlies and the fight betrween good and evil. It is beautifully written and exposes both the best and worst of mankind.
Nov 03, 2012
Julie
marked it as to-re-read
Dec 07, 2012
Susan
marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2016
Cait
added it
Aug 29, 2016
Camelia Rose
marked it as to-read
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