Book· 1952· Historical

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

East of Eden: it draws on 1 recorded source.

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Bible Holy Bible

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John Steinbeck explicitly based East of Eden on the biblical Book of Genesis, specifically the narrative of Adam and Eve, their sons Cain and Abel, and the fall of humankind. The novel reimagines these biblical stories across generations of two families (the Trasks and the Hamiltons) in California's Salinas Valley.

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About the work

East of Eden

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.

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