Reviews tagging 'War'

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

32 reviews

goroshyna's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Для мене «На схід від Едему» почав набирати цікавості десь на другій половині — до того моменту враження в мене були так собі: персонажів надто багато, сюжетні лінії слабко пов'язані між собою, десятирічна героїня, яка подається як уособлення зла та спокуси (??). Мені не імпонують «консервативні» сюжети, де чоловіки — стереотипно маскулінні мовчазні фермери, а жінки — терплячі та мудрі матері сімейства. До того ж свого часу мені не сподобалися «Грона гніву», тому я підходила до цього роману з упередженням.

Змінити думку мене змусив епізод, де Адам, Лі та Семюел обговорюють міф про Каїна та Авеля, причому вони інтерпретують цей міф з точки зору психології батьків і дітей: як батьківська відмова в любові та прийнятті впливає на ставлення дитини до світу на людей навколо. Я не очікувала такого трактування від Стейнбека, як і раптового занурення в психологію. Із другої частини таких «психологічних» моментів стало більше, особливо коли це стосувалося Калеба. Його персонаж, мабуть, мій найулюбленіший у тому, як він прописаний і за якою траєкторією розвивався. Мене зворушило його відчайдушне, дитяче прагнення любові та постійна боротьба з руйнівними імпульсами.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

Moderate: War

lief_'s review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, War, Racial slurs, Death, Murder, Abortion, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Infidelity

carajewels's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

wow. an intergenerational epic that sometimes felt like a marathon to read until i suddenly felt i was one with the characters. i have so many feelings about the events of this book and i have no clue where to express them! the central metaphor of adam and eve, cain and abel i didn’t fully realize until the end, and i think it turns the biblical fable into something hopeful. cal is my favorite character, he is so human and leaves me hopeful for the events after the novel. i also love how steinbeck included his own life throughout the story but only briefly, once every hundred pages. i’m always a sucker for seeing generations of families growing up throughout the book, and watching adam repeat the same favoritism his father showed him as a child  killed me! 
“timshel”, thou mayest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, War, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Murder

readasaurus_rex's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Devastatingly beautiful and honest. A brilliant exploration of the story of good and evil, Cain and Abel. Heartbreaking and deeply moving by turns. Steinbeck’s observations of humanity are so deadly accurate and familiar. I am blown away by this novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Abortion, Suicide, and War

zworlund's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Rape, Suicide attempt, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

codecat's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Grief, and Racial slurs

Minor: War, Rape, and Suicide

ventenne's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i think i’ll come back and reread east of eden at some point because of how it got me thinking, but it wasn’t something that fundamentally changed my worldview…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, War, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Racism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Racial slurs

bookerbride's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abortion, Suicide, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Infidelity

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: War and Alcohol

junglejelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Wanting a challenge and a classic, I picked up Steinbeck's East of Eden and got both.

The writing style is so easy to read and follow which helps with the slow pace of the novel.

The characters are the best part of the novel, I became very emotionally invested in them whether it was happiness or anger. These sets of families will not leave me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Murder, Death, and Violence

Minor: War and Abortion

clemrain's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A story paced with characters, and yet none of them are neglected. The careful, slow developments of plot beside characters is rewarding from part to part. I felt like I was listening to a family member trace back a fascinating part of the family history. Or just town gossip told by a stranger.

The first three parts of the story were strong and I was eager to continue reading them. The fourth part is slow and, in my opinion, didn’t pay off well at a first glance. It’s because I just wanted to know the ending, and as it approached it just wasn’t what I wanted. However, I think in this book, that’s sort of the point.

The one major flaw of the story is

Cathy’s suicide. Just doesn’t line up with her character. She had too much ambition and plan. I’m not sure why the pressures and her son’s outburst could’ve led her to that.

The depth of the novel is fun to sit on and think about. I don’t see a strong agenda in the writing. Just a few different perspectives. At the end of the day, no matter what we believe we’re all just gonna die. Good point. 

Maybe some takes in this books might be sour to some. Like comparing the church to brothels. But nothing felt too outrageous to me.

I’m not sure why every female character had to have her chest detailed so much. Nevertheless, those female characters are strong and complicated. And I enjoyed their writing. None of the female characters were too alike which sometimes is a huge problem in classics. 

The biblical analogies are really strong. And I enjoyed the conversations characters had regarding them.

Overall, a long read but an accessible one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Animal death

Moderate: Hate crime, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, War, and Xenophobia