Reviews tagging 'Death'

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

31 reviews

sugarplumstories's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Murder, and Pregnancy

cpruskee's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Death

jakobmarleymommy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Violence, Death, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts

mmccombs's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

This book is just breath taking from the very first page. I first read this book when I was like 16 and it quickly became one of my favorites. I decided to reread this with a friend, now 10 years after I originally read it, and found even more depth and more to love. I remember being wowed by the characters in this story, but this time around I was blown away by the simple yet striking descriptions of setting and characters. Every person and place felt real in a way I can’t say I’ve felt about any other book I’ve felt recently. Their psychology and motivations and actions were clearly linked, and the way each character interacted with another led to even deeper mediations on what it means to be human. I will say I was like “alright, I don’t think I need to learn more about this random Hamilton family member” and wished we spent more time with Cathy/Kate near the end. And also, very much jarred by racial slurs and stereotypes (esp about Natice American women), a good warning going into this if you’re thinking of starting it. On the whole though, Steinbeck has a way of painting something so subtly that you can’t tell he’s doing something stunning until you step back and see the entire picture. A timeless classic that I think I will continue to reread, getting something new out of it as I get older. Thou mayest!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death and Violence

tdap1899's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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

5.0

This book destroyed my mind, but in the best way possible. Its lessons are lovely and continue to still be applicable to the modern day. One of the biggest surprises about this book was just how modern it felt. When Steinbeck said this was his magnum opus he was not joking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Suicide, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, and War

Minor: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Abortion, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury

i_llumi's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

5.0

shoutout to uncarley and emma chamberlain for making me read this masterpiece.

east of eden. what a fucking book, friends

once I finished reading the last line, my hands went to my face as I stared in shock at the back cover of the book. timshel. thou mayest.

if you are somehow reading this, all I can say is: please pick up this book. it is one of the most engaging, breathtaking, thought-provoking, and human stories I have ever read. the characters begin to feel like family and you'll constantly be asking that there were more than 600 pages to spend with them. I feel like a part of my heart will forever live in the Salinas valley, looking at the willow tree and smelling Lee's ng-ka-py from the Trask ranch. books like this make reading magic to me.

some notes to self (please skip these please)

- lee. I love lee. i could read about his thoughts forever and could talk about how good of a character he is for longer. i hope him and sam hamilton are both laughing and talking about fucking meditations by marcus aurelius in heaven now. bless him. he was the true mvp of the trask household and arguably of the entire plot
- cathy/kate. she is genuinely a scary character and just SO well written it's insane. shes literally the of gaslight gatekeep girlboss and honestly, for that alone steinback deserves all the praise he gets
- CALEB TRASK. CAL. I WANT TO HUG HIM SO BAD. i want to tell him that everything is okay and that i love him god i want to hug him. i wish him nothing but hapiness
- I wanted to visit dessie's sewing place so much... it seemed like so much fun... just imagine all the jokes and funny amazing women ..... oh god..
- charles!!! an underdog who honestly deserved better :/ him and cal would get along so well,, just imagine the uncle nephew bonding,,
- anyways. I am utterly, undeniably in love with this book and i shall forever keep thinking about it

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Violence, and War

Minor: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

ethrbo'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Racial slurs

mschmidt's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and War

clarice_flora's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A thought provoking engaging and reflective read, beautifully written… sad, funny, truly human, much like grapes of wrath, this book reflects only the most mundane within the extraordinary events. gorgeous book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, and Death

aqtbenz's review

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Suicide