East of Eden
Open Library readers: 4.09 / 5 from 99 ratings. Separate from ratings here.Catalogue checked 2026-10-02.
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.
Part allegory, part autobiography, and part epic, East of Eden was an ambitious project from the start – a gift to…
Read the full description
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.
Part allegory, part autobiography, and part epic, East of Eden was an ambitious project from the start – a gift to…
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.
Part allegory, part autobiography, and part epic, East of Eden was an ambitious project from the start – a gift to Steinbeck’s sons that was meant to teach them about identity, grief, and what it means to be human. Tinged with biblical echoes of the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel, this sprawling saga has captivated audiences everywhere for generations. It is through the popularization of East of Eden that the Salinas Valley was truly transformed into “the valley of the world”; a place where everyone is able to find a piece of themselves in the golden, rolling hills.
Your rating & review
Rate this book
Unrated
Ratings & reviews
No ratings here yet. Read it? Leave your mark in the margin.
Editions
Gathering editions from Open Library…
Something tucked inside your copy?
A pressed flower, a ticket stub, an inscription on the flyleaf. Photograph it for Found in Books.
Send your copy travelling
Print a numbered bookplate, pass the book on, and follow where it goes next.
- Who wrote East of Eden?
East of Eden is by John Steinbeck. The catalogue records its first publication in 1952. A later edition may have a different publication date on its copyright page.
- How long is East of Eden?
The catalogue records 613 pages for a representative edition. Pagination varies with the publisher, format, type size and translation, so check the edition you intend to read.
