East of Eden by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First, I really don’t add book reviews on my blog very often anymore. But I wanted to share this one, plus it let me test out the ability to link from Goodreads…
I need to find a different way to use these stars. I give lots of books 5 stars because I really enjoyed them, but there’s another category I need for books that I enjoy AND they’re beautifully written.
This book goes into that special category.
I’m really a sucker for great writing. I doubt if this sort of book would even have a chance of being published today, which is a sad commentary in itself. The thing is, it doesn’t move along quickly, and rivet the reader to the page. Instead, it’s a meander through the deep and hidden places in the lives and hearts of interconnected people. It’s not written to be a book you pick up and read straight through, but a book you pick up and read for a while, then set it down and absorb it before picking it up again. The images and thoughts drift around the corners of your brain and give you cause for all sorts of new thinking.
I really enjoyed it. Really. Really. Enjoyed it.
There were surely some slow parts to the story, but even in the slow parts, the characters are so rich and deep…
Also fun was the detailed description of life, technology, and culture of nearly 100 years ago. Rich detail on buggies, automobiles, homes, the land…
