East of Eden

Author: John Steinbeck
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: This book is a masterpiece by the renowned American writer and Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck. It depicts the destinies of two immigrant families over half a century, spanning three generations from the American Civil War to the end of World War I. Using a blend of symbolism and realism, the work portrays the struggle between good and evil. The Trask family's first-generation member, Cyrus, fabricates his participation in the Civil War to and wealth, and tyrannically enlists his son Adam in the army. Adam, naturally kind, takes in a severely wounded woman named Cassie, only to discover that she is evil. She abandons Adam and the twin sons, changing their identities and opening a brothel. Later, the twins, upon discovering her secret, embark on different life paths. Meanwhile, the other family's head, Hamilton, is upright, brave, and wise. He raises his adult children to inherit his thoughtful nature, and they each achieve success.