Lezersrecensie
Thou mayest...
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Steinbeck's magnum opus, *East of Eden*, is a novel about the history of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, spanning from the end of the American Civil War to the end of World War I. The story is a variation on the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, making the book allegorical in nature.
The Cain and Abel theme emerges in two generations of the Trask family: in the sons of Cyrus, Charles and Adam, and in the sons of Adam, Cal(eb) and Aron. It is no coincidence that the brothers' first names all start with a C or an A. If the reader has not yet realized that the book is steeped in the Cain and Abel theme, Steinbeck ensures it by having the main characters discuss Genesis 4. Both the title *East of Eden* and the word that encapsulates the book's message, Timshel ("Thou mayest... instead of you shall or you must"), come from these few verses of the Bible.
In addition to the obvious Cain and Abel theme (“Am I supposed to look after him?”), Steinbeck also explores the nature versus nurture debate, using Samuel Hamilton, the poor Irish neighbor with a philosophical bent, to do so.
“I don’t very much believe in blood,” said Samuel. “I think when a man finds good or bad in his children he is seeing only what he planted in them after they cleared the womb.”
Good and evil are also crucial elements in this book. Evil is clearly represented by Cathy, Adam's wife and the mother of Caleb and Aron.
Steinbeck's writing style is direct and engaging. The pacing in this book is excellent. The story of both families is a compelling family saga even without the heavy thematic elements. Along the way, he comments on American culture in the first half of the 20th century.
"And so we’re overbrave and overfearful—we’re kind and cruel as children. We’re overfriendly and at the same time frightened of strangers. We boast and are impressed. We’re oversentimental and realistic. We are mundane and materialistic—and do you know of any other nation that acts for ideals?"
The message of Timshel comes back one more time as a powerful recurring theme.
A minor criticism is that Steinbeck is not subtle in conveying his themes. This leaves little to the reader's imagination, sometimes hammering the point home.
Beyond that, it is a beautiful book with a powerful allegory, wonderfully executed.
5 stars.
Steinbeck's magnum opus, *East of Eden*, is a novel about the history of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, spanning from the end of the American Civil War to the end of World War I. The story is a variation on the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, making the book allegorical in nature.
The Cain and Abel theme emerges in two generations of the Trask family: in the sons of Cyrus, Charles and Adam, and in the sons of Adam, Cal(eb) and Aron. It is no coincidence that the brothers' first names all start with a C or an A. If the reader has not yet realized that the book is steeped in the Cain and Abel theme, Steinbeck ensures it by having the main characters discuss Genesis 4. Both the title *East of Eden* and the word that encapsulates the book's message, Timshel ("Thou mayest... instead of you shall or you must"), come from these few verses of the Bible.
In addition to the obvious Cain and Abel theme (“Am I supposed to look after him?”), Steinbeck also explores the nature versus nurture debate, using Samuel Hamilton, the poor Irish neighbor with a philosophical bent, to do so.
“I don’t very much believe in blood,” said Samuel. “I think when a man finds good or bad in his children he is seeing only what he planted in them after they cleared the womb.”
Good and evil are also crucial elements in this book. Evil is clearly represented by Cathy, Adam's wife and the mother of Caleb and Aron.
Steinbeck's writing style is direct and engaging. The pacing in this book is excellent. The story of both families is a compelling family saga even without the heavy thematic elements. Along the way, he comments on American culture in the first half of the 20th century.
"And so we’re overbrave and overfearful—we’re kind and cruel as children. We’re overfriendly and at the same time frightened of strangers. We boast and are impressed. We’re oversentimental and realistic. We are mundane and materialistic—and do you know of any other nation that acts for ideals?"
The message of Timshel comes back one more time as a powerful recurring theme.
A minor criticism is that Steinbeck is not subtle in conveying his themes. This leaves little to the reader's imagination, sometimes hammering the point home.
Beyond that, it is a beautiful book with a powerful allegory, wonderfully executed.
5 stars.
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