East of Eden is one of those famous books I've always meant to read but have put off until now. In case you’ve been doing the same thing, here are my impressions.

This is supposed to be a retelling of the Biblical Cain and Abel story, but you might not guess that from the text. It involves two Civil War-era families, the Hamiltons of Salinas, California, and the Trasks of Connecticut.  Adam Trask enlists in the Union Army while his half-brother Charles stays home to farm their father’s land. Adam has his father’s love; Charles does not.

The father, who is something of a blowhard, leaves his sons for an influential career in Washington, D.C. Eventually he dies, and Charles buys Adam’s share of the inheritance. Adam moves to Salinas where he becomes friends with Samuel Hamilton, who digs wells for the farmland Adam has purchased.

The kind-hearted Adam falls in love with Cathy Ames, who is undoubtedly Steinbeck’s most despicable character. She bears twin boys but wants nothing to do with them, choosing instead to become a prostitute and eventually owner of a brothel. Adam tries to protect the boys, Caleb and Aron, from this horrible truth by telling them their mother is dead. From there the story becomes a kind of philosophical soap opera with Adam and Aron as benign innocents, while Charles and Caleb have permanent marks on their heads. If there’s any further resemblance to Genesis, it’s over my head.

What makes this book worth your time is Steinbeck’s narration. Some of his scenes are so well-crafted as to make you go back and read them again. We get vivid portraits of the California farm country and how it shapes his characters’ lives. Samuel and his long-suffering wife Liza could fill a book by themselves. Adam’s Chinese servant Lee is a prophet-like figure whose wise counsel guides the others through their travails.

There are some amusing scenes, including a mechanic’s involved explanation of how to start an early-model automobile, Olive Hamilton’s traumatic ride in a stunt plane, and Adam’s attempt to get rich by shipping refrigerated lettuce from California to New York.

Overall I found the saga interesting but somewhat implausible. If you’re not familiar with Steinbeck’s work I recommend you begin with The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men before tackling this one. Be aware that Steinbeck tends to employ a lot of profanity.

Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.