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https://opensea.io/collection/books-39
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@7858.eth
East of Eden For generations, two families interact in California’s Salinas Valley. I read this on @drewcoffman.eth’s strong endorsement. He was spot on. It was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Steinbeck’s a good, naturalistic writer with boundless empathy for his characters, so the whole book feels immediate, authentic, and real. A lot of the sibling relationships are structured around the Cain and Abel motif (by far the best part of the genesis story) in a totally plausible way. Again, feels natural and real but also mythical and eternal. The character development is noteworthy. Most of the characters grapple with moral conundrums, many of them get better at it over time. And the there’s Cathy. One of the greatest satan-incarnate villains in all of literature. Chills just recalling her. Highest strength, highest urgency recommendation. Up there with 100 Years of Solitude on the list of books everyone must read before they die. As captivating as a soap opera, as profound as a myth.
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Steinbeck’s writing touches me in a way no other author has
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7858
@7858.eth
There’s a weird delta between the actual language and its impact. He’s not especially virtuosic at the level of sentences and paragraphs, but the chapters compound their emotional effect and by the end of the book you’re trembling. He’s very good with stories and impeccable with characters, but there’s also just a certain special something at play that’s hard to pin down
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I think it’s the definition of salt of the earth. He doesn’t judge any of his characters, he just conveys them with honesty and without fluff. That’s love. And as a reader you feel it.
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