East of Eden
by John Steinbeck · first published 1952
61% recommend37% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Sweeping multigenerational story of two intertwined American families, praised for beautiful prose and its treatment of good and evil, free will and morality. Suits readers who like big literary novels; starts slow.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his masterpiece. In his journal, Journal of a Novel (often read as a companion to the novel) he notes that “this is the book I have always wanted and have worked and prayed to be able to write Set primarily in the Salinas Valley in the early twentieth century, the novel traces three generations of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – as they grapple with the ever-present forces of good and evil. From this plot emerged some of Steinbeck’s most fascinating characters – many of whom are modeled after people in his own life. Part allegory, part a
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If you liked "Atlas Shrugged", you will love "East of Eden" by George Steinbeck. It has some passages on self-determination that puts anything found in Rand to shame. It's a tome, and it starts slow - do yourself a favor and make it through the introduction of…
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗"East of Eden." Steinbeck draws beautiful vignettes of human life and emotion, and I think the book's main idea about human motivation is largely correct and explains a wide variety of behavior. It helped me see both…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗…Diamond Age, for a coming of age story, using nanotechnology as a futuristic concept for understanding the differences of being fed one's needs and being given the tools for meeting them. Steinbeck's East of Eden for coming to grips with a fundamental moral struggle of what is good and what is choice. Anything ever written by Kurt Vonnegut for the proper cynicism needed to live in this world. Oscar Wilde for…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗Did you read any interesting novels or books last year? Please share them with us. Some of my favorites from 2021: * East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck beautifully captures and shares the culture of old America through the lives of two families that become interwoven over time. * H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. Macdonald's…
on “Ask HN: Great Books from your 2021 Reading List?” ↗…Daniel Kahneman Non-Fiction (Social) - *The Art of Not Being Governed* by James C. Scott - *The Unwinding* by George Packer - *People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn Fiction - *East of Eden* by John Steinbeck - *Sometimes a Great Notion* by Ken Kesey - *The Brothers Karamazov* by Fyodor Dostoyevsky edit: formatting
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…plenty of sci-fi, fantasy, and tech- or entrepreneurship-related non-fiction books mentioned, so I'm specifically trying to approach from a different direction. The two I've seriously got to recommend are East of Eden and The Count of Monte Cristo. East of Eden is Steinbeck, of whom I'm usually not a fan, but it was phenomenal and definitely made me rethink my approach to life (it was high school, so this was easier…
on “Ask HN: What is the greatest book you've ever read?” ↗I'd recommend Steinbeck's East of Eden and Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.
on “The Best Books I Read in 2013” ↗…and Politics: An International Perspective" by Thomas Sowell) And if you're after fiction instead: - "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera - "The Cunning Man" by Robertson Davies - "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck That's a nice round 10 recommendations so let me have a bonus one for year 2015: - "The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics" You will never read…
on “Lessons learned after 300 books in 4 years” ↗The big ones for me: 1) Antifragile by Taleb (Skin in the Game is so far excellent as well) 2) The Border Trilogy by McCarthy 3) The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky 4) East of Eden by Steinbeck 5) Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗…poor community in Monterey, Califor ia during the Great Depression. I didn't like this book as much as Grapes of Wrath, but there are some memorable parts near the end. 4/5 If you like Steinbeck, try "East of Eden". For me it was his best.
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…follow along. I had a few key take-aways but to be honest it was kind of a chore to read. - How Not to Die: Argues for prioritizing a plant-based diet, and definitely changed my relationship with food. - East of Eden: My wife's favorite book and is now one of my favorites. - Sapiens: Very enjoyable, but some of it can feel pseudo-sciency and gets a bit nihilistic in the end. - Man's Search for Meaning: Also very…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗+1 for Steinbeck being a “true master”. East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath essential.
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗East of Eden by John Steinbeck. My favorite piece of literature. I re-read it every few years.
on “Ask HN: Which book would you pick to re-read for the rest of your life?” ↗…complex to be expressible explicitly, in a form of non-fiction book. Hence, humans have always used storytelling to convey the concept which are difficult to put into words otherwise. My favorites: - "East of Eden" by Steinbeck - "Map and Territory" Michel Houellebecq (especially recommended to tech crowd/founders, as it is about alienation of a modern creator). "Platform" and "Atomised" are also fantastic - the…
on “Ask HN: I don't read fiction, how much am I missing out on?” ↗…students too early in life before they can truly appreciate it. But this book should be required reading for Seniors in high school before they go out into the real world. John Steinbeck also wrote "East of Eden" which I would say was even more impactful of my life, but I didn't read it until my mid-twenties. That book really explores good and evil. It is slightly critical of religion (specifically Christianity),…
on “The Grapes of Wrath was banned in the USSR because showed poor people had cars” ↗