I devoured this book. I've scoured its pages for every nuance possible. I've read Steinbeck's journal written at the time of this book. I've read the criticism. The reviews. I've made it a point to read every book Steinbeck said influenced this one. I've written several essays about this novel, including a forty-page paper that went toward my creative writing thesis. My first tattoo will be the word "Timshel". I own four copies, each for a different room. My kids were fortunate to be paired with tooth fairies named Abra and Aron. Whenever I hit a wall in my own writing, I pick up a copy of this book, read a random page, and find inspiration.All that to say--EAST OF EDEN IS THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN.(or at least I tend to think so)
