Preview
  • East of Eden

  • By: John Steinbeck
  • Narrated by: Richard Poe
  • Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (17,849 ratings)

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East of Eden

By: John Steinbeck
Narrated by: Richard Poe
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Publisher's summary

This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

©1952 John Steinbeck; Renewed 1980 Elaine Steinbeck, Thom Steinbeck, and John Steinbeck IV (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A novel planned on the grandest possible scale...One of those occasions when a writer has aimed high and then summoned every ounce of energy, talent, seriousness, and passion of which he was capable.... It is an entirely interesting and impressive book." (The New York Herald Tribune)

"A fantasia and myth...a strange and original work of art." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A moving, crying pageant with wilderness strengths." (Carl Sandburg)

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What listeners say about East of Eden

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Wow

What a great story, what a strong writing. Why can't the world produce more of JSB.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Everyone Sins

I think this is my new favorite book. I loved how dynamic every character was. there is not a single person in this book without a flaw. this book really shows what love can do to a person and how devistating it can be. so many great quotes and side stories. you can really understand even the bad characters. the narration was fantastic. Poe does a great job of using very subtle voice inflections to tell you which character is speaking, and give the story that "on the edge of your seat" fealing during intence scenes without going overboard. the pacing could be just a touch faster but it wasn't so bad to detract from the story at all. over all it was really stellar. 9.8 / 10.

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Top 3 fav books!

I discovered this book about 20 years ago when it was an Oprah book club selection and in the past two decades I've either read or listened to it probably six or seven times. Some books just speak to you and this one really just calls me back to it regularly, cannot recommend highly enough!

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Never Read Steinbeck before... Don't skip this one

I loved this book... As one other reviewer stated, why did I wait so long to endeavor into this author. This is not my usual genre, but I was searching for something new to me and thought-provoking, and this quenched my depth seeking and made me thirst for more of the ageless questions that humans face. It was truly inspiring, honest, and gritty. The narrator was absolutely incredible, gifted with the right tone, timing, and execution of the characters flawlessly. bravo 👏

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So good

After finishing this one and Grapes of Wrath, I can’t think of an author who I like more.

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This has become one of my favorite books!

This book was captivating from beginning to end. Steinbeck has a way of capturing the human experience which is relatable. The narrator was amazing at performing the different voices and characters that made me feel like I was part of the story. Steinbeck was able to show that there is good and evil in everybody and people can choose to be good despite their circumstances and upbringing. My favorite character was Lee who was really the central character of the story. Cathy was the villain who surprised me by her pure evil intentions, yet I felt sorry for her that she missed out on the happiness she could have experienced in her life. I related to how the characters wanted the approval and love of their fathers. Overall this was a wonderful book!

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Outstanding

What a masterpiece! I can't decide what's better - the story or the narration!

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great book!

I loved it and the narration was well done. It's a long book but I blew through it.

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Timeless tale

Redemption and tragedy are laced throughout this magnum opus by John Steinbeck. Masterfully written and masterfully read.

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Greatness

Certified banger! Nuff said but the review must be 15 words so yeah, 10/10 would recommend.

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