• East of Eden

  • By: John Steinbeck
  • Narrated by: Richard Poe
  • Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (17,416 ratings)

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East of Eden  By  cover art

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

Average customer ratings
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    14,526
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic book to revisit. Love Steinbeck

Any additional comments?

Such a wonderful story. John Steinbeck was amazing at character development and plot. While this is largely a sad tale it is so richly and beautifully told.
The narrator was great.
So glad I revisited this great tale. I know I got so much more out of it than when I was younger.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Take a break from trashy novels.

This book as the title indicates is about brothers. East of Eden refers to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. There are two generations of brothers in this book, with each generation representing "Cain", the the other "Abel." Although it was written decades ago, the storyline is as relevant as ever, just as Shakespeare and Dickens would be. This book is overshadowed by Steinbeck's book "of Mice and Men", but is just as relevant. It combines a great story, historical facts (civil war and early California), and is why Steinbeck won a Nobel Prize. Take a break from trashy novels and listen to this.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping. Amazingly narrated.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. The length can seem daunting but it is truly a work that captures and holds your attention from start to finish. The story is made real through the incredible narration performance.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

East of Eden

Any additional comments?

Best Book ever and the reader did an excellent performance with the voices!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Excellent book. Enjoyed it very much. Narrator did an excellent job as well.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

well written and narrated

If you could sum up East of Eden in three words, what would they be?

Honest, gripping, timshel

What did you like best about this story?

How the story evolves from Adam's childhood, through war and eventually through his death. I also really enjoyed Lee's contribution to the family and was always impressed with his wisdom. Cal's character was also really interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any of the scenes with Sam Hamilton and Lee. I really enjoyed the scene where they discussed the story of Cain and Able. Timshel

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, my commute is approx an hour and this novel took me about 3-4 weeks to get through.

Any additional comments?

Great novel, enjoyed it more than Grapes of Wrath. A must read!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love this book I read it over and over

this is a wonderful book I have read it several times and each time I'm at the edge of my seat wondering what's going to happen next.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best book I’ve ever heard or read

Deep, deep insight into the human condition and into the nature of the relationship between humanity and God, good and evil, and life and death is contained in this work of literature. In an epic narrative spanning three generations, the tragic myths of the book of Genesis are retold in a new and incredible way. I highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

bored with it

struggled to finish many times. I lost interest and became bored. The story was nothing like I thought it would be.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • jw
  • 09-20-18

...Steinbeck

Read a decent amount of Steinbeck. This is an amazing story with dynamic characters. I will probably read it again.

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