In more ways than one, it’s been a while since I’ve put in the work to finish a good book. That dry spell ended today when I finished the 601-page Steinbeck novel East of Eden.
As I’d mentioned not long ago, I’d picked it up without even knowing what it was about. There is the movie…but I’ve discovered that the movie only covers part four (the last part) of the book (and from the looks of the “trailer,” I’m wondering how faithful it was). I can see how they wouldn’t go with the whole book — it digs deep across quite a broad period of time and range of characters. Still, I can’t help but feel how the whole book was really worth it. I don’t think it surpassed The Grapes of Wrath, but it came in second by only a hair in my opinion. I think Steinbeck would have disagreed — I’ve read that he thought it was his magnum opus. Still, Grapes remains my favorite — but I might be argued otherwise someday.
As for East of Eden, I certainly recommend it. Steinbeck does so well with his characters and setting. To me, it was one of those books that really put me there. I’ve read a whole year’s worth of Pulitzers, and his stuff is probably most capable of doing that for me. And of course, there’s my interest with the Salinas area, having lived near there for quite some time.
Now it’s on to another book — and I’ll need it, considering the weather taking such a terrible turn these past few days (we’re still digging out of a day’s worth of snowfall Wednesday). There’ll be no riding for a little while.