East of Eden

Considered by Steinbeck as his magnum opus, this magistral work traces the history of two families having settled in the Salinas Valley, California at the beginning of the 20th century. In its genealogical tracings of fraught family dynamics and explorations of intergenerational emotional turbulence, the novel is steeped in significant biblical allusions, and poses significant questions on free will and determinism, love, and decadence. In addition to the brilliant studies in character and beautiful prose, the strong thematic through-lines of the novel highlight Steinbeck's mastery of his craft as he weaves the narrative into an intricate and devastating tapestry well deserving of its place in the canon of American literary classics.