A reworking of the story of Cain and Abel, the 1952 novel recounts the brutal dissolution of a California family.
East of Eden is a novel that is explicitly biblical in its scope, centering on the patriarchal figure of Adam Trask, and his uneasy relationship with his twin sons and their scandalous mother. This epic family saga, chronicling the turbulent ambitions and desires of the Trasks and their neighbors in California's fertile Salinas Valley, is characterized by one fundamental theme: the need for a personal choice between good and evil. Much of the historical background and some of the colorful events in the narrative are based on John Steinbeck's own memories and the recollections of his forebears in the region. But the vital protagonists -- the dominating Adam, the favored Aron, the tormented Cal -- and the fascinating cast of supporting characters, including maidens and whores, Chinese servants and scions of pioneer stock, are the fruit of Steinbeck's own imaginative genius and his love for the land of his birth. - Jacket flap.