However, it’s different in a few key ways. The 1955 film, directed by Elia Kazan, shares its name with Steinbeck’s novel. In fact, East of Edenwas so popular that it inspired not one or two, but three adaptations since its publishing.Įast of Eden was first adapted just three years after it was published in 1952, which is just another testament to its popularity. The novel became a bestseller just a month after its release, and it’s still highly regarded today as one of Steinbeck’s best works. Although East of Eden wasn’t popular among critics, it certainly was among the masses. Highlights include the Hamiltons next door, Adam’s cook, Lee, and Adam’s evil and manipulative wife, Cathy. Steinbeck also fleshes out the classic story with his own characters. As in the Cain and Abel story, brothers Adam and Charles (and later, Cal and Aron) fight for their father’s affection in a narrative that questions morality and free will. The story follows two sets of brothers and their mirroring conflicts. Steinbeck’s story put a modern spin on the Biblical Cain and Abel story by setting it in Salinas Valley, California during the events of the American Civil War and World War I. 70 years ago today, John Steinbeck published what he considers to be his magnum opus: East of Eden.
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