East of Eden
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East of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in 1952.
Often described as Steinbeck's most ambitious novel, East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their interwoven stories.
The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California, between the beginning of the 20th century and the end of World War I. Samuel Hamilton and his wife Liza, immigrants from Ireland, raised their nine children on the rough hillside. As their children leave the nest, Adam Trask, newly wed and newly rich after a tumultuous childhood in the East and years of military service and wandering, moves into a large and fertile valley plot nearby.
The book treats of depravity and beneficence, love and the struggle for acceptance, greatness and the capacity for self-destruction, and especially of guilt and freedom. It ties these themes together with references to and parallels with the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16, from the end of which comes the book's title).
The book did not go well with the critics, who found the novel heavy-handed and unconvincing in its use of Biblical allusion.
In June 2003, dubbing it "the book that brought the Book Club back," Oprah Winfrey made it her newest selection for her book club.
The book was adapted for cinema in the 1955 film East of Eden by director Elia Kazan, and starring James Dean, Julie Harris, Richard Davalos, Raymond Massey, Jo Van Fleet, and Burl Ives. The movie deals with the second half of the book, hence Dean acts the part of Adam's son Cal while Davalos plays Aron, Cal's twin brother.
In 1981, a TV miniseries was aired, more faithful to the novel. It starred Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, Bruce Boxleitner, Karen Allen, Warren Oates, Howard Duff, and Anne Baxter.
Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard is set to direct another remake of the novel, set to be released in 2006. No cast has been announced as of yet, although there are rumors that Ethan Hawke is being cast as Cal and Brad Pitt will be cast as Adam.
External link
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- East of Eden (http://webpages.charter.net/thejacowskis/eden/) a book discussion/reviewda:Øst for paradis (bog)
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East of Eden is also a band who had a hit with the single "Jig-a-Jig" in 1970.