Jon
There were moments of beauty and hope in the novel, and some memorable characters and plot pieces, but I can't say I enjoyed this overall. Steinbeck would often fall into a strange "telling" way of writing that didn't match up with what his characters actually did or how they acted. The way he changes focus to certain characters detracts from the center of gravity too.
I will say I liked some of the philosophical conversation, around Timshel with Adam, Sam, and Lee for example, and his observations on human nature. I also enjoyed the writing at times and the sheer determination around telling this story. The biblical allusions were a little overwrought and heavy handed though, and characters being either wholly good or wholly bad felt overly simplistic and undeserved.
The third act of the novel in general felt rushed and uneven. Characters seemed to change motivation, relationships grew from nowhere, people got sick and died without much narrative feel to it. I suppose the last chapter redeemed my reading somewhat, it brought a decent resolution... But it was a mess to get there.
There were moments of beauty and hope in the novel, and some memorable characters and plot pieces, but I can't say I enjoyed this overall. Steinbeck would often fall into a strange "telling" way of writing that didn't match up with what his characters actually did or how they acted. The way he changes focus to certain characters detracts from the center of gravity too.
I will say I liked some of the philosophical conversation, around Timshel with Adam, Sam, and Lee for example, and his observations on human nature. I also enjoyed the writing at times and the sheer determination around telling this story. The biblical allusions were a little overwrought and heavy handed though, and characters being either wholly good or wholly bad felt overly simplistic and undeserved.
The third act of the novel in general felt rushed and uneven. Characters seemed to change motivation, relationships grew from nowhere, people got sick and died without much narrative feel to it. I suppose the last chapter redeemed my reading somewhat, it brought a decent resolution... But it was a mess to get there.