East of Eden

10

Extremely eloquent, perfectly simple and effective prose combined with imaginative and realistic dialogue creates one of the most fulfilling reading experience ive had.

Theres no grand-purpose, huge-stakes plot here. No characters relying on archetypes and cliches and tropes so that readers can recognize the charactertype and know how to feel about them. Its just people. Normal people. Insignificant people. People who, like in real life - you dont know anything about until you talk to them. Steinbecks razor-sharp writing shows us that even the most insignicant and average people can live the most fantastical lives, and carry the the most mythical and beautiful wisdom in them. All you have to do is listen to them talk.

MUST READ!!

Some quotes i like:

“It is easy out of laziness, out of weakness, to throw oneself into the lap of a deity, saying “i couldn't help it; the way was set.” But think of the glory of the choice! That makes a man a man.

“In human affairs of danger and delicacy, successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry. So often men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he would not be moved to false action by anxiety or hurry or fear. Very few people learn this.”

“You're going to pass something down no matter what you do or if you do nothing. Even if you let yourself go fallow, the weeds will grow and the brambles. Something will grow.”