East of Eden

[Happyinheels]

Oh my goodness! I neeeeeed to find my people to talk about this!

Binge watched the series on Netflix today (off work poorly!).

And wow! How incredible? I’m ashamed to say it’s a classic that I’ve never read so can’t compare it to the book. Anyone read the book and watched the series? How does it compare?

I found myself broken in pieces so many times. And soooo many layers to this saga!

Come my people!!!! Talk to me!

@BurnTheDress you won’t regret it!

Florence Pugh can do no wrong in my eyes.

I was a little confused as to why Caleb was portrayed to be such a terrible person? Thoughts anyone?

I love this book. It's my absolute favourite of all time.

I didn't even know they'd made TV series. I've seen the James Dean 1950s film directed by Elia Kazan. That's a bit meh. Dean was great though.

I read the book so long ago that it's a mixed up mess with the other Steinbecks like Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row etc. in my head. The Graun review mentions that the series zooms in on the latter part of the book and drops other character's story arcs to trim the focus of the production...like the Hamilton family, who are much more present in the original. They also mention that giving Cathy a backstory to justify her sociopathic nature rather devalues the point of Steinbeck's character who apparently was an indefensible force of malice for the sake of malice. And these people do exist as we know.
IMHO Pugh is absolutely magnificent. She goes from strength to strength ! Her Cathy is nuanced with many shades of deceit, restlessness, empowerment, even vulnerability on occasions.
And the production values are sumptuous, from the sweeping landscapes to the interiors, the costumes - at first I was reaching for the remote to brighten the screen then remembered that is how the light would have been with just candles and lanterns. It's really atmospheric.
Am definitely going back for a rewatch 👏👏👏
And maybe brush up on my Steinbeck !

This series was adapted by his granddaughter Zoe Kazan !

Per my previous post, I misread - the early East of Eden film with James Dean was centred on the latter third of the book, not the new series,

Amazing - FP stated it took 6 years from start to finish - another binge watcher here - must read the book - true reflection or not?

I've not read the book either but, yep, that was yesterday lost to binge watching!!!

Thanks so much for that @Aintgointogoa

Having not read the book and only just learning that those early childhood events didn’t actually take place in the book has blown my mind! It totally detracts from Steinbecks depiction of Cathy. It feels like, in these modern day times we need to soften the character, explain away her psychoses, her behaviour. That’s disappointing - knowing that now, I wonder how it will affect my opinion of her. I didn’t hate her but maybe I felt some understanding and empathy as to why she was behaving as she was. When in actual fact there was no reason apart from, as @MyKindHiker said, she was a stone cold bitch!

Yes I have actually just read the book because my partner wanted me to it's his favourite book of all time and yeah Cathy is just a psychopath basically she's an awful character. No underlying reasons for how she behaves as she does. She is a manipulative murderer.

I can't say I loved the book but I plowed through it - it's very long. Looking forward to seeing this because everybody is raving about it.

I have read the book but not seen the film or series.

I found the book wonderful but the female evil temptress written with massive misogyny. If it were real life there would be no way she’s be that way unless unspeakable things had happened to her.

To me the background descriptions are some of the most wonderful elements and ring most true: how in America in those early days there was an absolute melting pot of people coming together from all backgrounds. I have also never forgotten how a beloved beautiful very young, younger sister went off to be married to some stray penniless person and was sent back to the family dead with the soles of her tiny feet worn off.

The book is definitely very worth reading.

Please tell me what it us you are all watching?

@ScrollingLeaves do you mean that happens in the book?

We’re talking about the Netflix adaptation of ‘East of Eden.’

As a feminist I thought the book was quite poorly written from the perspective of the female characters to be honest. I think that's why I couldn't love it.

Watched one and half episodes ....im saving it to help me get through November.
It looks amazing.

I agree. It is extremely poorly written from that point of view. Nevertheless I think it is a very good book and one from its own time.

I agree. It is extremely poorly written from that point of view. Nevertheless I think it is a very good book and one from its own time.

Yes in the book.

Thank you I did not know about the Netflix drama

I’m glad you’ve said this because I was thinking the same thing, and before with Adam and Charles. I know it symbolises the Cain and Abel bible story (which I’m unfamiliar with) who were ‘good’ and ‘evil’ so I don’t quite see the connection.
They all just seem like mixed up people who all had a hard start in life.
Li is a fabulous character.

Ooh this is on my to watch list!
I posted about the Monster: The Lizzy Borden Story and was wondering if this was a similar watch?

I read the book in preparation for watching this but haven’t got to it yet. I adore Florence Pugh in everything she does but yeah, in the book the whole thing is that she is born a monster. No backstory. I agree with @LittleJustice that I found her a little hard to believe in (Steinbeck isn’t the best at writing female characters) but equally I think it’s so interesting that they felt the need to give a female character a justification arc for being evil. I am looking forward to watching having read these comments. Also if you enjoy evil Florence, her breakthrough performance in Lady Macbeth (not actually Macbeth based) is amazing! She blew me away there!

I also thought Cal and Abra relationship was a true love story.

I haven’t yet watched the Netflix but I read the book earlier this year and it blew me away - was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Cathy was so spooky and his conclusion that she wasn’t emotional and feeling like a woman, she was transactional and cold like a man (I may be paraphrasing) was, I thought, a great insight, that I wished I’d read as a young woman.

I’m three quarters of the way through and I think it’s the most miserable, dull book ever 😄. Loved the Grapes of Wrath but this has been a chore to read every night - but I will not let it defeat me!