In the dedication, Steinbeck describes the book as a box. "Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts - the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation. . . And still the box is not full." (tinylittlereadingroon.blogspot.com 2008)

It's just amazing, duh. Okay, so Oprah put this on her book list years ago, which really pissed me off. East of Eden, or Steinbeck in his entirety, does not need Oprah to be good or recognized as good. So, people out there who vaguely remember Steinbeck from high school because they read, or pretended to read, Of Mice and Men or the Red Pony, might be like, "Bleh, Steinbeck...I'll pass." But this one is awesome. Epic like battle between two families, amazing characters, the typical realism and out-west heartache from Steinbeck that we love, or we should love. Of course, the biblical symbolism runs deeps... anyway. Give it a rip.

And remember, you're not in high school anymore and you can read all those books and not have to do a study guide.