Life on Books - LOB Presents: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
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For October 2026, the LOB Booktatorship is back! Many of you have been asking for this one for a while, and with the Netflix adaption set to be released in October, now seems like the perfect time to read this American classic!
Reading Schedule
Week 1: Meeting Wednesday October 7th at 7pm and Thursday October 8th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 13 (page 145)
Week 2: Meeting Wednesday October 14th at 7pm and Thursday October 15th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 24 (page 307)
Week 3: Meeting Wednesday October 21th at 7pm and Thursday October 22nd at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 38 (page 447)
Week 4: Meeting Wednesday October 28th at 7pm and Thursday October 29th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of the book
Note: Meeting times are listed in eastern daylight time (NYC UTC-04:00). Page count is based on the Penguin Orange Collection edition, your edition may vary. Meeting links will be posted 10 minutes before the meeting time in the corresponding discussion thread on Discord, and in the meeting links chat on Patreon.
If you haven't connected your book club membership to our Discord server yet, you can do so here:
https://patreon.com/user/settings
If you haven't joined our Patreon yet you can do so here:
www.patreon.com/lifeonbooks and select "become a member"
About the Book
Originally published in 1952, East of Eden is often considered Steinbeck's Magnum Opus. The book is a multigenerational story following two families: The Trasks and the Hamiltons. and contains themes of the nature of good and evil, self determination, guilt, and family. While the book was heavily influenced by the story of Cain and Abel, the book was originally dedicated to Steinbeck's sons, to whom he wanted to describe life in the Salinas Valley to in great detail.
Despite Steinbeck thinking East of Eden as his best work, and its enduring legacy in the literary conversation, reception upon publication was mixed. Commercially the book was a success, however critics thought the book was too heavy handed, particularly with its biblical influences.
About the Author
John Steinbeck is often considered one of the greatest American novelists of all time. His career spanned nearly 50 years, with 17 novels and 7 works of nonfiction published during his lifetime. He is a Nobel laureate, winning the prize for literature in 1962.
In addition to the Nobel Prize, Steinbeck also won the Pulitzer in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath, for which he was also awarded the National Book Award.
His novels are often included in high school curriculum across the US including Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, and the Pearl.
Steinbeck's works are often set in California, and feature stories of downtrodden, working class people. His political views are still to this day the source of much controversy, with many of his works clearly including progressive themes and ideas. In addition to his works of fiction, Steinbeck also traveled around the world to write, including Russia, Vietnam, and various places across the US. Steinbeck himself claimed that at one point he was being investigated by the FBI, a claim the agency has ardently denied.
Get a copy of East of Eden here or here (purchasing through these links helps to support the club)
For October 2026, the LOB Booktatorship is back! Many of you have been asking for this one for a while, and with the Netflix adaption set to be released in October, now seems like the perfect time to read this American classic!
Reading Schedule
Week 1: Meeting Wednesday October 7th at 7pm and Thursday October 8th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 13 (page 145)
Week 2: Meeting Wednesday October 14th at 7pm and Thursday October 15th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 24 (page 307)
Week 3: Meeting Wednesday October 21th at 7pm and Thursday October 22nd at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of chapter 38 (page 447)
Week 4: Meeting Wednesday October 28th at 7pm and Thursday October 29th at 8:30am to discuss up through the end of the book
Note: Meeting times are listed in eastern daylight time (NYC UTC-04:00). Page count is based on the Penguin Orange Collection edition, your edition may vary. Meeting links will be posted 10 minutes before the meeting time in the corresponding discussion thread on Discord, and in the meeting links chat on Patreon.
If you haven't connected your book club membership to our Discord server yet, you can do so here:
https://patreon.com/user/settings
If you haven't joined our Patreon yet you can do so here:
www.patreon.com/lifeonbooks and select "become a member"
About the Book
Originally published in 1952, East of Eden is often considered Steinbeck's Magnum Opus. The book is a multigenerational story following two families: The Trasks and the Hamiltons. and contains themes of the nature of good and evil, self determination, guilt, and family. While the book was heavily influenced by the story of Cain and Abel, the book was originally dedicated to Steinbeck's sons, to whom he wanted to describe life in the Salinas Valley to in great detail.
Despite Steinbeck thinking East of Eden as his best work, and its enduring legacy in the literary conversation, reception upon publication was mixed. Commercially the book was a success, however critics thought the book was too heavy handed, particularly with its biblical influences.
About the Author
John Steinbeck is often considered one of the greatest American novelists of all time. His career spanned nearly 50 years, with 17 novels and 7 works of nonfiction published during his lifetime. He is a Nobel laureate, winning the prize for literature in 1962.
In addition to the Nobel Prize, Steinbeck also won the Pulitzer in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath, for which he was also awarded the National Book Award.
His novels are often included in high school curriculum across the US including Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, and the Pearl.
Steinbeck's works are often set in California, and feature stories of downtrodden, working class people. His political views are still to this day the source of much controversy, with many of his works clearly including progressive themes and ideas. In addition to his works of fiction, Steinbeck also traveled around the world to write, including Russia, Vietnam, and various places across the US. Steinbeck himself claimed that at one point he was being investigated by the FBI, a claim the agency has ardently denied.
Get a copy of East of Eden here or here (purchasing through these links helps to support the club)
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