/lit/ - Literature

Thou mayest.

>East of Eden: better characterization
>Grapes of Wrath: better book, overall

>>447915
What about Grapes of Wrath did you think was better? I thought the plot was ho-hum. The chapters that read like paintings of the landscape broke up the rhythm of the story for no reason. East of Eden made me cry. Grapes of Wrath made me yawn. I can't remember any characters names or particular scenes vividly from Grapes of Wrath. I can remember characters, scenes, and particular sentences from East of Eden. To me, it was a much a better book. Grapes of Wrath was dull.

>>447900

timshel motherfucker1

Shit sucks man, life's just not fair for some people. I know the feeling you're talking about after I read East of Eden I sat outside in my backyard for at least an hour thinking "Fuck that's not fair.." Made me so sad to read about Adam. Timshel brother, Timshel.

>>447930

AUSFAG GET OUT GO WAY

>>447932
;_;

>>447930
Damn the people who let the lettuce rot in the sun! Route the damn train cars!

>>447919
You didn't love the side stories that broke up the story? I thought it really gave more depth to the story, gave you a much clearer picture of what the place was like. I'm not going to compare one book with the other, they were both brilliant in their own right.

>>447941
I was in highschool. Maybe I should try Grapes of Wrath again. I was too motivated by plot then - I just wanted to get to the next part of the story, and didn't much care what the environment was like.

Adam had a lot of flaws as a character; he brought most of his misery upon himself.

If anything should be upsetting you, it should be the complete lack of redemption at the end. It was definitely supposed to be an upsetting ending.

This is probably my second-favorite book, next to The Brothers Karamazov.

>>447960
Brothers K is next on my list. My finals are over tomorrow. I have the Constance Garnett translation, apparently the edition Hemingway read that got him into Russian authors. Critics complain that she translates all Russians the same, though. You're reading Garnett, not Dostoevsky. Do you have a translation you recommend?

>>447956
Yeah I must agree though some of the environment description got a bit tedious, but some of the side stories, like the little gas station along the highway were fun to read.

>>447960

>the complete lack of redemption at the end

what is not redemptive about timshel? it's god saying "thou mayest", the future is up to you, whether you redeem yourself or condemn yourself, its in your hands. secure you own redemption, free will, embrace it

>>447962

I read Andrew R. MacAndrew's translation, and, though I've never read another translation, it was excellent. I know it's supposed to be a highly regarded translation. Dostoevsky generally uses simple language in his works anyway. He isn't known for his beautiful prose, and thus, I don't think the translation would matter quite as much as it might with some other authors.

East of Eden. Just a tremendous telling of a family's history. Grand yet true to life all at once.

>>447968

Redemption might have been "I love you," which wouldn't go with the story at all. Timshel asserts that he is free to choose his own path. This is hardly even an acknowledgment of Cal. I see this more as affirming Lee's conviction that there is no one is inherently evil, and that people choose their path, as Cain did. Timshel could eventually lead to redemption, but it is not redemption itself.

>>448003

That no one is inherently evil*

Grammar fail.

fuck you guys, the novel had a happy ending

caleb might not have been adam's, or his favourite, but fuck it if caleb still wasn't there when aaron ran off to get himself killed like a pretentious do-goody mofo

caleb was still there man ;_;