re: East of Eden (Netflix) Discussion *Now Streaming*

We finished the first episode last night, and I'm really enjoying it. I guess the thing I'm most impressed with is that they're not dumbing down the themes and symbols from the book (specifically the Cain/Abel and birthright allusions and how they play out in the characters of Adam and Charles) to the point that non-book-reading viewers should be able to pick up on them as well.

so weird hearing Florence Pugh without her marvel accent

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Just finished the series, as someone who had no knowledge of the story or book, I really enjoyed it.

If I had to critique it, I don’t think they did a very good job making Cal seem “evil”… tbh I was pretty sympathetic to him from the beginning and thought he was being treated unfairly and he was trying to do good.

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I think that overall the series was very well done. Most of us who have been critical are probably longtime fans of the original novel and we were concerned that this series would be a new take on the story for "modern audiences." As it turns out, it was pretty damn faithful to the source material. If I had to take issue with the series, it would be for two reasons. First, obviously portraying Cathy in a somewhat sympathetic light, when in the novel she was far from it, and the second thing would be how they all but erased the Hamiltons from the story. I get it though. It's a huge book and cuts had to be made.

You made a very good point. In the novel, Cal is bad, like his mother. It is implied that he inherited his evil streak from her. In the series, he, like his mother, is portrayed in a much more sympathetic light. Cal is Cain to Aron's Abel, and in the novel he almost murders his brother. Here, the nastiest thing he does is take his brother to meet their mother. He blames himself for Aron's death and is tormented for years by it. He seemingly tries to do good and impress his father, but he always seems to fall short.

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It seems like Florence Pugh is in everything and I don't really get her appeal.

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I’m with you boss. She blows, and remind me of Miss piggy.

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I’m with you boss. She blows, and remind me of Miss piggy.

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You think she sucks in this show? She's legit a perfect casting. I'm four episodes in and she is killing it.

More than pleasantly surprised of how faithful they are being to the book.

The show was great. Never read the book and wondering if I should. Is there more to the story?

I haven’t watched the show, just generally I don’t like her, and it’s not even her acting ability. She’s pretty good. I just don’t like her face. Her a-hole face.

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"And just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?

Monsters are variations from the accepted normal to a greater or a less degree. As a child may be born without an arm, so one may be born without kindness or the potential of conscience. A man who loses his arms in an accident has a great struggle to adjust himself to the lack, but one born without arms suffers only from people who find him strange. Having never had arms, he cannot miss them. Sometimes when we are little we imagine how it would be to have wings, but there is no reason to suppose it is the same feeling birds have. No, to a monster the norm must seem monstrous, since everyone is normal to himself. To the inner monster it must be even more obscure, since he has no visible thing to compare to others. To a man born without conscience, a soul-stricken man must seem ridiculous. To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous."

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Never read the book, but after reading this, I am putting it at the top of my list. How did he understand psychopaths so well? He must have had one in his life that he studied.

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"No, to a monster the norm must seem monstrous, since everyone is normal to himself."

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I immediately thought "I Am Legend." But it was published only two years after East of Eden so it couldn't have been influenced by these lines.

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The show was great. Never read the book and wondering if I should. Is there more to the story?

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there are some strange pacing things they "lengthen" and reduce in the show.

Cathy's childhood, growing into a monster up to where she ends up beaten on the Trasks doorsetep is a single chapter. Cathy's taking over of the brothel in Salinas was a single chapter, but makes up almost 2/7 of the show.

there honestly are more chapters dedicated to Samuel and his family's interactions and lives that are entirely left out compared to almost two whole episodes of Cathy

Mostly faithful in my opinion but they took 3/55 of the book and made it 2/7s of a show.

Just finished.

I enjoyed it but my wife did not.

Having read it, I think it’s a fairly faithful adaptation, but a lot of changes and cuts made it more depressing.

Adam and Lee did not have a harsh departure when Lee goes to San Francisco. Samuel is honored as a great patriarch by his children. I feel like some great dialogue with Samuel and Liza and Samuel and Lee are left out to the detriment of the series. Aron and Cal falling for Abra is limited to a few small scenes. Tom and Dessie’s fate is heartbreaking good sorrow. The description of the ranch and Salinas are just missing with tiny cuts of scenery.

Again, a book reader will never be happy with an adaptation and I think this nailed it more than 90% of Hollywoods attempts, but I think they sacrificed more endearing moments that would have elevated the entire series to giving Florence Pugh more screen time.

8/10