Review: East of Eden

I recently blew the dust off of EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck and re-read it for the third time.  In my opinion, EAST OF EDEN is one of Steinbeck’s greatest works. He intended the novel to be autobiographical in depicting how the Steinbeck family came to settle in the fertile California valley. However, Steinbeck says the story changed as he was writing, and it kind of took on a life of its own. 
On the surface, it is an allegory reminding us of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel in Genesis and the battle between good and evil as each son strives to please his father. 
The epic timeline spans the years between the War Between the States through the First World War.  There are two generations of brothers in the story beginning with Adam and his half-brother Charles Trask.  Each son desperately tries to please his father.  Adam’s mother dies, and she is quickly replaced with another woman who bears Charles.  Steinbeck intentionally wants the reader to sense that women seem expendable here.
In the mix, there is an evil yet beautiful vixen, Cathy Ames, who leaves destruction in her wake and pretty much wrecks the lives of both generations of men – as a lover to brothers Adam and Charles, then as a mother to sons Aaron and Caleb.  Steinbeck characterizes Cathy as a manipulative murderous whore who hides her profession under a veneer of sweet innocence.  She fools a lot of men, but Steinbeck makes certain she never fools the reader.
There is a  pattern throughout the story where Steinbeck depicts women as mentally unstable: (Adam’s mother), sickly (Charles’ mother), weak (Cathy’s mother), and pure evil (Cathy). 
The only female with somewhat redeemable attributes comes later in the story.  Her name is Abra, and she is the girlfriend of Adam’s twin sons Aron AND Caleb.  Yes, she dates them both.
On EAST OF EDEN, Steinbeck once wrote, "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."