“Yes, East Of Eden Lives Up To The Hype – Here’s Why”

From the moment it was announced, there’s been growing anticipation for East of Eden, Netflix’s new adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel. For one, it stars Florence Pugh, which is enough to get anyone interested, and perhaps because we’ve been on a roll of exciting new adaptations of classics- Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility, and, of course, The Odyssey have graced our screens this year alone. Now that it’s out, we can say East of Eden is definitely worth the watch – here’s why:

A new take on a classic

Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men has been a staple of many an English lesson over the years (and has a much-loved 90s film version), and The Grapes of Wrath has been dubbed the Great American Novel. East of Eden is his other essential book, known for being particularly ambitious and for being a story spanning multiple generations of one family. With the novel shooting up the bestseller charts and gaining popularity on BookTok due to the Netflix version, expectations were high as to how well the series would adapt the story.

It’s safe to say that Netflix’s East of Eden is a more modern telling, but it still keeps many core elements. The central premise follows the Trask and the Hamilton families, who very much have intertwining lives over the years- from the Civil War to WWI. There are still echoes of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel in the story of brothers Adam (Poor Thing’s Christopher Abbot) and Charles (Challengers’ Mike Faist). But Cathy Ames (Pugh), who’s married to Adam, is not only the most famous character from the novel but also the one who’s received the most attention in this new version. Which brings us to…

Come for Florence Pugh, stay for… Florence Pugh

Despite nominations, Florence Pugh somehow still doesn’t have a major award like an Oscar, Golden Globe or BAFTA under her belt, but we’re willing to bet she’ll be a strong contender at the next Emmys. East of Eden is her show through and through, as you’d expect given she has the role of Cathy, and it’s another magnetic performance. She’s always engrossing to watch when she’s on screen, and slips into Cathy’s accent very well. The character in the book is one of the most clear-cut villains in literature, intended by the author to be the embodiment of evil.

Pugh’s incarnation, as written by series creator Zoe Kazan, still does many of the awful and self-serving actions she does in the novel, but there is more development and backstory given here, making things more interesting. Some book fans may raise eyebrows at the attention given to her rather than Adam and Charles, but this adaptation can sustain the change.

Pugh’s incarnation, as written by series creator Zoe Kazan, still does many of the awful and self-serving actions she does in the novel, but there is more development and backstory given here, making things more interesting.

Ambitious and absorbing

The other great thing about Netflix’s East of Eden is that it’s seven episodes long, around an hour each, meaning there’s a lot more time for development of the story and characters, and more room to adapt from the book. Where some stories feel too cramped in a two-hour film, and others feel too stretched out over a long series, East of Eden is at a good length that feels like a smart decision.

The narrative does perhaps slow down a bit at times, so it’s still a tricky balancing act for Kazan, but the meaty runtime reflects the scope of Steinbeck’s novel. The series particularly gets going in its mid to later episodes, as we explore the relationship between Adam and Charles, and how Cathy comes between them. There are some dark and grim moments throughout, but in a way that feels worthy of “prestige TV”.

Gen Z appeal

In a world where concerns are growing about how much (or little) we read, a series like East of Eden coming out to hype and anticipation is exciting. The promotional stops made by the cast and crew have only further helped the book to gain renewed prominence among younger audiences and on social media. We talked about the book earlier this year, and its setting, characters and themes feel like they have a particular appeal.

While the Netflix version is updated and tweaked for our modern age, the themes that Steinbeck intended, like the meaning of evil, as well as family struggles and changing as people, remain relevant. All of this combines to make East of Eden one of the year’s most essential watches.

In a world where concerns are growing about how much (or little) we read, a series like East of Eden coming out to hype and anticipation is exciting.