I just finished reading East of Eden...

It's very rare for me to tear up when reading any book. But godamnit, this book has moved me so much.

An absolutely, staggeringly beautiful look into the human soul and condition. I find myself wanting to talk so much about it, but I feel like words fail to describe how I feel right now. Every single character in this book is so well written and fleshed out, all of them face struggles and trials that every person on this planet has felt in their soul at least once. It's just like Lee says in the novel, the best stories are the ones that talk about the things that are felt and understood by the most people, about the things that are fundamental to our very being.

This novel makes me feel the same way a Dostoevsky novel would. It fills with me an abundance of strength and courage to power through the mud and despair of life, it fills me with a sombre courage to accept the inherent goodness in me and to never forget it. Despite our flaws, our darkness and evil, each one of us has good in us, we have the choice to power recognize it and overcome sin and rejection. And within that choice, our greatest glory and triumph.

I'm sorry if this post doesn't go into depth into the story or my thoughts, I just really want to put my appreciation for it out there. It's one of those stories where you feel a deep gratitude to the author for writing it. Steinbeck has moved me like very few others have.

The word 'timshel' shall be engraved into my mind forever, I feel. May I never forget its power.