This book is more about people and their emotional growth than it is about dramatic events (though there are several of those).
There are very few strong female characters. Cathy is a despicable villain, but maybe the most one-dimensional character in the book. I liked Abra, but she lacked the depth that the male protagonists had, and she didn’t go through any personal growth. Same with Liza.
To me, East of Eden is a near-perfect book. Cathy is the one thing I thought could have been better. She was simply too evil. Not a single spark of goodness or empathy in her. There was no point at which the reader could empathize with her actions or her perspective. She underwent no growth or change.
The below is from Wikipedia (emphasis mine). The only thing I agree with is the part about Cathy, though I’m less bothered than the critics were.
… literary critics were not as gracious, calling the novel heavy-handed and unconvincing, especially in its use of Biblical allusion.Many critics found the novel repulsive yet captivating due to its portrayal of violence and sexual sadism. In particular, critics found the character Cathy (and her brutality) to be wildly unbelievable and off-putting. Others found Steinbeck’s philosophy to be too strong in the novel and claimed that he was a moralist. According to critics, Steinbeck’s portrayal of good and evil was both hyperbolic and oversimplified, especially in the character of Cathy.1
East of Eden is one of those books that gives me a new perspective on life. It’s a reminder that there’s more to a person that what we see on the surface, and that who someone is today isn’t necessarily who they will be tomorrow. Everyone has the potential to change and break from the inter-generational patterns that have lead them to where they are.
There will be a made-for-television adaptation on Netflix.