Status Updates From East of Eden/The Wayward Bus

Lee said "Help him...Let him be free...Bless him!"
Adam whispered word seemed to hang in the air: "Timshel"
His eyes closed and he slept.

The random POV change smack dab at the end of the book was so unnecessary. Im not nearly as attached to the characters and now it just feels like a drag reading it. It feels discombobulated too? Not a fan after reading a 600 page book for characters i was alr attached too.

Cal gives Adam his money and he gets rejected, ouch 🤭 Kate or Cathy gets more time in the spotlight with a whole lot of internal conflict with her dumb brute Joe, perhaps an I there reflection of Stienbecks thoughts? And Kate KILLS herself??

Adam takes his new wife to California where he works with Samuel an expert on the land and purchases a run down ranch. He hires what he thinks if a Chinaman (but actually his ancestry is). Cathy tries to abort the child and in the end after delivering twin boys a few days later she tells Adam to throw the boys in his well she was leaving. Adam thought for a monment she was going to stay.

Despite Cal echoing Charles and his hostility Stienbeck still cares to explore him and his character development giving him more narrative significance than Aron. The story itself is slowing down and getting less interesting. But waching Adam's transition and Lee aging has been great.

This book hasn't gotten boring in all 350 pages. With all the generational importance, seeing Adam's children echo the relationship he had with Charles. And the themes that seem to be at play here "all things have a end, good or bad." Adam coming to term with Cathy.. Samuel dying. Yeah

Not sure what Adam and Charles are about but it just sickens me. Good thing it is fiction!

Charles dead? Explains why I haven't seen his perspective, I was wondering! Why though? I'll have to see. Samuel dying and being Adam's wake up call is probably the best thing to happen. There was a lead up.. Sometimes death is someone's wake up call

Oh my emotional foil for Adam, Samuel ❤️ it'll be sad for him to leave Adam's narrative but he set more than a good enough example for him. Set forth Adam, only we can hope you find yourself

Oh Cathy 😬 you are not a good woman are you. Samuel you better whip our boy Adam back into shape

Cyrus was a tall tale provider. His military adventures that he retold were fabricated. The only exception was he did not change his rank. All of these tales he learned from charts and textbooks. He treated his children as if the were in the army. By the time they were in grade school they were taught close-order drill and training them marksmanship skills.

Cyrus soon married Alice his second wife. She covered everything he needed someone to take care of Adam keep house cook. Alice's greatest virture was she never said anything unless directly asked.

We meet Adam who was born on the farm by his mother who was working the farm by herself as Cyrus Trask was serving in the military where he lost his leg by a heavy slug. Mrs Trask was very religious and when Cyrus brought her an infection her God was a man of vengeance. She scarificed herself.

We meet Samuel Hamilton from Ireland. He was honest. Love is what brought him to California. A big man blacksmith, carpenter and woodcarver. Homesteader of 1760 acres of harsh and dry land. Blacksmithing was what kept him a float.
Liza his Irish wife had a moral code. She gave Samuel nine children.

Part One/Chapter One
The frame of the story is the Salinas Valley in California. The description of the grasses and flowers are discribed as the memory of odors is very rich. (from childhood) Gabilan Mountains, Salinas River in the spring. The land baren from farms and people.

I really like how Adam's and Charles relationship is depicted. Cathy's appearance was a little sudden. Could be the point. But her playing off as Charles reflective counterpart is interesting. Both are like the other they just present differently.

Its genuinely not bad :] I love how several meanings can be interpreted through the prose. A little meh to see where the story goes. 600 pages...