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Trends always come and go in the book space. Remember the YA dystopia boom of the early 2010s? And it’s fair to say the 2020s have been ruled by romantasy, with books like Fourth Wing and the ACOTAR series flying off the shelves. Although publishing trends are bound to change eventually, some books stand the test of time and become classics.
One such read is taking over the book space right now, with everyone from book influencers to celebrities chatting and posting about it. The book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It’s a multigenerational retelling of the Cain and Abel story, exploring themes of good and evil via the complicated relationship between two twins on a California farm. But the reason people are reading it in droves right now isn’t just because it’s an American classic.
The reason you’re suddenly seeing so much talk about a book published in 1952 is that there’s a brand-new adaptation coming soon to Netflix, and book lovers are studying up to prepare. East of Eden will be a streaming series starring Florence Pugh, and it’s set to release in the fall.
The upcoming Netflix show isn’t the first adaptation for the book, either. East of Eden was first adapted as a movie starring James Dean in 1955. Because it was James Dean’s first major film role, it’s an iconic watch for movie buffs as well as fans of classic lit.
Reading the book now gives you plenty of time to wait in that long hold line at the library, chat about the book on Goodreads or with your book club, and then host a movie night to watch the original adaptation. When the show drops on Netflix in a couple of months, you’ll be able to say you read the book first—and that you have some thoughts on the adaptation choices as compared to the classic movie, of course.
From Wuthering Heights to The Odyssey, it’s been a big year for book adaptations to become blockbuster movies. Streaming platforms are following suit, with recent hit books like Remarkably Bright Creatures, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and Heated Rivalry becoming series for Netflix, Apple TV, and HBO Max, respectively.
Will East of Eden be the next big book adaptation? Social media sure seems to think so, and we love that the classic is trending once again.
