East Of Eden Quotes

In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved.

This I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.

When a man comes to die,
no matter what his talents and influences and genius,
if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him
and his dying a cold horror.

This I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.

But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.

There’s a capacity for appetite… that a whole heaven and earth of cake can’t satisfy

It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world.

There is more beauty in truth, even if it is a dreadful beauty. The storytellers at the city gate twist life so that it looks sweet to the lazy and the stupid and the weak, and this only strengthens their infirmities and teaches nothing, cures nothing, nor does it let the heart soar.

We only have one story. All novels, all poetry are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil.

I don’t think there is a single sentence in this whole book [East of Eden] that does not either develop character, carry on the story or provide necessary background.

An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie. It takes great courage to back truth unacceptable to our times. There’s a punishment for it, and it’s usually crucifixion.

People like you to be something, preferably what they are.

I think of my life as a kind of music, not always good music but still having form and melody.

There’s more beauty in the truth even if it is dreadful beauty.

All great and precious things are lonely.

Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.