Has anybody read East of Eden?

[Melmart1]

I am of the opinion that the combination of vanity and Lit professors turn people off to a number of good and/or great books that would otherwise go appreciated.

[Darrin]

Actually it sounds like you liked it. Certainly put enough thought into it.

Just because I can intellectually get the point Steinbeck is making, does not mean I like it. I'd much rather study a similar theme with Hamlet as he struggles over the decision to avenge his father's death right before the play. After the old dog and the mouse were killed, the rest of the book was predictable as . It could've been 50 pages shorter.

Although I can say that science has now proven that Lennie was actually smarter than George.

Yeah, I saw that. Then Lennie is the truly evil one -- he manipulates George into taking care of him, he kills a puppy, a mouse, almost rapes a woman, and kills another.

[leemajors]

I am of the opinion that the combination of vanity and Lit professors turn people off to a number of good and/or great books that would otherwise go appreciated.

true, but it's worth enduring when you get a good one the next semester or have a great prof at the same time as a bad one. my lit criticism professor taught a great class on milton the semester after i had the modernist class. i had his previous class on literary criticism at the same as the class that required as i lay dying and gatsby, and the two professors did not like each other at all and made it clear to me during their respective classes, which was odd but highly entertaining.