This volume includes one dozen new and recent essays on John Steinbeck's East of Eden (1952). First commissioned by the late Professor Michael J. Meyer, a renowned Steinbeck scholar, the volume was originally designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the novel's publication. The collection contains critical writings from a variety of literary fields. These include the biographical essay, travel essay, essays on varied themes in Steinbeck's works, writings on critical approaches to Steinbeck and also a new essay on Elia Kazan's film adaptation of the novel. This volume is of interest for the Steinbeck scholar, the literary critic and also the casual reader seeking new ways to understand Steinbeck's novel.