Entertainment
19 October 2026
Link copied to clipboardThe Salinas Valley is in Northern California. But members around the world have been captivated by East of Eden, our critically acclaimed adaptation of John Steinbeck’s beloved novel.
Since its October 1 debut, East of Eden has spent two weeks on the Global Top 10 English TV list, amassing 19.1 million views cumulatively. It reached the Top 10 in 86 countries and was #1 in 34. And the popularity of the limited series extends far beyond the screen, sending the book back to the top of the bestseller lists.
Book sales are up nearly 200% across all formats, according to East of Eden’s publisher, Penguin Classics. The book also rose to #1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list, 74 years after publication. Penguin Classics has gone back to press 25 times this year across all physical editions of the book, with big and small retailers getting in on the action.
And Spotify reported a 156% global increase in first-time listeners for the East of Eden audiobook and a 171% increase in searches leading to the audiobook.
East of Eden is a fresh interpretation of the 1952 novel that explores the multigenerational saga of the Trask family, focusing new attention on its indelible antihero, Cathy Ames (played by Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh).
“I felt this sort of fire inside of me that somebody has to make this someday the way I saw it in my head,” said writer, executive producer and co-showrunner Zoe Kazan. Kazan was especially enthusiastic about dedicating more screentime to Cathy Ames, the book’s main antagonist.
That expanded role spoke to Pugh, who was the first actor to sign on and also came on board as an executive producer. “Zoe inviting me to help create this world with them was such an honor,” she said. “It really stepped off with Cathy’s POV of the world.”
For Jinny Howe, Netflix’s Head of Scripted Series for US and Canada, Kazan’s passion for the book and drive to reimagine it was what caught her attention. “Zoe Kazan brings a fresh perspective to a classic story. It’s one that feels both deeply rooted and strikingly contemporary,” Howe said. “This makes East of Eden feel fresh for today’s audience without losing what made it so special in the first place.”
To recognize their work on the limited series, Pugh and Kazan will receive the prestigious John Steinbeck Award on November 12. The John Steinbeck Award is given to writers, artists, thinkers and activists whose work captures Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of people who by circumstance are pushed to the fringes.
To pay respect to the original source material, Pugh and Kazan visited the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. ahead of East of Eden’s Netflix debut to explore the original Steinbeck archives, including manuscripts and artifacts from the novel as well as the film.
While in the US capital, the pair also visited the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center for an intimate masterclass and in-depth look at the series with 350 students and guests.
Across the pond, Pugh and Kazan were joined by stars Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist at the British Library for a “Clips & Conversation” panel discussing the making of East of Eden. The talk, the first in a series, also kicked off a larger partnership between Netflix and the British Library to help more people discover the books behind some of the world’s most popular films and series. As part of this pact, Netflix will support the British Library’s literary conservation and archives and donate books behind our popular shows and movies to 100 libraries across the UK.
In New York, Kazan also visited The New York Public Library to explore research collections related to East of Eden.
East of Eden is one of several highly anticipated literary adaptations debuting on Netflix this year, including recent releases such as Little House on the Prairie, Part Two of One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Doll as well as December’s Pride and Prejudice.
East of Eden is now streaming — only on Netflix.