Netflix's "East of Eden" Adaptation Tops Charts in 40 Countries, Lifts Steinbeck Novel Sales by 200 Percent

Barbara Schweizerhof's autumn television roundup for Der Freitag leads with a surprise: a literary adaptation has become the season's biggest Netflix hit. "East of Eden" reached the number one position in 40 countries within a week of release, and booksellers report a "Netflix effect" — sales of John Steinbeck's novel have risen by 200 percent. Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of Elia Kazan, adapted the novel into seven episodes. Her version spans the book's full epic timeline, from the American Civil War to the end of the First World War, unlike Elia Kazan's 1955 film, which is remembered chiefly for James Dean's "bad boy" performance. Schweizerhof calls the result hypnotic in the best sense, with Florence Pugh's performance singled out as impossible to look away from. The series is one of five new shows she recommends for autumn; the others include an adaptation of Stephen King's "Carrie" that brings social-media bullying into the story. The full selection appears in the current print issue of Der Freitag.