Strong start on screen
East of Eden landed on 1 October and quickly racked up 19.1 million views, spending two weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10 English TV list. It reached the Top 10 in 86 countries and hit number one in 34. The eight-part drama reworks John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, giving more space to antihero Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh.
Book sales surge
The screen version has driven readers back to the original text. Penguin Classics reports book sales up nearly 200 % across all formats, with the title topping Amazon’s Best Sellers list 74 years after first publication. The publisher has already gone back to press 25 times this year for physical editions. On Spotify the audiobook saw a 156 % rise in first-time listeners and a 171 % jump in searches.
UK library tie-in
Writers Zoe Kazan and Florence Pugh visited the British Library for a public panel that launched a new Netflix partnership. The streamer will support literary conservation work and donate copies of books behind its shows to 100 UK libraries. Kazan said the project grew from her desire to tell the story “the way I saw it in my head,” while Pugh called the expanded Cathy role an honour.
Catch it now
East of Eden is streaming now on Netflix. For the latest on new series and how they sit alongside your current tv packages, keep an eye on our round-ups.
