Netflix's East of Eden Arrives With Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames

Netflix's East of Eden landed on Oct. 1 and is now streaming.

The project is a miniseries, meaning a short run that tells one finished story in a set number of episodes. It takes on John Steinbeck's sprawling novel and follows the Trask family through multiple generations, according to Variety.

Netflix sets the story in the early 1900s. Its official synopsis describes a fiercely independent woman who drives a rift between two brothers, according to Netflix.

That woman is Cathy Ames. The new version shifts the spotlight to her and reframes her as a complex antihero, according to Variety.

The adaptation comes from Zoe Kazan. She adapted the full literary epic, rather than one section of the book, and serves as co-showrunner, meaning she shares day-to-day running of the show, and writer.

The family link runs deep. Kazan is the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan. Her grandfather directed James Dean in a film version drawn from the fourth and final part of Steinbeck's novel.

Florence Pugh leads the cast as Cathy. She is also an executive producer, meaning a senior creative role behind the camera as well as in front of it.

Netflix bills Pugh alongside Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist as its starring cast. Abbott plays Adam Trask. Faist plays Charles, Adam's brother.

Two other key roles shape the household. Hoon Lee plays Lee, the Trask family's cook and housekeeper. Ciarán Hinds plays patriarch Samuel Hamilton.

The series focuses by design on the inner lives of Cathy, Adam and Lee. That trio carries much of the emotional weight.

Pugh has spoken about the role in an interview on Skip Intro with Krista Smith, according to Netflix's Tudum feature site.

For viewers coming fresh to the book, this is a good place to start. The names are big. The story is complete. No prior viewing is required.