What is the author's style in East of Eden by John Steinbeck?

Because Steinbeck's novel is strongly based on the story of Genesis in the Bible, it is important for the reader to have at least some familiarity with the Biblical story in order to understand the plot and resulting allegories and lessons. Steinbeck also writes in an elegant style befitting the re-telling of one of the most universally-believed stories of all time. Steinbeck also masterfully captures the styles of each of his characters to make them even more believable.