"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck - Rereading Genesis

What is there to say about East of Eden? It's one of those novels that everyone knows about and people believe they should read. And many people have! It can just be intimidating to start a conversation with, "Alright, what'd you think of East of Eden"?

The first thing we talked about was the first chapter. Steinbeck lovingly and gently places the reader right in the Salinas Valley. He transports the reader there with what seems like little effort. We all noted how astounding it is. It is not wasteful, but does a lot for painting a picture. One reader said, "This is great. If you just want a quick story, go and read a James Patterson novel or something."

The conversation quickly jumped to Cathy and what a scary and frankly evil character she is. She was the character who we had the most difficulty sussing out their motivations. What drove her? After a certain point, it was revenge, but what about before that? Was it all about power? We couldn't quite come to a conclusion. Is her pregnancy the catalyst of of much of the story? We also talked about her being a mixture of Cain and Eve. She has a scar, or a mark on her forehead. And like Eve, she is the reason for the fall of some men, or at the very least a driving factor. One reader said he has a lot of familiarity with FLDS communities, and noted that they believe the apple in the Garden of Eden is symbolic for adultery, which lines up nicely with the novel, as Cathy's profession profits from adultery.

Abra and Cathy are two characters that different men (Aron and Adam) view through rose-colored glasses. They see what they want to see, for better or worse. And they are being fooled, they have a false perspective of these women. Their curated views lead them astray.

Knowing that the novel is based on Cain & Abel (or Genesis more broadly), it was tempting to seek a corollary in each character and name. Abra Bacon (or Abra-HAM), Cal & Aron the brothers, and of course, Adam. The people with C-names tend to be more flawed and filled with sin, where the people with A-names are more favored. The readers didn't seem to think it was too on-the-nose. Steinbeck earns his prose and takes his time to write a beautiful novel. Had the novel been okay or more flawed, perhaps it would have irked the readers more. For example, Steinbeck was clear that the mark of Cain might be viewed as an act of love. It sets him apart from society, allowing him to live and work out his own path and sort through what he did.

We closed the conversation on how universally resonant this novel is. Anyone that has a family, especially brothers, will find some parts of this novel ringing true. In talking about the word "Timshel" and its role in the novel, some readers talked about how it is up to every individual to deal with what they are dealt. We have to carve out our own paths. Everyone chooses their way and how they react to different situations.

At the end of the group, one reader said, "Please tell me that the next book doesn't make me cry. After East of Eden and Song of Achilles, I don't know that I can cry while reading again." I don't think The Penelopiad will summon tears, but I could be wrong.

Next week, we are reading Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad."

Please feel free to share your thoughts on Steinbeck, his work, and anything else related in the comments!

You can buy the book we read on Amazon and IndieBound. And here's an Audible link.

If you'd like to learn more about the UPEP, please click here.
If you'd like to contribute to the UPEP general fund, click here.
If you'd like to buy some supplies for classrooms at the Utah State Prison, check out this Amazon wishlist.
And if you'd like to buy a book for the book drive, check out the wishlist here.


Thanks! And keep reading.

-Elliot