East of Eden

I just read a novel for the first time in years. If I remember correctly the last novel I read was The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson some 3+ years ago, long before I started this blog. That book was strongly recommended by a bookshop owner on our favorite getaway destination, Sanibel Island.

East of Eden, the John Steinbeck classic, came at the recommendation of my uncle Harry Jefferies, probably about the same time I read Devil. For some reason I expected a pastoral story about the American West.

I quickly learned that East of Eden is nothing of the sort! On its surface the story reads much like a crime thriller. Just below the surface, however, is a "modern retelling of the Book of Genesis" as the book jacket declares.

I'm not exactly an Old Testament expert, but the parallels with Genesis come frequently, and I wouldn't doubt many of them were lost on me.

My biggest takeaway is the notion of self-choice and determinism. While the main characters struggle with the ill-reputation and sometimes abhorrent actions of their parents, they ultimately learn that they have the ability to make their own choices. Blaming their own actions on their parents is silly.

This message is uncovered at length, hinging on the usage of the Hebrew word timshel. Translated roughly as "thou mayest" it alludes to the fact that we as individuals have the ability to choose between good and evil.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed Eden, and plan to not wait so long before reading another novel, including more Steinbeck.