East of Eden

I've just finished reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck, a present from Tom. I wasn't sure what to expect, as at least two people said to me that it was the best book they'd read.
Even now, it's hard to work out exactly what I feel about it. It was surprisingly readable and the characters unexpected. The world and characters he draws are both familiar and at the same time unfamiliar as only real people can be.

The novel revolves around and reflects upon the events in Genesis 4 - the story of Cain and Abel. There are two sets of brothers in this story and part of the anticipation of the novel lies in the extent to which their lives reflect their Genesis counterparts. I won't spoil the story for those who haven't read it, but it doesn't spoil much to say that the novel is about, for me at least, the importance of choice - tied up in the word timshel, 'thou mayest'. Among its themes are the good and evil in every person, revenge and redemption, jealousy and love, guilt and forgiveness. I loved the last section of the book, and especially the interactions between the characters in the Trask household, Lee and Cal particularly. The pain of rejection and its consequences in the different characters provides the most memorable scenes and the novel hinges on the helpless inevitability-or not- of the result.

Towards the end the novel I was uncomfortable with its appearing to condone 'evil' thoughts and actions in a person, even preferring them to morality and innocence. But I have come to realise that the novel is ultimately not about good or evil people, but about the reality of sin in everyone and the choice that we have - whether to fan it into flames or to master it. The 'innocent' and 'evil' characters in this story serve mainly as foils to their more complicated counterparts, giving context to their actions.