First Book - East of Eden!

[Jordan Simpson]

Our first book will be John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden. Appearing
late in his career, Steinbeck considered it his greatest work. If
you're familiar with Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men, you'll be
able to see similar themes and settings in East of Eden. Steinbeck's
works dwell in America's West through hard times and difficult lives.
East of Eden, though longer in scope than many of his other novels,
contains the same struggles and western setting many of us remember
from high school literature.

As we begin, look for themes of good and evil and of the nature in
love throughout the book. Steinbeck weaves both of these grand themes
into his characters. Also be aware of the role of language in the
story, how it expresses these themes, what happens when it is absent.

East of Eden contains a great deal of references to the biblical
account of creation, specifically Genesis 2-4. I would encourage
everyone to read these few chapters again before we begin reading the
novel itself. In many ways, Steinbeck is rewriting the creation tale
for an American context. Keep that in mind as we read and discuss.

Let's start reading! Most libraries will have copies of East of Eden;
if you're in the KC area, the Kansas City Public Library still has
several copies left (and our NTS library cards should work at any
location). In a week or two I'll begin posting discussion questions
here, but everyone is free to start a message thread if you have a
question/comment to discuss. Enjoy!

[Wesley]

Alright, can't wait! I just looked at the KC Public Library catalog,
and there are 4 copies of East of Eden at the Central Branch (14th
street downtown), along with some others at the other branches. So,
plenty of copies floating around in the city. Let's get to it. Thanks
for the interesting synopsis and suggestion, Jordan.