James Jack's story about East of Eden
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Author: John Steinbeck
SynopsisSet in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity; the inexplicability of love; and the murderous consequences of love's absence.
My Story
In my twenties probably ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck for the responsibility of the individual (Timshel, thou mayest), and in my thirties ‘Highland River’ by Neil Gunn for eventual ‘aloneness’ while at the same time being ‘part of’, existential being I guess. In my forties ‘Station Island’ by Seamus Heaney for ‘letting go’ to ‘become’. My fifties are a bit close but probably ‘Culture and Imperialism’ by Edward Said, for finally clearing away a lot of identity inheritance that, yes, I needed help to get rid of.
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