Steinbeck and Ness

It was Billy who announced to us a few months ago that he was reading the best book he'd ever read in his life. Had we heard of it? Out of all our friends, he'd be one of the keenest readers so I was interested and ultimately delighted to discover that the book he was talking about was East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It so happened that Bert had, on my recommendation, read it himself only a short time before. The first time I read it (in a Reader's Digest condensed edition with pictures) I was only a child and the most of it went over my head. I only remembered Lee, the twins, Abra and Adam's soggy lettuce debacle. I read it again in my late teens and again about a year ago. That's when I put it on Bert's To Read pile.

It rarely happens now, discovering a writer whose books are so enjoyable that you cannot wait to start the next one. So, when Billy came in one day and said he'd been reading a great book, one he could not put down I was all ears. He couldn't bring the name of the author to mind but the book was set in the future, about a planet, colonised by humans and where everyone could read each other's minds. Science Fiction? I used to like SF when I was really young but not so keen on it nowadays. I read a lot of book reviews so was able to figure out that the author was Patrick Ness. I agreed to give it a go.

It wasn't long before Billy brought it around and it sat on the shelf for a few weeks. Eventually, I picked it up and dipped into it. A planet, colonised by humans who can hear each other's thoughts and there are no women! I was unimpressed. Well, maybe being able to communicate with your dog is cool but, apart from that... but I read on and soon I'm gripped.

I realised two things. One, I've read a Patrick Ness book before. More Than This which, interestingly, begins with the main character's death. Science Fiction again but I remember liking it. The second thing I realised that my current book The Knife Of Never Letting Go is the first of a trilogy. As soon as I finished it I ordered the second one and as soon as that was finished I ordered the final one. Bert and Billy are reading them too although Bert got a bit cross with Ness because of something that happened in the first book. He says he mightn't read the third one. I think he's anxious about the horse.

As Billy, Bert and I are in our forties, fifties and sixties some might say that we are a tad mature for fiction written for young adults but a good read is a good read no matter what age group it is aimed at.

I found another Ness book in the library this week The Rest Of Us Just Live Here and am halfway through it. I thought, a book about teenagers in America and featuring vampires! Of all things. I haven't read anything about vampires since Anne Rice (hated her books) and thought I was done with them but if it's Patrick Ness it'll be worth a shot and so it is.

Back to Steinbeck. A good few of my collection was sourced in the very early seventies and many of the covers were illustrated by this uncredited artist. I thought they were very modern at the time. This one is going on my To Read pile as I've completely forgotten what it's about.

Then I opened it and saw this,

That book was a present from my two years younger sister. Almost a half-century ago.

East of Eden

I got back into walking and listening to music and audio books. Dug out the iPod, it still worked but I'd totally forgotten how to use it. Thank Google for the internet. It taught me all I needed to know. First day I had it out  I couldn't even remember how to shuffle and was condemned to listen to a lot of Massive Attack. Got bored with that and re-learned how to load music. I don't do iTunes, hate how it's always persuading me to buy stuff. Uploaded the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Odetta. Blown away by Odetta.

Audio books. Wolf Hall. I have the book in the house, Bert loved it but I just couldn't get round to it. I enjoyed listening to it. Next was On The Road by Jack Kerouac. Never read it, although it's been on my shelves for a very long time. On The Road  put me in the mood for Steinbeck. But first I listened to Jane Eyre which I'd read as a child. I started with a Librivox edition, volunteer recordings. As always with Librivox, some of the readers were dire and there were ridiculous and irritating pronunciations. Who wants to listen to an American college girl pronouncing Hebrides as Heb-Rides. Not I. I found I'd already got a better version on my hard drive and abandoned Librivox. Then Bert had been reading (for the first time) Steinbeck's  East of Eden and he loved it. I'd read it twice before. The first time I picked it up was when I was still in primary school. My Uncle Desmond had a big collection of Reader's Digest condensed novels and I used to peruse them looking for the ones with pictures of animals or children. East of Eden appealed to me. There were illustrations of Cal and Aaron Trask as babies being bathed out of doors by the Chinese servant Lee. It got even better when the girl child Abra was introduced. I read the whole thing even if most of it flew over my head. Abridged novels usually leave out the juicy parts. My lord! I had no idea what East of Eden was leaving out. I read it again (complete version) in my late teens and could hardly believe that I'd read it as a child.

I always knew I'd get back to it some day. Listening to the novel has been exhilarating. I remembered a good deal of it, especially the parts that related to children. I knew that Abra was going to throw that rabbit package away. Back in my young days I really felt for Aaron and thought Abra a brat but now I understand her better. Today as I Dutch-hoed and prepared beds for Spring planting I listened to Lee tell Adam the story of his beginnings. That was a rough, hard story. It went over my head as a teenager. I couldn't have comprehended such an atrocity at that stage of my life.

I was first attracted to the book by the illustrations and descriptions of children. Now in my mature years I am delighted by the older characters, most particularly Samuel Hamilton and Lee, I even have a soft spot for Liza Hamilton who took to drink in her later years after a life-long abhorrence of alcohol. It turned out that it is OK if it is medicinal and is taken with a tea spoon.

I've read nearly everything that Steinbeck wrote. Notable exceptions are The Pearl, The Log from the Sea of Cortez and Travels With Charley. I have them all sitting waiting for me. And there is still the last part of East of Eden which, happily, I don't recall apart from something regarding soggy lettuce. And I'm hopeful of a miserable ending for Cathy.