christinehay

I admit, I did buy this one because I thought I should at least read the classics that Oprah's people were reading. But I really developed a love affair with Steinbeck a few summers ago. As I was on my last few chapters of the novel, I was driving through the Salinas Valley on a road trip from San Francisco to L.A., and I spotted a sign for the next exit and the National Steinbeck Center! It was just too perfect how I saw the sign by sheer accident, and had time to pull off the highway and make the exit! I am so glad I took that detour, because I hadn't had much exposure to Steinbeck, and the stop at the museum really brought him to life for me. I love that it's a retelling of Cain and Abel. And I absolutely LOVE the way this novel ends with the final Hebrew word, "timshel," or “thou mayest,” which comes from the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible. The theme is the freedom of choice that humans have to overcome evil.

2020-09-04 00:23