"There's more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty."

The novel is mostly set in the Salinas Valley in California. Samuel Hamilton is the father of nine children. He is a thinker, an inventor and an Irish immigrant to the country. He manages to surpass his outsider status in the community becoming one of the most liked men around, yet the cost of his patents continually bankrupts the family. Liza Hamilton is his opposite: stern and thrifty. She believes strongly in the bible and the austerity it advocates.

On the opposite side of the country Cyrus Trask is the father of Adam and Charles, two boys who are one of the two representations of Cain and Abel in the novel. Charles is fierce, physical and resents Adam because he believes that Cyrus loves him more. As the two grow older their disconnect increases, Adam wants to move to California whilst Charles is content with working the family farm.

One morning they find a young woman who has been beaten close to death on their doorstep . The woman is Cathy. Adam falls in love with her and decides that they should move to California and start a family. Charles however, sees the truth of Cathy, she is manipulative and incapable of feeling love.

Once in California Cathy discovers she's pregnant and tries to abort the foetus but when she fails she begrudgingly agrees to continue with the pregnancy. Adam buys a farm in the Salinas Valley near to the Hamilton plot, however, shortly after the birth of twins sons Cathy shoots Adam in the shoulder and abandons him and her sons to work in and later on run a brothel.

The themes of good and evil are returned to throughout the novel. Lee, the Chinese servant Adam Trask employs, is aware of the reasons that people make choices both good and bad and is the wisest person here.

However, the central theme of this novel is the story of Cain and Abel, in particular the word "Timshel", a Hebrew word meaning ‘thou mayest.’ In the story of Genesis, Abel kept flocks while Cain worked the soil. Abel then brought an offering to God, a firstborn from his flock and Cain brought God fruit from the land. The lord then looks with favour on Abel, but not on Cain. Cain is angry, but then the Lord says to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”’ The ‘you must’ is translated differently in different bibles. Lee researches it with other Chinese scholars and comes to a conclusion that the translation should be ‘thou mayest.’ The ability to exercise a choice in the matter is the key.

This passage forms the grounds from which the conflicts in the novel takes place. The two generations of Trask brothers, representing Cain and Abel, both mimic the passage of Genesis in their relationship to their fathers.

This is my fourth Steinbeck novel and I generally enjoy his writing style. The novel has some interesting characters in particular Sam Hamilton and Cathy. I enjoyed Sam's loquacious nature and gentle humour whilst the disturbing nature of Cathy's personality and the cold and calculating things she was capable are a fascinating counterpoint. But unfortunately there just wasn't enough of either of them for my liking.

I would recommend this novel to readers who are looking for a well-drawn family saga that is also an extended parable but it just didn't quite gel with me. I enjoyed the first part of this book but felt that it was longer than it needed to be and some sections were rather lacklustre. ( )

When I selected this book or our bookclub, I was a bit concerned that the members would balk at having to read an old classic. Little did I know that the book was over 600 pages.
I won’t describe the plot as others have done it better than I can but let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was wonderful and so easy to read. I found myself actually picking up a pen to notate a passage or quote.

Kate is indeed the personification of evil. I loved the Sam character and was so impressed by Lee.

The only thing I found off putting was some of the racial prejudice when describing Asians and people of color. ( )

Loved loved loved, except the ending. ( )

I'd read it again. Important lessons. ( )

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good"