East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a tome. Fortunately, it tells a gripping story. The title gives the plot away. This is the story of Genesis. Eden is Eden. The serpent is Cathy/Kate. Adam Trask is Adam. Adam has two sons that were almost named, Cain and Abel, but chose Caleb and Aaron. Caleb has a dark side. He struggles against the bad and even prays to make good choices. Aaron is good and every one's friend.
Caleb at one time asks, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
There is a struggle between good and evil. How each character copes with these problem is the story. Human nature is all about free will--timshel.
It was a pleasure to read a good story that didn't have sex. Oh wait! A good third of of the book takes place in a whore house. You need to read it yourself to see how a gifted writer writes about sex without it being porn.
