The Other Side of Eden
Life with John Steinbeck
Prometheus, February 2001
By Nancy and John Steinbeck
There is a Buddhist proverb that begins, "Things that are empty make a
noise" and it seems that no one was emptier than the great American
writer, John Steinbeck. It leaves us even sadder to learn that the son,
who carried his name, endured his own bitter hell only to stumble upon
Eden at the end of his life.
Steinbeck fans may be troubled to find their hero reduced to a ranging
drunk who threw his pregnant wife down the stairs because he didn't want
another child. This unwanted child emerged, though, and as fate would
have its way, he carried the burden of his father's name talent and
demons until his last
breath. It is true, The Other Side of Eden shatters an American hero,
but as co-author Nancy Steinbeck has said, the shattering of illusions
is painful, but eventually liberating. How right she is.
What began as an autobiography of a famous son takes us deep into a
world of religious cults, alcoholism, heroin addiction, child abuse,
Vietnam and a marriage that through some miracle, endured.
A picture of lives laid bare, it's a stinging account of what may be the
price paid for genius. It affords us a secret peek into the elusive
world of the literati and other privileged souls.
Co-written by the junior John Steinbeck and his wife, Nancy, readers
will find both authors equally talented, but with different writing
styles that complement one another. John, like his father, tends to hide
behind elaborate prose. This becomes apparent when we read some of his
personal journal
writings provided at the end of the book, which without doubt show more
honesty than illusion. Nancy, on the other hand, a talented philosopher
in her own right, gets straight to the point and we appreciate this.
John suffered the unfortunate fate of being born to parents who were
emotionally crippled. But the younger Steinbeck was not so much about
blame, as he was committed to finding his own peace and spent a lifetime
searching. He embraced Buddhism, only to discover his guru was as
abusive as his own father. He traveled all the way to India and Tibet
only to find the same drugs he could have bought on the corner of
Hollywood and Vine. He finally collapsed into the arms of his wife,
Nancy who pulled him out of the gutter more times than he deserved.
But as he traversed the globe, the answer was with him all along. He
eventually learned that his intellect had obscured his view. God bless
the smartest among us, for they think too much.
The Other Side of Eden is a raw and biting narrative that weights heavy
with personal truth. It offers a view so intimate, never meant to be
seen by the general public. The candor of both authors can be applauded.
This incredible story will also leave you rooting for this worthy couple
that tried so hard and still fell so short.
Success is relative, though and a grieving Nancy may not agree. When
Johnny dies after a botched surgery, readers may feel relieved that he
left on the high note of sobriety, for it seems that he was never truly
free of addiction. On the up years, he simply substituted drugs for the
less painful addictions of food and shopping. However if you wish to
hold on to "what could have been" (as is expected of any loving wife),
this story indeed makes allowances for hope.
The Other Side of Eden is not celebrity gossip, but a private viewing of
what a legend leaves behind. Unlike a tabloid, it does not spend too
much time re-living the appalling things that John Steinbeck did, but
gives us insight into the man he was.
Through his son, we get to know the real John Steinbeck. That is all we
have, yet it's enough. Johnny was strong enough to self-confess while
Steinbeck was never honest enough to do that.
The great American writer left us an unworkable puzzle, disguising his
own burdens as fiction, leaving us with missing pieces that were buried
with the dead. But there is no edict, even among writers that one must
air one's dirty laundry. Thankfully, John and Nancy leave us nothing but
truth sans charade for those who wish to know.
If sweet Nancy has a fault is that she remained addicted to the
addicted. Born a musical prodigy and gifted writer, she instead chose to
feed her rescue fantasy by becoming an addictions counselor, playing the
dual role of doormat and savior. As we have learned, the smartest people
sometimes make the worst choices.
As for the Steinbeck men, well they lack the ability to simply manage
their own lives. This is a task that most of us seem to accomplish with
little fanfare most of the time. John's life is not only filled with one
crisis after another, but he eventually becomes the crisis itself.
This book is a must read for Steinbeck fans, but it offers so much more.
It should be read by every addict, child abuser, cult member, survivor
of war and all the victims left in the aftermath.
To finish that Buddhist mantra...
Things that are empty make a noise,
But the full is always quiet.
The fool is like a half-filled pot
The wise man is like a deep, still pool.
We know that after a life long search for inner stillness, Johnny died a
wiser man. He spent much of his life thrashing about in an angry ocean
trying not to drown, but in the end peacefully floated away in a still
and quiet pool. Let's hope that Steinbeck the father found that same
pool at his own end.
