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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.

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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.

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