032: Read Between The Lines

With Netflix reviving Steinbeck's East of Eden for a whole new generation, we’re taking another foray into the world of classic lit.

This week, we dive into the modern interpretation of Cathy Ames. And naturally, we’re back at it defending women’s rights (and wrongs).

Does it matter that Steinbeck’s estranged second wife, Gwyn Conger, is often cited as inspiration for Cathy? And what are we to make of the ethnic hierarchies through which he describes the Chinese, Indigenous Americans and Irish characters?

Sometimes the most interesting part of a book is not what it tells us, but what it reveals when we start asking questions.

This episode pairs well with:

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
• East of Eden (Limited TV Series, Netflix), 2026
• Difficult Women by Emily Nussbaum (The New Yorker), 2013
• The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda (TED Talk), 2009
• Rereading a childhood favourite and questioning everything.
• A gently-brewed cup of Jasmine tea, served in your mother’s porcelain.

Happy listening,

A&P

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