Review of: Burning Bright by John Steinbeck

Burning Bright by John Steinbeck was written just before

East of Eden . He titled it: Burning Bright, A Play in Story Form

Burning Bright reminds me of a medieval morality play which 

weighs and measures what is important in the end, which is ultimately

love. 

Steinbeck divided BB into three acts- The Circus, The Farm and The 

Sea. There were only four characters- the husband, the father (sperm

donor) the mother and the friend. 

The friend he named Friend Ed (his dear friend Ed Rickets was killed

in a train accident a couple years prior) was the pivotal advisor who 

supports the mother, Mordeen and teaches the husband, Joe Saul how 

 to feel about their child, fathered by Victor because Joe was sterile.

When Joe Saul rejects Mordeen for her adultery to give him a child,

Friend Ed tells him: "It's so easy to give-only great men have the 

courage and the courtesy and, yes, the generosity to receive." 

This gem of wisdom turns the tide of Joe Saul's soul and he accepts

and embraces his wife and her gift to him his child.

Steinbeck dedicated Burning Bright to his new love, Elaine, who 

was bringing her ex-husband's child into his life. Did that

in part, help inspire this story?

Steinbeck's title is also significant in that he was about to write 

what he considered his most important book; East of Eden and he

was feeling at full "burning bright" power both personally and 

professionally. Note: Some of this insight was gleaned from the 

reading of Steinbeck, A Life in Letters.

Burning Bright was also produced as a play in New York.

Burning Bright is another short (93 pages) insightful Steinbeck

novel, which I enjoyed very much. It is available at local libraries.

raintreepoet, reporting.