was banished from Eden by either beauty or genius, whichever one chose
to consider the irrelevant factor of her character. If she herself had
known what she wanted most, she would have liked to write her novels in
a tranquil, mental world where there was no room for lovers.
She was capable of going through matrimony without experiencing with
her body the slightest nervous reaction. Her soul might be bruised and
her mind astonished, but no physical impression would have been made on
her. She was like a crystal. A blow might leave her unscratched while
the next blow might strike on the line of cleavage and shatter her.
Eva’s marriage to Nicholas Van Suydam of the Dutch Van Suydams who
inherited Manhattan and upheld the ancient family traditions with
stolid charm, was doomed to unhappiness.
Miss Glenn creates the strangely living and attractive personality of
a lovely, untouchable woman and a genius, against the background of
contemporary literary New York, a New York brilliantly sketched with
wit and a light touch of satire. In subject _East of Eden_ is a vivid
contrast to Miss Glenn’s _Transport_ and _A Short History of Julia_.
[Illustration: EAST OF EDEN]