The panel of 1001 Books is hereby forgiven for not including East of Eden. Although I don't understand why it wasn't included because it is an excellent book that everyone should read, Sometimes a Great Notion had brought the panel back into my good graces. Bygones.
Set in an Oregon backwoods logging country, Sometimes a Great Notion is the story of a not-so prodigal son returning home to seek vengeance on an adulterous older brother. For Leland (the not-so-prodigal son), it's a story of discovering that you are stronger than you think. But there are many other stories within the book, those of Hank, Henry, Faye, Joe-Ben, and others as they come to realize their own truths about themselves and the world.
The book itself started off rather slow, but it's one of those that slowly creeps up on you, and you realize just how engrossed you've become, to the point where randomly, at work, or while driving, you'll be thinking about what the characters are doing next. I realized how much I really liked the book when I read the "blessed day" passage, which was a real turning point in the whole novel, although not terribly significant to the overall plot.
I don't say this lightly, but this book ranks up there on the list of best books I've ever read. Now, if only I could find something to make up for Willard and his Bowling Trophies and Blonde....
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