Ryan’s Reviews > East of Eden > Status Update

When you're a child you're the center of everything. Other people? They're only ghosts furnished for you to talk to. But when you grow up you take your place and you're your own size and shape. Things go out of you to others and come in from other people. It's worse, but it's much better too.

Laughter comes later, like wisdom teeth, and laughter at yourself comes last of all in a mad race with death, and some times it isn’t in time “

I love this book

“Why I’m content to be a servant. I don't know where being a servant came into disrepute. It is the refuse of a philosopher, the food of the lazy, and, properly carried out, it is a position of power, even of love. I can't understand why more intelligent people don't take it as a career--learn to do it well and reap its benefits. A good servant has absolute security…