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There is a Serpent in Eden
First Published: 1979 Publisher: Zebra Books Format: Paperback |
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Summary: The troubled lives of a number of aging residents of Eden Acres—a luxurious California retirement community—entwine, none knowing that their lives will intersect in an evening of shocking violence and its divisive aftermath.
Bloch: “Sometimes I suspect that one of my problems lies in being a trifle ahead of my time, espousing attitudes which only became popular later. In that connection, see the novel, There Is a Serpent in Eden. I did another version of it around the time I wrote Psycho, but nobody would touch it with a ten-foot pole; “who wants to read a book about the problems of the elderly in retirement?” was the editorial response. When I rewrote it, in the late ‘70s, I still had a hard time placing it, for the same reason, and when it finally did appear, nobody noticed. Now, of course, the whole business of retirement and old age has become very trendy—but I got on the bandwagon before it started and fell off too soon to join the parade.”—The Robert Bloch Companion
Notes:
Bloch: “Sometimes I suspect that one of my problems lies in being a trifle ahead of my time, espousing attitudes which only became popular later. In that connection, see the novel, There Is a Serpent in Eden. I did another version of it around the time I wrote Psycho, but nobody would touch it with a ten-foot pole; “who wants to read a book about the problems of the elderly in retirement?” was the editorial response. When I rewrote it, in the late ‘70s, I still had a hard time placing it, for the same reason, and when it finally did appear, nobody noticed. Now, of course, the whole business of retirement and old age has become very trendy—but I got on the bandwagon before it started and fell off too soon to join the parade.”—The Robert Bloch Companion
Notes:
- The book was reissued by Zebra Books (pb) in 1981, retitled to The Cunning.
- Although marketed as a "terrifying thriller," obviously meant to capitalize on Bloch's more horrifying reputation, Eden is, instead, an engaging personality study which charts its characters’ attempts to navigate the challenges imposed by advancing age. The “terrifying” crime itself takes a backseat within the plot until the final few chapters to allow readers to become immersed in the lives of Eden’s eclectic residents.
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Bibliography
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US: Zebra Books; pb 1979
US: Zebra Books ("The Cunning"); pb 1981
France: Fayard ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); pb 1982
France: Les Classiques du Crime ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); (format unknown) 1984
Canada: General Paperbacks ("The Cunning"); pb 1985
France: Presses Pocket ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); pb 1992
US: Zebra Books ("The Cunning"); pb 1981
France: Fayard ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); pb 1982
France: Les Classiques du Crime ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); (format unknown) 1984
Canada: General Paperbacks ("The Cunning"); pb 1985
France: Presses Pocket ("Un Serpent au Paradis"); pb 1992