Andrew Klavan has spent a lifetime trying to read what is written on the heart. That's a difficult thing to do, for the heart is wrapped in shadows that we mistake for substance: We are never better deceived than when we deceive ourselves. But in The Kingdom of Cain, Klavan forces himself to self-honesty by seeing the ways that art can explore evil, and the ways that evil--the real, deep genuine stuff--can show us the reality of good: the law written on the heart. As Klavan walks through artworks from Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment to Hitchcock's Psycho, he tells us of the light that can be seen best in darkness.
Andrew Klavan is what I would call a true Renaissance man. He's a brilliant writer, political commentator, humorist, and intellectual--all wrapped up in one person, with a slightly deranged sense of humor (in the best possible way). What sets Andrew apart is his ability to take the complex and make it understandable. He has a remarkable gift for finding the irony in a story while never missing the deeper insight. Whether you're laughing or pondering, you're always learning something. His podcast, The Andrew Klavan Show, is a must-watch for anyone who wants to engage with culture, politics, and faith in a thought-provoking (and often hilarious) way. If you haven't experienced Andrew Klavan's work yet, this is the perfect time to dive in. You won't regret it.
Andrew Klavan's book illuminates even as it explores the deepest darkness, finding truth and beauty in art born of unflinching confrontations with evil. The Kingdom of Cain is a brilliant exploration of literature, film, and indeed theodicy.
I can think of no one who treats these vital questions with as much imagination and brilliance as Andrew Klavan. Another spectacular book!
There are as many interpretations of Cain as there are murders in the world; out of this dark infinity, Andrew Klavan has written a sparkling meditation-memoir about sin, death, and his own singular journey down the mean streets of modern nihilism and into Christian faith. The bookends of his theology are not mine, but Klavan is such an openhearted, earthy guide to the eternal things he loves that although we part ways at the risen Christ as the answer to incarnate evil, I was eager to keep reading The Kingdom of Cain to the end.
