The Kingdom of Cain

The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan
5/6/25; 272 pages
Zondervan

The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan is a very highly recommended, excellent examination of how we can still find joy and beauty in this broken world and have faith in God's ability to redeem even while understanding that there is dark side of human nature, tragedy, and evil.

First Klavan examines evil in the world an why murder is the ultimate act of hubris. In part 1, Klavan writes about three murders and how they influenced works of art, literature and film. The first murderer discuss is French thief Pierre Francois Larcenaire whose 1834 crime inspired Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, which inspired Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche inspired 1920's American killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who became the subjects of many movies and books.

The second murderer is the 1950's psychopath Ed Gein. His horrific actions would inspire numerous books and movies, including Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Halloween series, and The Silence of the Lambs. The final murder is the first, Cain killing his brother Abel and how the fault in his offering was his lack of faith. The battle we are fighting with others is really with our desires, ourselves.

Part 2 is Klavan's reflections on creative practices of truth and beauty that allow him to confront the evil around us through love with joy and deepened his relationship with Jesus Christ. The joy is present, still acknowledging grief, evil, and pain in the world, but retaining a zeal for living. He reflects on three practices that have deepened his relationship with Christ. These include communion, psychotherapy ( which allowed him to accept the grace of God), and the presence of art and beauty.

The writing is exceptional in The Kingdom of Cain. Klavan writes about murder and the imagination in literature and film. While acknowledging evil exists, he makes a clear point that God's omnipotence, love and goodness is a source of joy.

Thanks to Zondervan for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.