Title: Tropic of Capricorn
Author: Henry Miller
First published February 1, 1939
348 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780802151827 (ISBN10: 0802151825)
Rating: 3.81
Overview
For nearly three decades, Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn was kept out of America due to its explicit content. This compelling sequel to Tropic of Cancer delves into Miller’s life in 1920s New York City, painting a vivid picture of the city’s ethnic neighborhoods.
Miller’s account of his own scandalous sexual escapades adds depth and intrigue to this cornerstone of modern literature. With its frank portrayal of life in Brooklyn and beyond, Tropic of Capricorn is a must-read for any lover of boundary-pushing literature.
About the Author
Henry Miller was a writer who rebelled against societal norms, seeking the freedom to live without the constraints of civilization. His books are a mix of sexual descriptions, philosophical musings, literary and societal reflections, surrealistic imaginings, and personal anecdotes.
After spending time in Paris during the 1930s, he returned to the U.S. and settled in Big Sur, California. Miller’s first two works, both set in Paris, were not published in the U.S. until the 1960s due to allegations of obscenity.
“The Colossus of Maroussi,” a travel book about Greece, is considered by many to be his best work. He also wrote “The Rosy Crucifixion” trilogy (1949), “The Book of Friends” (1953), and “The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder” (1960).
In 1976, Norman Mailer selected and edited a collection of Miller’s writings.
Editoral Review
Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller is a must-read for lovers of modernist literature. First published in 1939, the novel is an exploration of the author’s youth and a portrait of his times.
Miller’s work, which has often been the subject of controversy due to its frank portrayal of sex and its disregard for conventional morality, is a prime example of the genre of “beat” or “counter-culture” literature. However, this book is more than just a countercultural manifesto; it is a skilled depiction of the world Miller inhabited, a striking critique of American society in the early 20th century, and an abundance of vibrant, poetic language.
The novel is a loosely structured and fragmented work comprised of elaborate descriptions and portraits of the people, places and things that Miller encountered during his journey across America. Set during the Great Depression, Tropic of Capricorn is a journey of self-discovery for both the author and his readers.
The book is divided into three parts, which are named after the three cities where Miller lived and worked: New York, Paris, and London. In each section, Miller describes the people and places he encountered in the cities, the things he learned about himself and the world, and the impact of his surroundings on his psyche.
Miller’s descriptions of people are particularly engaging, alternating between tenderness and derision, admiration and disgust. His portrayal of the people of the cities he lived in is one of the book’s strengths, with vivid characters and descriptions that take on the characteristics of the personalities portrayed – grimy and rundown when discussing people on the fringe, euphoric and sun-drenched when describing the experiences of love or art.
Miller spares no words in his portrayal of himself as well, with the author embarking on a quest to find truth and meaning in life. The writing style in Tropic of Capricorn is distinctive and daring, with Miller using his mastery of language and description to create a unique world that is simultaneously fantastical and real.
His writing is rich with metaphor and imagery, and his observations and commentary are wild, hilarious, and at times tragic. The plot is a series of loosely connected musings that create an overall sense of place and time, with the author placing the reader at a specific location and engraving an impression in their mind which will endure.
Although the novel was first published over 80 years ago, it is still relevant today, particularly in its critique of capitalism, racism and other forms of social inequality. Miller’s descriptive powers and his sharp observations of the human experience remain unmatched, making Tropic of Capricorn an important work of literature for future generations to experience.
Overall, the strengths of Tropic of Capricorn are many – its vivid characters, striking descriptions, and its powerful portrayal of a society in transition. The weaknesses of the book come from its lack of structure, which can occasionally drift into the realm of the aimless, and its preoccupation with the writer’s own obsessions.
However, these weaknesses are not significant enough to detract from the overall quality of Miller’s work. I would highly recommend Tropic of Capricorn, particularly for readers who are attracted to challenging and thought-provoking works of literature.
Readers who are seeking an immersive and intense reading experience will find this book challenging, but rewarding. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate Tropic of Capricorn 9.5.
