Henry Miller on DeBaser: reviews, quotes, and essential works

Henry Miller

Writer

Forreaders of 20th-century literature, fans of autobiographical and transgressive fiction, and the miller-curious.
4 Reviews 7 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

Henry Valentine Miller (1891–1980) was an American author known for semi‑autobiographical novels and essays, including Tropic of Cancer (1934), Black Spring (1936), and Tropic of Capricorn (1939). He lived in Paris in the 1930s and later in Big Sur, and his work faced U.S. obscenity bans until landmark decisions in 1961.

American author (1891–1980); lived in Paris in the 1930s; renowned for Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and Black Spring; U.S. obscenity bans lifted in 1961; associated with The Rosy Crucifixion trilogy (Sexus, Plexus, Nexus).

Four DeBaser reviewers celebrate Miller’s raw, lyrical prose and his bohemian years. Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are praised for their uncompromising honesty and focus on the external world. Opus Pistorum is flagged as extreme yet darkly humorous. Censorship battles and Miller’s Paris of the 1930s recur throughout.

Notable Quotes

❝ "Once the soul has been released, everything follows with absolute certainty, even in the midst of chaos."

❝ "And then this? This is not a book. It's a pamphlet, libel, defamation. But it's not a book, in the usual sense of the word. No, this is a prolonged insult, a spit in the face of Art, a kick to Divinity, to Man, to Destiny, to Time, to Love, to Beauty... to whatever you please. I will sing for you, perhaps a bit off-key, but I will sing. I will sing while you die, I will dance on your dirty carcass..."

❝ Pornographic, obscene, sick, and depraved are the adjectives that come to mind when speaking of Henry Miller, especially when discussing this novel.