My review of author Henry Miller

Henry Valentine Miller (1891 –1980) was an American author. He is also known for his paintings. His works were originally banned because of obscenity. However, in the 60's he got his works published. His style is very distinctive. He is a poet and narrates in train of thought and embellished sentences. He is known for his semi-pornographic descriptions and adventures in the sack. Beyond that, he does showcase his novels with social criticisms and semi-autobiographical accounts. His words are sophisticated and his style of writing is very liberal and complex. He sorts his thoughts in a sort of ambiguous web of poetry.

He was famous for his novel Tropic of Cancer. In this novel we see him in Paris with all sorts of seedy characters, plotting his next exploits. He lived a poor life as an ex-pat living off his writing. There are some descriptive encounters with women and an exploration of different orifices and extensions. The book also recounts drunken escapades and barroom banter.

In Tropic of Capricorn we see more of his life at work in an office. He recounts his life as a married man, with mistresses. This story makes me think a little of the Post office by Bukowski. post office: A Novel
It appears that he is in a constant state of arousal and pursuit. However, this time he is in New York.

In the novel Black Spring, we see vivid images of his past in Paris, New York and his upbringing. He relates a hard upbringing with a group of tough youth. His thoughts are more scattered and poetic in this book. There are more descriptive passages then in the other two books.

Finally, in the book Stand Still Like the Hummingbird, we see Miller as a social critic. His focus is no longer exclusively on women but on the complexities of the American life. He criticizes many aspects of America. There are also some chapters on some of his most liked authors such as Ionesco, Whitman and Thoreau. In this book he often questions the reader and relates anecdotes that foster thinking. This book is more of a reflexive remembering.

Miller was very controversial in the 60's, but today he is known for his endearing style of writing. He was an original when it came to elucidating his points. That is to say, his points were vague and full of irrelevant imagery. However, remember Miller for his task at hand.