Tropic of Cancer Analysis

The City of Light?Miller spent much of his time as an expatriate in Paris in the 1930s—a time when the city was considered the world's artistic and intellectual capital. No wonder he's such a sno...

Through Miller's meandering narrative we learn to understand one main thing: him. All of what we learn and know by the end of Tropic of Cancer comes directly from his mind—complete with attitudes...

You're probably not surprised to hear that Tropic of Cancer doesn't fit snugly into one genre category. Miller is all over the map, just as he intended. We've definitely got some autobiography goin...

Yep, low. And we're not the first to say it. American writer, literary and social critic Edmund Wilson lays it out for us:The tone of the book is undoubtedly low; Tropic of Cancer, in fact, from th...

We're here to tell you that Miller is going to make you do a little work following his train of thought. This guy is no Hemingway. Nope, Henry Miller liked to fancy it up. He wrote during the what...

No need to get your globe out: Tropic of Cancer isn't about the Northern tropic.Instead, it's a little play on words. We can actually look to Miller himself for an explanation of the title: "It was...

"These novels will give way, by and by, to diaries or autobiographies—captivating books, if only a man knew how to choose among what he calls his experiences that which is really his experience,...

Before we get to the ending, let's jump back to the beginning for just a second.Tropic of Cancer starts in the Villa Borghese, with Henry's friend Boris and some lice and some hunger; and then it m...

As long as you can go with the flow and relax yourself into the twisted mind of Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer isn't too tough. Sure, there's some jumping around and a few flashbacks that can lead...

That ItchesWe get the big picture here: Henry is poor and there are some serious bugs around. We get to know our protagonist through his casual attitude. We also learn know that Henry is a romantic...

Because Tropic of Cancer doesn't have a linear narrative, it's not going to fit exactly into each stage. But we love trying to put square pegs into circular holes, so here's our shot.Now, we know t...

Henry's living large and little all at the same time. Sure he's starving and risks getting the clap with every liaison he has, but he wouldn't have it any other way. His friends help him get some o...

We're not sure how The Grapes of Wrath beat out Henry Miller, but Tropic Of Cancer finds itself as #3 on the most banned books list. (Source.)Everyone's pretty sure that Tania is based on AnaÃ...

Yeah, you're gonna want some parental supervision for this one. Actually, maybe you shouldn't read this with your parents at all. Within pages, you'll be accosted with "cunts" and "pricks" and sex...

Leo Tolstoy (1.18)Somerset Maugham (1.20)Oswald Spengler (1.20)Baruch Spinoza (1.34, 9.3)Ivan Turgenev (1.38)Fyodor Dostoevski (1.38, 8.94, 13.12, 13.20)Anatole France (1.49, 11.17)Emile Zola (2...