Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
For reasons that seem good to me, I've decided to eliminate this from my reading list (see rule #6). I will skip to The Big Sleep which now becomes number 51, all others shift up, and I'll add The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to the end of the list as number 100.
This is only the third I’ve passed on. I don’t usually say why, but in this case I want to add an explanation because my reason may not be what you think.
I read the forward by Karl Shapiro; and found it extremely presumptuous. I read the preface by Anais Nin and it struck me as intellectual elitism. And then I read what Miller himself had to say about the book, that it is
…a prolonged insult, a gob of spit in the face of Art, a kick in the pants to God, Man, Destiny, Time, Love, Beauty…what you will.
I have no interest in that. I’m not saying it should be banned, I just don’t want to read it.
.
Henry Miller's provocations and esoteric babblings have always put me off. I'm not sure, but I think any reader's time is better spent elsewhere. Life is too short for reading Miller. I too spend my time on other authors. See Beyond Eastrod for proof. Enjoy Chandler!
ReplyDelete"esoteric babblings"...that's a very good way of putting it. Wish I'd have thought of that.
ReplyDeleteI read it >30 years ago and have no desire to reread it. You didn't miss much. Too many other great books out there yet to read.
ReplyDeleteJane, I missed your comment back when. I always feel a little "narrow" when I discard a as unworthy of my time, so it's nice to get some affirmation. Thanks.
Delete