Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

Garan Holcombe (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.07: French Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Averis (University of Western Australia), Hugo Azerad (University of Cambridge), Patrick ffrench (King's College London), Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Akane Kawakami (Birkbeck, University of London), Siobhán McIlvanney (King's College London), Sinan Richards (King's College London), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1934

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Tropic of Cancer

, Henry Miller’s autobiographical account of his years of penury in Paris, is one of those books which create fierce divisions of opinion. It has been criticised for its lack of art, its failure to construct a coherent narrative, its repugnant characters, and its treatment of women. Yet it has also been acclaimed as a vital, unique piece of work which exists in a genre all of its own making.

First published in Paris in 1934 by Jack Kahane’s Obelisk Press – which also published Joyce – Tropic of Cancer was banned for almost thirty years in the UK and the USA. This legal decision undoubtedly helped create a considerable underground following for the novel: few can resist the delicious allure of the illicit.

First published in Paris in 1934 by Jack Kahane’s Obelisk…

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2066 words

Citation: Holcombe, Garan. "Tropic of Cancer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 March 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8474, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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