Classics for Beginners discussion

Hi,
The group read for June is Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller.

Book description (from Goodreads)
Now hailed as an American classic, Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller’s masterpiece, was banned as obscene in the United States for twenty-seven years after its first publication in Paris in 1934.

Only a historic court ruling that changed American censorship standards, ushering in a new era of freedom and frankness in modern literature, permitted the publication of this first volume of Miller’s famed mixture of memoir and fiction, which chronicles with unapologetic gusto the bawdy adventures of a young expatriate writer, his friends, and the characters they meet in Paris in the 1930s.

Tropic of Cancer is now considered, as Norman Mailer said, one of the ten or twenty great novels of our century.

Wikipedia page for the author
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry...

Wikipedia page for the book (WARNING; May contain spoilers)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropi...

Happy reading!

I'm curious to see how adults will respond to this one. It made a huge impression on me when I read it as a teenager.

I will be skipping this one!

I will start reading it next week onwards, looking forward to the discussions on this controversial classic.

I'm only about 30 pages in and I'm not sure I have the stomach for this book. I find the use of the C word offensive, unnecessary and overused. His view of women is abhorent. However between some of all that there have been some glimples of story about the writer in Paris that I am liking. I'll press on with it at this stage.

I've finally had a copy arrive at the library, so hopefully will find the time to read it over the weekend.

I was interested to read your comments Bron. Did you end up continuing with the book? Swears rarely bother me, but I am a bit concerned by your comment about the view of women. I guess I'll soon find out for myself!

1. "Everywhere I go people are making a mess of their lives. Everyone has his private tragedy. It’s in the blood now – misfortune, ennui, grief, suicide. The atmosphere is saturated with disaster, frustration, futility. Scratch and scratch – until there’s no skin left. However, the effect upon me is exhilarating. Instead of being discouraged, or depressed, I enjoy it. I am crying for more and more disasters, for bigger calamities, for grander failures. I want the whole world to be out of whack, I want everyone to scratch himself to death."
2. There´s a hilarious reference in Seinfeld to this book: https://youtu.be/D9tP9fI2zbE
3. I'm reading an spanish translation to Tropic of cancer. I could read it in english, but I have never seen it in any bookstore here in México. (I hope I'm writing correctly).

I am still going with this book. I'm probably about 2/3 of the way through. I can't say that I am enjoying it (and to be honest if it wasn't on the Guardian 1000 books list I probably would not have continued with it). However having said that sometimes I find books that are classics but I really don't like more intriguing in that it makes me think more about content and why it is a classic and what it is in the book that I am missing that others think is so fantastic. I will get to finishing it off but it really hasn't engaged me and there is no character in the book that I care about. Maybe that is why it doesn't grab me because I don't care about anyone in the book or what happens to them.

1. I would like to know what were the influences of Miller to write this novel. He references authors and others works, though there must be more that are implicit. The structure and the style seem more by a surreal or a french author than an american.
2. What is 'fictional' in this novel? The story seems pretty vivid and the situations are sharp. Was this a non-fiction novel before that name existed?

Well I finished the book and glad to be rid of it. If I was still going my English major at Uni I might have gotten something out of this in terms of style but the content was not at all enjoyable. And as to Orwell saying something to the effect that you feel Miller knows you by the time your 10 pages in, well then my esteen of Orwell has gone down, if that's the type of man he is. Although I did love the passage about 25 pages from the end 'Alone, with a tremendous empty longing and dread. The whole room for my thoughts....' which goes on briefly after that. looking forward to moving onto something else!

Bron wrote: "Well I finished the book and glad to be rid of it. If I was still going my English major at Uni I might have gotten something out of this in terms of style but the content was not at all enjoyable...."

I didn't plan on reading this book once I read a tiny blurb about its content. I'm glad I made the right decision.

You certainly did Emily, I wont be recommending it to anyone.

I have a question for people who hated this book. How does it compare to others of its kind? Specifically, others in the literary subgenre of "self-centered artist wandering around, ranting, and being irresponsible?" Others in this category include The Bell Jar, Rabbit, Run, and Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. I'm told that Eat, Pray, Love fits the category, too, but I haven't read it.

I wrestled with this topic a year ago when I read and hated Wild. Did I hate it because it was bad? How could I love Tropic of Cancer but hate Wild? Is the difference the age at which I read it?

Here's my review of Wild:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...