Tropic of Cancer

By: Henry Miller

Narrated by: Campbell Scott

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Now hailed as an American classic, Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller's masterpiece, was banned as obscene in this country for 27 years after its first publication in Paris in 1943. 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 10 or 20 great novels of our century".

©1961 Grove Press, Inc. (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Honestly thought it would be raunchier.

Didn't really like the narrative tone at the beginning. But I've got to say that it grew on me. The story was a bit hard to follow and didn't really have a goal or meaning, just following a guys experience in France.
The sex scenes were rather lacking. Was expecting details, instead was given vague encounters.

Awful bumper music

The music between chapters on this one is so bad and incongruous with the narrative it becomes something to dread whilst the story plods on.

amazing novel by Miller

one of the greatest American novelists. tropic of cancer is a masterpiece. great narration of the novel. enjoyed it thoroughly.

Simply a work of genius

First time reading a Henry Miller novel, and wow, it burns with a ferocity and masculinity that is unmatched by much of his peers.

Truly a Provocative word slinger, Miller writes on the edge. His prose is fascinating and never dull. It's a whirlwind of a hallucinatory trip into the mind of someone constantly on the verge of losing it.

What a wonderful time travel back to 1930s Paris

Great read - all time classic. Miller’s magical prose and realism are legendary and perfectly on display in this book.

A great sordid classic

Would you consider the audio edition of Tropic of Cancer to be better than the print version?

Not entirely - only for the purpose of listening to it in my car.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tropic of Cancer?

Van Norden's tirade about microphones in his trousers

Have you listened to any of Campbell Scott’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't. Even though I like Campbell Scott as an actor and enjoyed his narration, I didn't feel that it matched what I expected, which was more of a Brooklyn accent.

Who was the most memorable character of Tropic of Cancer and why?

Mona stood out for me, as she was like a ghost, weaving in and out of the story. (Mona was based on Miller's second wife June - who was also like a ghost in his life). The other characters, including Henry, are quite sordid and hopeless.

Any additional comments?

Paris and the left bank, in the early 1900's, was often romanticized, and for the most part - rightly so. With 'Tropic of Cancer' though, you get it warts and all - the bed bugs, lice and cockroaches - the poverty, sleeping on straw, moldy cheeses and breads, rancid butter etc. The pendulum also swings to the other side where you have the 'swanky' side of life, the prostitutes, the sex, the great meals. You also have to wade through crap like women being referred to as 'c*nts' - however - believe me, it's worth it for the rhapsodizing and for the history. It's interesting, funny, has great dialogue and is a kind of sordid classic!

Was shocked awake by the raw language

If you can see past the vulgarity, the writing is quite poignant, even today. Reading Tropic of Cancer for the first time illuminated so many other literary allusions. Recommended reading for those seeking a depiction of life as it is. You will not be handed rose colored glasses upon cracking open this gem.

I had high expectations, which were exceeded

I found the first half an hour of listening to this book very hard-going. I thought that despite loving Henry Miller's writing that an audio version was just not going to work. I felt that Miller's graphic writing was too harsh for my sensibilities when spoken aloud through the medium of an audio book. Plus I was disappointed in having the sensitive tone of Campbell Scott rather than someone older and saltier.

However, I was wrong on both counts.

I am now listening to this audio book for the third time in a row. I've listened to a few books twice, but this is my first time listening a third time. I can see that I have missed so much in the book when I read the book. And I hear so much more when the pages are read to me. I know this book well, and yet I hear so much that I've not read/heard before. It's such a wonderful gift.

I've grown to really enjoy Campbell Scott's narration. He has a lovely simple style which really allows Miller's words to come through. I'm glad he's the narrator despite my initial misgivings.

Sexual Explicit Parts Blasé, but Angst Real

The novel is notorious for being sexually explicit, and was definitely so for that time. But today that detail was yawn-inducing. However, slogging through the sexual excesses was still relevant to the angst, hopeless desparation and objectification of humans that pervades much of the book.

Raw, Bold, Mesmerizing

I wish I knew and was honest enough with myself to write such an in-your-face novel. Unapologetic and circumspect. I was blown away.