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Tropic of Cancer Paperback - 1965

by Henry Miller


About this book

Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer is one of the most notoriously and frequently censored books in the history of American literature. In a combination of autobiography and fiction, the novel centers of Miller’s own life as a struggling writer in Paris in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Tropic of Cancer is written in the first person and lacks linear organization, two of Miller’s most favored techniques. Some chapters are narratives about Miller’s friends and workplaces, and others are stream-of-consciousness-style reflections, but all of the chapters touch on the sexual exploits and general low-life ruthlessness in which the author had engaged at the time.

Tropic of Cancer was first published by Obelisk Press, a French publisher of soft pornography, in Paris in 1934. Shortly thereafter, the novel was banned in the US and later tried for charges of obscenity, a trial that challenged American pornography laws at the time. In 1961, the ban of Tropic of Cancer was lifted, and later that year, Grove Press published the first US edition of the novel, but only after the firm’s Barney Rosset offered Miller a sizeable advance and promised to defend the author in any future legal battles regarding the publication. Grove Press’s edition of Tropic of Cancer sold over 1 million copies by the end of 1961… and was the subject of about 60 lawsuits as well, one of which involved the American Civil Liberties Union.

All of this hullabaloo makes one wonder what the reactions might have been if Miller had decided to go with the novel’s working title, Crazy Cock — which was, ironically, far more modest than the published version. Regardless, the novel’s 1970 film adaptation, directed by Joseph Strick, received an X rating (meaning no one 17 and under admitted). Today, Tropic of Cancer finds itself ranked 50th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 59th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels.

First line

I am living at the Villa Borghese.

First Edition Identification

Obelisk Press first published Tropic of Cancer in Paris in 1934. True first editions states “First Published September 1934” on the copyright page. Maurice Girodias, who would later become famous as the leading French publisher of erotic literature, designed the artwork of the novel’s soft cover, featuring a giant crab holding a naked woman in its pinchers. With an original print run of 1,000 copies, first editions of Tropic of Caner are rare. Signed copies have sold for upwards of $10,000.

Details

  • Title Tropic of Cancer
  • Author Henry Miller
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 320
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Grafton Books, London, England
  • Date 1965
  • ISBN 9780586018125
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Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer

by Henry Miller

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780586018125
ISBN 10
0586018123
Quantity Available
6
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$18.56
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Description:
Panther, 1965. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$18.56
FREE shipping to USA
Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer

by Henry Miller

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780586018125
ISBN 10
0586018123
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$18.56
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Panther, 1965. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$18.56
FREE shipping to USA
Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer

by Miller, Henry

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780586018125
ISBN 10
0586018123
Quantity Available
1
Seller
London, London, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$25.56
NZ$42.60 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Grafton, 1965-05-01. Paperback. Very Good. 2.2081 in x 17.5888 in x 10.9898 in. Softcover with tight binding. Condition: Very Good. Clean and bright text.
Item Price
NZ$25.56
NZ$42.60 shipping to USA