Click for full-size.
Tropic of Cancer
by Miller, Henry
- Used
- good
- first
- Condition
- good
- Seller
-
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Paris, France: Obelisk Press, 1934. first. hardcover. good. First edition. Preface by Anais Nin. Book is rebound. Book good, copyright page is missing, wear, bookplate attached to front paste-down, front and rear gutter have black tape, verso of front free end paper has previous owner's name and date, parts of pages 321-323 were repaired, verso of title page has a number stamp. Housed in custom-made slipcase.
Synopsis
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.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Bookbid Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2110009
- Title
- Tropic of Cancer
- Author
- Miller, Henry
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- first
- Publisher
- Obelisk Press
- Place of Publication
- Paris, France
- Date Published
- 1934
Terms of Sale
Bookbid Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Bookbid Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Beverly Hills, California
About Bookbid Rare Books
Bookbid Rare Books is a rare book dealer located in Beverly Hills, California. The family run company has sold modern literary first editions and children's books for over 20 years. Member of ABAA, ILAB.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Rebound
- A book in which the pages have been bound into a covering replacing the original covering issued by the publisher.
- Paste-down
- The paste-down is the portion of the endpaper that is glued to the inner boards of a hardback book. The paste-down forms an...
- Copyright page
- The page in a book that describes the lineage of that book, typically including the book's author, publisher, date of...
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting the Harlem Renaissance
One of the most influential - and certainly most iconic - cultural revolutions in American history, the Harlem Renaissance offers a compelling repertoire for both seasoned and novice book collectors. We’ve put together a beautiful gallery of high points to help start your collection here.
Collecting food and drink books
Nothing quite whets the appetite for rare and collectible books like old and vintage cookbooks. Be sure to check out our cook books and food section of our rare book room.
