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Tropic of Cancer
by Miller, Henry
- Used
- fair
- Paperback
- Condition
- Fair
- Seller
-
Spray, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Paris, France: The Obelisk Press, 1938. Softcover. Fair. 8vo 8" - 9" tall. A stated Fourth Printing, published first in 1934, then reprinted in September 1935, March 1938, and June of 1938. Preface by Anais Nin. A perfectly serviceable reference copy; nothing fancy, but complete, well worn and toned of wraps, in gate-fold, half-inch splits thereto at rear bottom and front top, but complete. Printed in Hungary. Rear panel features blurbs of praise by Cyril Connolly, Herbert Read, Aldous Huxley, William Carlos Williams, Blaise Cendrars, Anains Nin and Montgomery Belgion. Measures 5 3/4" x 7 3/4" wide and tall, respectively, price of 60 Frs inside front dust wrapper flap, publisher's device at spine bottom. 318 pp.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets.
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.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Structure, Verses, Agency Books - Member, I.O.B.A.
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 351011
- Title
- Tropic of Cancer
- Author
- Miller, Henry
- Format/Binding
- Softcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fair
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Paperback
- Publisher
- The Obelisk Press
- Place of Publication
- Paris, France
- Date Published
- 1938
- Size
- 8vo 8" - 9" tall
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- Anais Nin Henry Miller Tropic of Cancer
Terms of Sale
Structure, Verses, Agency Books - Member, I.O.B.A.
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About the Seller
Structure, Verses, Agency Books - Member, I.O.B.A.
Biblio member since 2005
Spray, Oregon
About Structure, Verses, Agency Books - Member, I.O.B.A.
Occasionally rare, frequently scarce, always fine, or is that Fine? Structure, Verses, Agency Books specializes in the fine arts (painting, the decorative arts, photography, sculpture, Jewish art and artists, art history, art movements), but also carries fine antiquarian tomes, works in the French language, Western Americana, poetry, the social sciences, and some modern first editions. We also selectively purchase books and collections thereof. We also offer appraisals and advice about library-building. We also offer a book-of-the-month club, called Once Upon a Tome. Ask about a subscription thereto. Thanks!
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fair
- is a worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc....
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
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