A review by venusverti
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

challenging dark lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I picked up Tropic of Cancer wanting to get in a quick read for the start of May - and for that, I applaud Miller, it was quick alright! The language and narrative voice was easy to follow, and at times I admit I was quite captivated. Particularly in the beginning, I wanted to just keep going! But I can't say that that happened for very long. Miller would hook me for a good page or two, and then it would plateau or plummet completely, and I'm sorry Miller, but that's when the skimming began (oops!). Either chapters ran too long, were full of too much nonsense or I was getting fed up learning another prostitute's name. At times, the poetic nature of Miller was where I enjoyed it most - those vivid, yet depressing, images of life, of starting over. His longings for Mona. But all of this was entwined with slightly too many things I just didn't care about. Bored of walks by the Seine. Maybe I just didn't care enough about Henry to care what was happening to him, like he didn't really care about anybody else. Some interesting observations of an "artist", of their human condition, at least. How differently we all experience it. Miller says the "artists" needs loneliness - the feeling, as opposed to the state of being alone. But I felt no real feeling by the end of Tropic of Cancer, I did not even feel Henry had the ability to feel. Henry was simply alone and detached, filling his void with sex and bodies and small friendships. Other than feeling pity for Henry, I got no strong feelings from this read, except for a paragraph half way through that stirred something sad within me. That stirred those deep feelings of wonder for someone. That hit home, too closely for now. But for that, Miller kept his extra half star.