Customer Reviews

The Books in My Life

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Henry Miller may be the greatest American writer of the Twentieth Century. But there is always the question of who bore influence the genius. How many of us want to learn about the work that shaped the mind of the genius writer. Well, to find out, read this book. It will give you a great feel for where Miller was coming from. It touches on Millers entire reading career. You come away with an idea of how this literary genius came to develop and grow. This book is a phenomenal resource for anyone interested in literature and occult and religious writing. I have used this book as a remarkable resource for my own personal literary education. I have spent many hours in bookstores all over America looking for titles that Mr. Miller recommended in this book. I discovered Jean Giono and Blaise Cendrars and Madame Helena Blavatsky through this book. I also learned to put aside literary snobbism and enjoy the boy books by writers like H. Rider Haggard and G.K. Chesterton. Through Miller, I learned about obscure writers like Marie Corelli and John Cowper Powys. I read adventure books like The Unveiling of Timbuctoo. This book is a primer for anyone interested in literature of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. I would recommend this book for dedicated Millerites and literary-minded persons of all persuasions. Miller gave the world a wonderful gift in this book. If you are interested in literature then buy this book and begin the search for yourself.

This wonderful book has had a tremendous impact on my reading and on my life, mainly because of the list Henry put at the end almost as an afterthought: "The Hundred Books That Influenced Me Most". I have been slowly buying and reading these books, many of which I had never heard of (and/or never heard of the authors). In every single instance, they have been remarkable, incredible, mind-blowing, life-changing, and stupendous. The book itself is great fun, and written with Miller's usual masterful command of language, however I must caution prudes to stay away. His storytelling muse it at the height of its powers here, as he recounts his encounters with books, authors, bookshops and women, not necessarily in that order. It is compelling to hear of how Miller's love affair with books began, gained momentum and turned into a lifelong obsession. I recommend this book to you with the greatest possible enthusiasm. Have fun with it!

THE BOOKS IN MY LIFE is simply outstanding. Reading it was like glimpsing the making of a man. I own another book of Miller's in which he wrote an essay about, and entitled, ON TURNING 80. This was a work by the end product, Henry Miller, the man reflecting on life. He was a very different man than the cocky, young, expatriate who wrote TROPIC OF CANCER. Both of these Henry Millers wrote beautiful and insightful prose.

The thing that is so unique about THE BOOKS IN MY LIFE is that the reader is allowed to see the influences that were involved in the shaping of the man. Hearing him speak of the books he read as a child, SHE and AYESHA and ROBINSON CRUSOE, conjure the very essence of childhood. Miller was nurtured by these books and when he became a man and read Celine and Dostoievsky and Walt Whitman, he continued to be nurtured and subsequently, to grow.

Miller was brilliant because when he wrote about a subject, he touched it. He knew how to truly make contact with it. THE BOOKS IN MY LIFE, like everything he ever wrote, I think, is extraordinary

Have you ever wanted to sit down with one of your favorite authors and gab about books? While most of us can't do this, fans of Henry Miller do have this innovative work as a substitute. In it, Miller lists his favorite authors & books, then expounds on various authors, subjects & points in his reading life. Blaise Cendrars, Jean Giono, Krishnamurti, reading while in the john & more get their own chapters. Miller wanted to write more editions, including a list of over 50,000 titles he has read, but never got the chance to do so. That's okay. I'm very grateful for having this work available!

There are many books that have held enormous influence over me. Different books come along at different times and when the timing is right, there is magic. My literary education is an ongoing process. But there is one unique book that stands out among all these books. I couldn't call it the best book I ever read. I wouldn't call it my favorite book. It is simply a book that has provided a guiding hand for close to two decades.

The book in question is The Books In My Life by Henry Miller. This is a book that I originally purchased back in my high school years. I had already begun reading many literary figures. I had discovered the Beats like Kerouac and Ginsberg. I found the French Symbolists like Rimbaud. I was tuned in to Whitman, Blake and Nietzche.

As I continued to seek out new literary heroes, I stumbled upon Henry Miller. I immediately sought out Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. I was struck by the sheer force and passion of Miller's writing. I was willing to overlook his many flaws because he was so exuberant. It also intrigued me that he was so open about his influences. Karl Shapiro wrote a coda to Tropic of Cancer with all kinds of strange names of people I had never read. I learned of a book by Miller that reveals his reading habit.

So that led me to The Books In My Life. This is a book where Miller attempts to provide the reader with his evolution as a reader. He runs through many of the great writers that held enormous influence over him. He also discusses some of the people in his life that impacted his reading and literary development. In his preface, he writes that he wants to round out his life story and includes books as vital experience. He quickly states that this is not criticism and shouldn't be used as a program for self education.

The book includes 14 chapters and an all important appendix of 100 influential books and "books he still intends to read." The chapter order is not really all that important. This is not a book that needs to be read from page one to conclusion. I vaguely remember actually reading it from start to finish about 18 years ago. I have referred to it hundreds of times since then. In fact, I think it is more beneficial to use this book as a reference book.

I use it to seek out names of writers that I have yet to discover. The list of writers I discovered through Henry Miller and this book is staggering: Blaise Cendrars, John Cowper Powys, Knut Hamsum, Jean Giono, Madame Blavatsky, Maurice Maeterlinck, Marie Corelli. This is just a few of the names that I sought out because of this book.

Miller discusses early reading such as Rider Haggard, G.K. Chesterton, and G.A. Henty. He grew up on many of these adventure writers. He retained an affection for Haggard's novel She throughout his life. Haggard is one of four writers to have an entire chapter dedicated to him. Giono, Cendrars and Krishnamurti are the others. He reveled in a book like Alice In Wonderland. He writes of the joy of reading Mark Twain as a youth. He also writes of the overwhelming excitement of reading books like Hamsun's Mysteries or Nietzche's The Birth of Tragedy for the first time.

What I like is that he reveals how certain authors maintained their magic over him while others were dramatic disappointments when he reread them. He clearly disavows any intention of "ever tackling Spenser's Faerie Queen anew." He writes of having few pleasant memories of Dickens. He wrote that he wouldn't care if never read Jack London or Kipling again. He is also honest about many classics that he never managed to read. How many learned individuals would admit that they never read Homer or Aristotle or Robert Browning.

There is a chapter devoted to what he dubs as living books. This includes personal friends as well as writers he met. Lou Jacobs was a friend who provided him with books. He met such luminaries as W.E.B. Dubois, Emma Goldman John Cowper Powys and Blaise Cendrars. This includes some good autobiographical passages. He maintained an intellectual curiosity throughout his life.

The Books In My Life is a unique book. I can think of no other book I have read that is solely about all the different literary influences of a lifetime. Many writers try to hide their influences to make it appear as if they have fallen from space or something. Miller applies his legendary enthusiasm and frankness to the task of recounting his literary development. I have discovered more literature through this book than any other resource I have encountered. And I remain certain that I will probably discover even more in the coming years.

This is an invaluable reference guide to anyone who wants to explore great literature as well as philosophy and spiritual development. (Miller writes of Ramakrishna, Lao-Tse, Jacob Boehme, St Francis of Assisi among other religious giants.) Most readers will discover treasures they never heard of before. They may also find inspiration to seek out famous names like Dostoevsky and Boccaccio if they read this book. Miller's ebullience comes shining through in the prose of this book. And contrary to Miller's insistence, it has been an invaluable tool in literary self-education. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Miller, but very much on my mind since I purchased it off Amazon is "The Losers' Club" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, highly entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.

When Miller was good he was great. When he was bad, he was terrible. "Books of My Life" is in the former category. As with much of Miller's writing, it's difficult for Henry to stay on topic. But his discursions are entertaining, thoughtful, and illuminating. What begins as a book about Miller's literary influences goes in a thousand different directions. But it's more consistent and interesting than "Tropic of Capricorn" or "Plexus," books that are ambitious but also a mess. Written in 1950, in "Books," Miller recounts his favorite works from the first 60 years of his life (which had 30 more years to go). Most of the authors he cites I am not familiar with, and many are the kind of books few people read today (does anyone still read Robinson Crusoe or the Arabian Knights?). Miller was an author whose life was so long that he straddled the Victorian and modern age. And his writing has elements of both. But rather than an exercise in style (which "Cancer" was), or a venue for recounting his own experiences, Miller gives us much insight into his intellectual makeup. Although Miller was incapable of taking the spotlight off himself for very long, he gives many good recommendations to his readers. He is also often funny--Miller humorously concludes that it's not a good idea to read on the toilet. Some people will not like his tastes--he likes Nietzsche but not Shakespeare, he defends de Sade but cares little for Voltaire. I found some of his comparisons odd, yet interesting (linking the democratic tendencies of Dostoyevsky and Walt Whitman, for example). Miller gives some good advice to young writers, but "Books," as its title suggests, is more about reading than writing. What I found most annoying about the book was Miller's weakness for quoting or writing long French phrases. Do I wish I spoke and read French? Sure. Is it necessary that Miller sprinkle French throughout? No. He's merely showing off. As annoying as this tendency of the learned is, Miller was a genius and a great influence on many writers. I would put this book with "Sexus" and "Tropic of Cancer" as examples of Miller's best writing. As the cliche goes, great writers should be great readers. Miller was both, and anyone who aspires to the literary world should read this book.

Unlike the other reviewers here, whose views I respect by the way, I'm not a big fan of Miller-as-author. I find his writing megalomaniacal and egocentric in the extreme. He never seems to tire of telling us about himself and his exploits. He found himself endlessly fascinating, not unlike Rousseau in that respect. His reputation was built in large part as a result of the obscenity charges he faced after the release of Tropic of Cancer. I can still vaguely recall a 60's movie in which an outraged Jimmy Stewart called Sandra Dee out on the carpet for reading Tropic. Reading Miller was considered risque and slightly delinquent back in the 60's and he was cool because he talked dirty. His books sold because a lot of male adolescents like myself wanted to read the "good parts." In retrospect, Frank Harris wrote on similar subjects, but actually had something to say beyond the bedroom as well. Check out Harris' My Life and Loves, if you don't believe me. Harris wins the Miller-Harris author war hands down, in my opinion.

Even if you share my opinion of Miller, you should nevertheless give this book a look. His comments and recommendations are set forth with humor and wit and I agree for the most part with his assessments. He piqued my interest in Celine and made me want to read more of Dostoevski, two of my favorite authors. I'd never heard of Knut Hamsun before reading Books in My Life, but had to give that author a chance, simply on the strength of Miller's fervid recommendation.

I'm not sold on all these recommendations however. I gave Blaise Cendrars a chance, but feel that he probably hasn't been adequately translated. Henri Charriere (Papillon) is a better writer than Cendrars, and provides a more interesting account of the Paris underworld they both write about. Marie Corelli is a semi-hysterical, semi-literate, outdated abomination. Her novels were uniformly panned by critics of the era, with abundant reason. She was the V.C. Andrews of her day, with about a tenth of the talent. I ordered her "Sorrows of Satan' through Amazon and read it at the same time I was re-reading Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Both novels deal with an earthly visitation on Satan's part. One is a masterpiece of world literature. The other is a piece of melodramatic tripe written by a literary charlatan. Guess which is which? H. Rider Haggard is fine if you have not yet reached the ripe old age of fifteen. One has to bear in mind that Miller was reading Corelli and Haggard when he was very young, and their works wouldn't have appeared as dated then as they do now.

There have been many books written about books and about reading. I would suggest that if you want to explore one of the more absorbing and entertaining accounts on this long list, read The Books of My Life.

I read this book after not having read Miller for about five years and I was pleasantly surprised. I think that it is better than most of his fictional novels. It really gives you a feel for what shaped his whole outlook on life. And it isn't nearly as vitriolic as the Tropics, rather, it's more of a celebration of his craft. If you are curious about his literary influences (and I was), you will love this book. In fact, after reading it once, I immediatley read it a second time and I was inspired by it to the point where I purchased some of the books he makes mention of. Parts of the book also made me laugh out loud. I highly recommend it.

I've been a major HM fiend for 35 years, and this is one that I keep pulling off the shelf just to read for pleasure. Most of his books you can open at will anywhere and find some gems even in the middle of stream of consciousness paragraphs, but he was at the top of his game here. As a teen I used the list in the back of the book as a recommended reading guide, so I have HM to thank for my love of Dostoevsky, Rimbaud, Hamsun, and Lawrence.

I loved him so much I hitch-hiked down to his funeral, and of course have his "Notice to Visitors" posted in my office. In the old game of "If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be?" I'd have Henry Miller, Dostoevsky, Sir Richard Burton, and Rimbaud. I remember stopping off at the HM Library in Big Sur and seeing Emil White sitting in the yard. I was so in awe of course I didn't say a word to him.

Everyone should read Miller, and this is a good start. For New Yorkers, his "Rosy Crucifixion" can't be beat. I actually prefer those to the Tropics.

I find some of Henry Miller's books to be wonderful and some to be mediocre or downright boring ("Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch," for instance). This book, however, certainly ranks among the wonderful. Any bibliophile or Henry Miller fan (as I am) will find here a treasure of insight relating to books and Henry Miller and other important things. All of Miller's books are essentially about himself and his experience of life, and this one is no exception. As he states in the preface: "The purpose of this book...is to round out the story of my life. It deals with books as a vital experience."

Miller seeks to revive the meaning of books which inspired him and his development as a writer. He goes back to his childhood and talks about his experiences with the Greek plays, "Robinson Crusoe," Rider Haggard, G.A. Henty, and to his youth and Paris years with his reading of Nietzsche, Doestoievsky, Whitman, Balzac, Celine, Cendrars, Rimbaud, Rabelais and others. He dedicates a chapter each to his two French contemporaries, Cendrars and Giono. Blaise Cendrars (born Frederic Sauser) is one of his great literary heros, a man who wrote tons of books of virile autobiographical prose (and poetry, unlike Miller) but seems still rather unknown. Jean Giono lived his whole life in the French provinces, was a pacifist, and wrote on themes concerning nature and humanity. Like Miller, he was only concerned with "la gloire d'etre vivant".

Two other chapters are dedicated to Krishnamurti and Rider Haggard. The chapter on Krishnamurti reveals somewhat Miller's penchant towards the mystical and themes of emancipation and liberation. In the chapter on Rider Haggard Miller expresses the enthusiam and wonder he felt reading Haggard's mystical tale "She" as a boy. He then goes on to "speak of certain revelations concerning my own character and identity which are connected to it." Here Miller questions himself, "why the emphasis, in my works, on crude repetitious experience of life?" and associates Haggard's fictional heroine, Ayesha, with Miller's first wife and inspiration, June: "How very much there was of 'She' in 'Her'...Why, do we not sometimes ask ourselves, why the fatidical beauty in the great heroines of love throughout the ages? Why do they seem so logically and naturally surrounded by death, bolstered by crime, nourished by evil?".

Miller also has much to say on philosophy, art, education, and simply on "how to read and why," to use the title of one of literary critic Harold Bloom's books. On at least one important point, though I suspect on very many points (including the whole idea of Bloom's "The Western Canon"), Miller would take issue with Bloom and his type; he writes: "And this leads me to say how woefully mistaken are those who believe that certain books, because they are universally acknowledged as 'masterpieces,' are the books which alone have power to inspire and nourish us. Every lover of books can name dozens of titles which, because they unlock his soul, because they open his eyes to reality, are for him the golden books. It matters not what evaluation is made of these by scholars and critics, by pundits and authorities: for the man who is touched to the quick by them they are supreme. We do not ask of one who opens our eyes by what authority he acts; we do not demand his credentials." Miller would certainly agree with Oscar Wilde's witty remark: "Oh, it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read."