Customer Reviews

Wisdom of the Heart (New Directions Paperbook)

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An exquisite journey into a mind and heart open for all to join and be the quest. Reminiscent of his equally stimulating companion volume, STAND STILL LIKE THE HUMMINGBIRD, this selection of stories and essays shows again the wide range of mood, style and subject matter which Henry Miller's work commands. As Lawrence Durrell once wrote, "I suspect that Henry Miller's final place will be among those towering anomalies of authorship like Whitman or Blake who have left us, not simply works of art, but a corpus of ideas which motivate and influence a whole cultural pattern."

Here is a man who, however brief was their intercourse, was wed to Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe (just kidding, in Henry's dreams maybe, but NOT, that was the other Miller, the playwright, Arthur). Here is a man expressing himself with exhilarating candor and freedom, writing "from the heart" which a refreshing lack of reticence. Miller involves the reader directly in his thoughts and feelings. "His real aim," Karl Shapiro has written, "is to find the living core of our world whenever it survives and in whatever manifestation, in art, in literature, in human behavior itself. It is then that he sings, praises, and shouts at the top of his lungs with the uncontainable hilarity he is famous for."

Whether Miller lifts up D. H. Lawrence as in "Creative Death" and "Into the Future," or expounds the philosophy of the psychoanalyst, E. Graham Howe as in "The Wisdom of the Heart," or honors Keyserling on the occasion of his 60th birthday in July 1940 as in "The Philosopher Who Philosophizes," his genius is immutable. If you have read, even occasionally, Henry David (Thoreau), Ralph Waldo (Emerson), Uncle Walt (Whitman), this volume is for you. Henry Miller says nothing here either more offensive or less insightful than these three Transcendentalists who lived before him.

Including some of Henry Miller's best-known writings, here are essays on Raimu, the film star; Brassi, the photographer; Erich Gutkind, the metaphysician -- who Miller puts, like Lawrence, in the line of "Akhenaton, Hermes Trismegistus, Plotinus, Paracelsus, Blake, Neitzsche: he is a visionary, a prophet, a man ahead of his time." In "Reflections on Writing," Miller examines his own position as a writer. In "Seraphita" and "Balzac and His Double," he applies himself to the work of another writer.

In short, throughout this wisdom book, there is an illuminating spiritual unity in the deep diversity and high hilarity, at once, reconciling sacred and profane, regenerating love -- always fearless, always totally alive with the joy of living the examined life -- open-hearted and generous to all who have ears to hear. As Joseph Campbell so aptly encouraged, "Bless Thy Bliss."

Henry Miller often provokes many emotions in people. Depending on the book or books that they have read. I've always loved his collection of essays, "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird". So, I couldn't wait to finally get my hands on a copy of this book, "Wisdom of the Heart".

The first three essays in the book were quite good and got me hooked. Essentially they were about his philosophy that you must lose something of yourself to find something. To embrace the pain to find the pleasure. Right on track on his writing of my other favorite book from him.

Unfortunately after those brilliant essays, he turned back into that angry man who I met briefly in "Tropic of Cancer". That was a book I really couldn't get into. After a while the anger took over and it was hard to read the philosophy in what he was trying to say. All you felt was anger. So, needless to say I became quickly disenchanted with several of the essays after, "Reflections on Writing". I was hoping it wasn't the only 3 essays that I would like. So, with trepidation, I kept reading.

He finally got back to the writing I've come to really like when I read, "Into the Future". He was back to speculating on artistic life by comparing DH Lawrence's concept of the Holy Ghost with those in history that personify it. It basically asks the question that do artists have to suffer for their art? Is it a necessity? Although Miller seems to have answered it to his satisfaction, I'm not sure he has done so to my satisfaction but I did enjoy his journey into the question.

In the end he explores Balzac and what he considers to be one of his pinnacle works. His essays just didn't have the same flair and philosophy I had come to expect from Miller. Still, he comes off with the philosophy that an artist must suffer for his work and then overcome that suffering to surpass even his own ego. I'm not sure I buy that, but it is an interesting philosophy.

In the end, I did not enjoy this essay book as I had with "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird" which is still one of my all time favorite books. His anger in "The Wisdom of the Heart" is very obvious and the book doesn't seem to string the essays in a cohesive way as my favorite book. I'm disappointed, but still have my favorite on my keeper shelf.

I first purchased Tropic of Cancer prior to this book, but had not as of yet read it when I came across this collection of essays and stories. I enjoyed it so very much. Reading his essays gave me great insight into who Henry Miller was, after reading this book I was able to start Tropic of Cancer with a better understanding of his writing style. It enabled me to better appreciate his writing and understand his significance as a writer. Tropic of Cancer is highly erratic, reading "Wisdom of the Heart" allowed me to understand that this is what Miller would be like and I was ready to embrace him, after coming away from "Wisdom" with a sense of what his philosphies are like. Some of the stories are admittedly trite and the book's entire collection is somewhat ragged, but certain writings really shone, and Miller's philosophies rang loud and clear throughout everything. An excellent read for someone who is curious about Miller the man and not yet ready to embark upon the Tropics.

I started with the Rosy Crucifixion (Sexus, then Plexus and finally Nexus) and then went on to his collections of essays, including The Wisdom of the Heart and Stand Still Like the Hummingbird. Henry Miller has been a major influence in my life by virtue of these readings. I have read most or all of The Wisdom of the Heart more than once, and the essay which gives the book its title concerning the writer/psychiatrist E. Gordon Howe is one I come back to again and again for inspiration.

Henry Miller was married 5 times in his life, but never to Marilyn Monroe. You are confusing him for the playwriter Arthur Miller, who was briefly wedded to Ms. Monroe.

Though I have not read all of this book, I can say for certain that Henry Miller was NOT married to Marilyn Monroe!

It wasn't what I expected. I had to throw it away, no one I knew wanted it! I guess I should have read the reviews carefully.

Make sure that you do before you waste any monies!

It wasn't what I expected. I had to throw it away, no one I knew wanted it! I guess I should have read the reviews carefully.

Make sure that you do before you waste any monies!