Henry Miller, born Henry Valentine Miller on the day after Christmas in 1891, was an American writer. His parents were Heinrich Miller, a tailor, and Louise Marie Neiting. Although Henry Miller was born in Manhattan, he was brought up in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. At the time, that area of Brooklyn was referred to as "The Fourteenth Ward." Miller often used this term to refer to the area in his writing.
As a writer, Miller is known for blending genres together. Many of his texts which are referred to as “novels” are actually a mixture of fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, social criticism, philosophy, erotica, and fantasy. To further complicate matters, many of his “novels” include a character named “Henry Miller.” This character is generally agreed to be an individual apart from the author rather than simply a fictionalized version of him. Therefore, in discussions of his works, it is important to indicate whether or not the author or the character is being referenced.
Because of the explicit sexual content of his books, Henry Miller’s books were banned in the United States, and the author underwent obscenity trials. He was very good friends, and even lovers, with the author Anais Nin, who was also famous for the sexual content in her works.
Henry Miller is generally considered to have been a very intelligent man, even an intellectual. However, he did not subscribe or adhere to traditional academic structures. He very briefly attended the City College of New York, leaving after only two months of study. Despite his short stint in academia, Miller successfully published pieces of travel writing, literary analysis, and literary criticism. His scholarship was independent. In addition to being a writer, Miller was a painter and pianist.
Below, you will find a list of many of the works of Henry Miller. Although he published a great deal during the course of his life, he is probably best known for a selection of his novels: Sexus, Nexus, Plexus, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn.
List of Works
Tropic of Cancer
