Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus BoschIn his great triptych "The Millennium," Bosch used oranges and other fruits to symbolize the delights of Paradise. Whence Henry Miller's title for this, one of his most appealing books; first published in 1957, it tells the story of Miller's life on the Big Sur, a section of the California coast where he lived for fifteen years. Big Sur is the portrait of a place--one of the most colorful in the United States--and of the extraordinary people Miller knew there: writers (and writers who did not write), mystics seeking truth in meditation (and the not-so-saintly looking for sex-cults or celebrity), sophisticated children and adult innocents; geniuses, cranks and the unclassifiable, like Conrad Moricand, the "Devil in Paradise" who is one of Miller's greatest character studies. Henry Miller writes with a buoyancy and brimming energy that are infectious. He has a fine touch for comedy. But this is also a serious book--the testament of a free spirit who has broken through the restraints and clichés of modern life to find within himself his own kind of paradise. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - nemoman - LibraryThingHenry Miller moved to Big Sur after WWII when it was relatively inaccessible and housed a bohemian colony of artists and writers. He captures the physical beauty of the place and fills the book with ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - mayumikamon - LibraryThingOne of my favorite Henry Miller works. I would recommend it for anyone who thinks of Mr.Miller as the self indulgent author who focuses solely on his sexual exploits. This work is much more human as he describes his family, friends, and neighbors living in Big Sur. Read full review
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch Volume 161 of New Directions paperbook Volume 161 of Vintage international |
| Author | Henry Miller |
| Contributor | J. Kortenhorst |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | New Directions Publishing, 1957 |
| ISBN | 0811201074, 9780811201070 |
| Length | 404 pages |
| Subjects | › › Literary Criticism / American / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |