Posted BySchwitters on November 07, 19101 at 15:27:45:
In Reply to: You're mixing apples and pomegranates.. posted byOld Fart on November 07, 19101 at 09:34:09:
::The only books on Miller that are worth reading are those written by friends and contemporaries - like Fred Perles - or by artists of stature - like Norman Mailer.
So that makes the list something like the following...
My Friend Henry Miller - Alfred Perles
Genius and Lust - Norman Mailer
Henry Miller: The Paris Years - Brassai
The Devil at Large - Erica Jong
Any others? I prefer these sorts of books to the academic tomes myself (haven't read the Perles or Mailer book though). My guess is that these guys tend to distort the truth of Miller's life to the same degree that Miller's own 'autobiographical' works do (which can be quite a bit). Similarly, Miller's book on Rimbaud is a good read, but not very reliable biography.
::Recently, some opportunist published Millers first, abortive, novel, Crazy Cock. I tried reading it. It's lousy. Miller acknowledged it's lousiness and didn't want it published. But he didn't deny he wrote it.
They also published "Moloch", a novel he wrote even before "Crazy Cock". The publisher is Grove, which also publishes Miller's major books. There was a time certainly when Miller did want this stuff published and they do constitute 'works of art in their own right. Whether or not they live up to your standards is beside the point.' But by the time they were published, they too were beside the point.
I'm glad to see you have a healthy critical faculty, but it's not necessary for you to determine what the rest of the world should be allowed to read, - though that's probably more of a misinterpretation on my part than an accurate analysis of your intentions. I have a suspicion that you don't give a fuck what anybody else reads, which is healthier still.