Some Of The Books I've Been Reading This Summer -- Part #3

To begin with, I must admit that I am biased. Henry Miller is easily my favorite author of all time. I have sought out the rare and out-of-print editions of his books both online, and in used bookstores all throughout the USA. The book we are considering here, “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch,” is neither rare nor out-of-print. Indeed, it is one of Miller’s more successful and popular books. Needless to say, it’s not the big seller that his novels, “Tropic of Cancer,” or, “Tropic Of Capricorn,” have been through the decades, but it’s a relatively easy book to find in a good bookstore, or online.

Henry Miller was an American original, and one of the most remarkable and memorable personalities among American writers of any era. In 1930, at the age of 38, he left New York City, with ten dollars in his pocket, to go to Europe for the second time, determined to become a great writer. Miller lived in Europe-- much of his time spent in Paris-- for the next decade. For the first few years he was there, he had very little money and lived on the largesse of his many friends, including Anais Nin.

Some ten years later, after having written (and published) the two "Tropics" books which made him famous throughout Europe, he returned to New York, just as WWII was truly getting underway in earnest, all across the European continent. In 1942, Miller moved to California to live, and in 1944 he settled in Big Sur, just south of Monterey, California -- an area with some of the loveliest and most spectacular coastal scenery in the country, or in the world, for that matter. In those days, real estate was still relatively inexpensive in this small, spread-out “village,” so artists and other interesting characters abounded there.

In the latter half of the 1940's and all through the 1950's – well before the “New Age” gurus introduced their guides to better living -- Miller was letting his soul and spirit run free, and he was writing about his life there, high above the Pacific ocean in the remote Big Sur area. This book is his account of those experiences, which occurred after his return from Europe in 1940 and after his subsequent extended tour of America from October of 1940 to October of 1941.

“Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch” is a refreshing, joyous, insightful, touching, humorous and often profound book that challenges our acceptance of today's hectic, violent, irrational world. It’s also essential reading for those who’ve read Miller’s early trilogy which contains his two “Tropics” books, and would like a better understanding of the man behind them -- two of the greatest and most controversial novels of all time.

"This is my answer!" states Miller in the book's opening pages, and in this regard, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch is his “Walden,” because it was there, on the far west coast, far removed from his native New York, that Miller found the only home he could fully abide in America. He found a place where he felt he could live peaceably as a creative artist; a place set apart from the old, “normal” way of life that he viewed as thin and meaningless, a way of life which he had long since turned his back upon.

In Big Sur, the living was not easy. The deserted convict shack where Miller initially stayed, a thousand feet above the crashing waves, had neither electricity nor plumbing. There was also the intense isolation. At that time, Big Sur was strictly for the adventurous: The neighborhood comprised a small colony of artists and individuals seeking to live and raise their families freely, simply, and close to nature. Highway One had yet to bring the flood of tourists. But despite these difficulties, and probably because of them, Miller came to see Big Sur as the first real home he had ever known. Creatively, he flourished, finding everything his spirit needed in the friendship of the community and the brilliant light and beauty of this road less traveled.

With occasional exceptions, such as extended return trips to Europe and New York, Miller would live there for nearly 18 years, writing his books, painting his watercolors, making friends, living (sequentially) with a couple of his several wives, and suffering visits from the occasional, unannounced fan! It is clear in reading this book, that the awesome beauty of Big Sur affected Miller deeply, as did Paris in the 1930's and as did Greece, after Paris. He came to see the people he met there as kindred spirits in a timeless sanctuary; a sanctuary conducive to reflection, greater perspective, and inner peace. This new-found consciousness found its way into his writing, especially so in this book.

As is the case with many of Miller’s books, Big Sur is not a strict linear narrative but, rather, a collection of thoughts, reminiscences, hopes, loves, dreams, stories, and reveries. Indeed, the book has no central plot; in fact, it doesn't really pretend to have any forward momentum at all. The narrative just floats. As others have noted (either enthusiastically or bitterly), Henry Miller delivers, in this book, a seemingly random swirl of philosophy, wit, character studies, soaring observations of topography and weather, literary and arty musings, puzzles, koans, epigrams, aphorisms, scripture, historical trivia, astrological forecasts, and jokes.

This great book does not, upon first glance, seem to have any real point whatsoever. But that, of course, is the point. What Miller was laying out here (in a unique way, free of the usual jargon) is a meditation on how to live a different life, a vibrant life, a life of the spirit -- which, by definition, can only be expressed through a narrative that (like the life it describes) refuses to conform to the usual numbing standards of conduct. Upon a bit of reflection, one comes to recognize that such an expression, ultimately, was precisely what Jesus Christ (although in a rather different era and place) was attempting to do through his own teachings and his own life examples.

The core of this book -- what shines through most -- is the reality of the man, his unique viewpoint, and a wisdom born of spiritual freedom and real experience. This is not to be found in much of anything written today. Unlike today's authors, Henry Miller knew what it was like to live without money, to often be hungry, to be out on the street without a home, to be maligned, to turn against convention, and to subordinate all to art. Not everything that he did in his life can be considered honorable or noble. But he refused to be a pessimist or give up on life's possibilities. Optimism and hope were the two indomitable qualities at the very heart of Miller, which informed nearly all of his art.

The best elements of Miller’s character – his absolute love of life itself, his driven nature to be creative and to express himself, his transcendence of what others accept blindly, his pursuits of individuality and of an enlightened spirit fully at rest -- are this book's great gifts to its readers. For those ready for it, this book inspires, and one is made into a better person through learning the truths Miller lived by, and through coming to know the true paradise called Big Sur that nurtured his wandering soul.

So, if you are looking for a traditional story, per se, then pass right on by “Big Sur” and keep driving until you get up to Monterey. Or, if you are looking for some of Henry Miller's famously invigorating foulness and fury, pick up Tropic of Cancer instead. If you are looking for peace, stop here.

Incidentally, if you ever do make it to the actual location of Big Sur, and you have any interest in Henry Miller or his books, be sure to check out the Henry Miller Memorial Library, which is a marvelous place to visit. I’d encourage all those who come to love Miller’s writings to offer some financial support to the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

--Spencer