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Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch Paperback – January 17, 1957

by Henry Miller (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 232 ratings
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In 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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Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    New Directions
  4. Publication date
    January 17, 1957
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 1.2 x 8.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780811201070
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0811201070
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The only imaginative prose-writer of the slightest value who has appeared among the English-speaking races for some years past."
― George Orwell

"American literature today begins and ends with the meaning of what Miller has done."
― Lawrence Durrell

"[A] large scale book written with the skill in essay/fictional writing that will help it remain a classic for years to come."
― Innovative Fiction Magazine

About the Author

Henry Miller (1891―1980) was one of the most controversial American novelists during his lifetime. His book, The Tropic of Cancer, was banned in the some U.S. states before being overruled by the Supreme Court. New Directions publishes several of his books.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0811201074
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Directions; First edition, fourth printing (January 17, 1957)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780811201070
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0811201070
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.2 x 8.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 232 ratings

About the author

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Henry Miller

Henry Miller

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HENRY MILLER (1891-1980) was an American writer and painter infamous for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of "novel" that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is distinctly always about and expressive of the real-life Henry Miller and yet is also fictional. His most characteristic works of this kind are "Tropic of Cancer," "Tropic of Capricorn," and "Black Spring." His books were banned in the United States for their lewd content until 1964 when a court ruling overturned this order, acknowledging Miller’s work as literature in what became one of the most celebrated victories of the sexual revolution.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
232 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

benny profane
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful memoir
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2015
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Absolutely wonderful memoir of Miller's days in Big Sur, California, way back when before it became a tourist stop on the map. Beautiful descriptions, funny stories, poignant reflections on a world that no longer exists. Personally, I enjoy Henry Miller's non-fiction works more than his novels. He is one of the greatest American writers, and this is one of his best books. It's been a long time since I passed through Big Sur; reading Miller's memoir made me nostalgic for all those golden days spent in California.
3 people found this helpful
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Tom Quinn
5.0 out of 5 stars Luminous Miller in the Heart of Big Sur
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020
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I have always been a fan of Miller and count him among the three great writers of my life: Miller, Joyce, and Louis-Ferdinand Céline. All of them influenced and changed my life.

What Miller taught me (as a morbid teenager) was that it was possible to say "Yes" to life and to be happy, living life with a fierce will to be fully creatively alive. Or simply to love life.

This will to be fully alive and to love life is perhaps what unites all Miller's work, the novels, the memoirs, the essays.

This Big Sur "potpourri" appears to be a "lighter" Miller with little of the wild exaltation found in his Greek travel book "The Colossus of Maroussi" a stirring masterpiece. In short it is an eloquent and luminous hymn to Big Sur in its early stages of colonisation and to its varied denizens back then.

The last section leaves us with an appaling account of Miller's friend, the Astrologer, Conrad Moricand... which all but brings Miller's paradisical vision of Big Sur to a shuddering halt...

But for the most part this book is about how to and what it is to be fully alive and in harmony with one's environment and neighbours. Written in the 1950's it is also a keen reflection of American society and its ills still relevant today. Big Sur is Miller's perfect society, perfect world, his luminous Paradise...

The portraits of friends and neighbours are memorable but most memorable of all I found is Miller reflecting on his family life, his wife, his children, and his separation and the subsequent loss of his children...

Locked in a bathroom , "weeping like a madman" having lost his beloved Val and Tony, we are presented us with an unforgettably intimate picture of the great man, great writer, and my great Teacher, in a moment of profound heartbreak.
16 people found this helpful
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PCNiles
4.0 out of 5 stars A Memoir of Musings...
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2012
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I first read Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch in my early twenties, soon after moving to California from the East Coast. During that first reading, I came to know a Henry Miller I'd never known from his fiction; I was impressed, and inspired. I also met a lot of people that I'd never heard of previously (can you imagine, never having heard of Robinson Jeffers? An east coast woman of 21 years had not!). It was a great read at that time. Many years later (I'm not going to say how many), I've decided to reread it. Once again, I am enjoying this book, and I'm discovering new things (or perhaps rediscovering things I'd forgotten) this time around.

It's a ramble, however. There is no plot, there is no consistent train of thought, and there is nothing essentially sensational about it. If you're looking for the Henry Miller of the "Tropics," or any of his other fictional writings, don't look here. This book is broadly philosophical, filled with anecdotes and personal revelations.

Quotes that I feel summarize the theme of Big Sur and perhaps Henry Miller's motivation for living there are the following:

"Surely every one realizes, at some point along the way, that he is capable of living a far better life than the one he has chosen."

"We create our fate everyday."

If you're a Henry Miller fan, this is the book to read to come to understand the man and the writer. He also draws a vivid picture of Big Sur era before it became heavily trafficked and overpopulated to the north of it. Definitely worth the time it'll take to read it.
20 people found this helpful
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James Earl
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it while you're visiting Big Sur
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2016
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Had never read Henry Miller before but Big Sur is one of my favorite places in the world so when I found out it was one of his favorite places in the world, too and that he lived there for 15 years, I decided to give the book a try. It is absolutely outstanding! I found myself highlighting, underlining, making notations in the margin and even journaling about many sections. It is truly tremendous and I continue to re-read it, again and again. It may not be everyone's cup of tea or even for most people but it is one of my all-time favorite books.
3 people found this helpful
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Charles Dillingham
5.0 out of 5 stars What a pleasant surprise!
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
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Having always heard the usual praise for Miller, along with references to his sexualized novels, it was a pleasant surprise to discover this wonderful, evocative description of the early days of Big Surprise. The writing is magnificent and the observations on life very wise.
One person found this helpful
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John Skuja
5.0 out of 5 stars One of Miller's very best...
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2013
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I have read this book about 5 times, having it always on my Kindle is a real treat. This book, I feel is one of Henry Millers best. The time he spent in Big Sur in the 40's and 50's when it was really and artist's colony. Some of the character studies are so well written that you feel you know the person as a friend by the time you are through reading it. For anyone interested in Big Sur and it history, this is a great book to read, or if you just want something relaxing to venture into...
9 people found this helpful
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Steven R. Wallace
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything Henry Miller ever wrote -- and he wrote a ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2018
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Everything Henry Miller ever wrote -- and he wrote a lot -- is well worth reading. Here one gets a feel for how Miller allowed his fascination with friends to gull him into being taken advantage of time after time. One comes away from this memoir wishing to have been one of those friends just for the opportunity to share space with a fascinating man.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Natalie 75017
5.0 out of 5 stars QUE DU BONHEUR
Reviewed in France on March 27, 2019
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Auteur de prédilection, un bonheur de le lire dans sa version originale
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Shelli Whitfeld
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2018
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In ok condition as described
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Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2017
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Shows a more thoughtful side of Millers complex mind set.
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laurence
5.0 out of 5 stars Impec !
Reviewed in France on May 13, 2013
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D'abord, livré bien plus vite que prévu.
Ensuite, une prose comme on en attend d'un tel ouvrage culte.
A lire et à relire !
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S. FREEMAN
4.0 out of 5 stars mining the ramblings for gems
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2010
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As in all his books he rambles on a bit too much, going off on tangents...and I have to say I got tired of it and didn't actually finish it. That said, the spirit of the man shines through and it is at times interesting/entertaining/uplifting. Written in a more straightforwardly autobiographical style than some of his more famous works he comes across as older and mellower. As usual with Miller there are some gem philosophical passages in amongst the ramblings - passages that require pencil underlinings and post-its to remind one to go back and read them again. For example there is a great passage on reading and writing starting at the top of page 57 which makes me love the man, and see him as a kindred spirit. Good old Henry. I've just given him another star for that passage.
5 people found this helpful
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