Tropic of Cancer

“To have her here in bed with me, breathing on me, her hair in my mouth—I count that something of a miracle.”
― Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer was described by Norman Mailer as “one of the ten or twenty great novels of our century.” First published in France in 1934 but then banned in the US, Miller’s fictionalised account of his ‘nomadic life’ in Paris has retained the right to shock and entertain in equal measure. It was part edited by his lover Anais Nin who wrote: “Here is a book which, if such a thing were possible, might restore our appetite for the fundamental realities. The predominant note will seem one of bitterness, and bitterness there is, to the full. But there is also a wild extravagance, a mad gaiety, a verve, a gusto, at times almost a delirium”.

Come and listen to an extract from an audio presentation of this outrageous, brave, progressive novel. The event will be introduced by our resident speaker, Kate Thorogood, Chapel Programme Curator. Part of our monthly Wireless Contemplation series, Tropic of Cancer is free and open to all. You don’t need a ticket.