Big Sur [Paperback]

 

 

Create your own review

I first read this book exactly ten years ago when I was struggling through a profound period of depression. I don't want to say that the book cured me, because that would be too facile and too drastic a declaration, but I will say that Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch was the first real beacon, the first glimmer of light to lead me out of a suffocating psychological cave. I don't know why, exactly, but when I began reading the book, a deep sense of peace came over me for the first time in several months. The book seemed to open up my eyes and my ears and my throat and even my lungs; I found myself sucking in big sweet gulps of air, and I started to detect a freedom and a limitlessness in the world that I had previously failed to recognize. Of course, there is no way that I can promise that you will have the same reaction. Over the years I have passed the book along to various friends: Some of them have fallen in love with it and some of them have been utterly bored. That is understandable. The book has no plot; in fact, it doesn't really pretend to have any forward momentum. The narrative just floats. As other reviewers have noted (both enthusiastically and 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. It does not, upon first glance, have any point whatsoever. But that, friend, is the point. What Miller is laying out here (in a unique way, free of the usual hippie jargon) is a meditation on how to live a different life, a vibrant life, a life of the spirit, which is, by his definition, a narrative that refuses to conform to the usual numbing standards of conduct. So if you are looking for a "story," per se, keep driving until you get to Monterey. And 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.
Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch is for any reader who is in the mood for a beguiling rumination on how a man once tried to bring peace into his life. The story, as such, is this: Henry Miller moves to Big Sur, one of the most beautiful places on the planet, and sets out to create a new home infused with energy, creativity, a sense of community, and an appreciation of nature, while at the same time he copes with intrusions and financial pressures and the charisma and creepiness of other people. That's it. If that sounds dull to you, steer clear. If it sounds seductive to you, plunge in. Because if these are issues that gnaw at your soul (and maybe they should, since our media-saturated culture is becoming more programmed and conformist every day), then you might find this book to be a page-turner as gripping as any of John Grisham's potboilers. I could not put it down. I read it straight through, and afterwards, I felt like every step I took was charged up with a new vitality. Crazy, huh? The way I see it, Henry Miller's big lascivious grin was one of the bravest acts of American rebellion, because it came roaring out of his heart, and the heart is where all true liberation takes place. That's the appeal of this book, for anybody who cares to explore it. In my case, this book said to a depressed man: There is another way to live. Choose it.

In the 1940's and '50's, long before the New Age gurus and their guides to better living, author Henry Miller was letting his soul run free and writing about it high above the Pacific Ocean in remote Big Sur, California. This book is his account of that experience after his return from Europe and subsequent car tour of America. It is a refreshing, joyous, insightful, touching, humorous and often profound book that challenges our acceptance of today's hectic world while also being essential reading for those who have read the two Tropics and would like a better understanding of the man behind these books, two of the greatest and most controversial 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 here, in the far West, far removed from hs native New York, that Miller found the only home he could abide by in America, a place where he fe! lt he could live peaceably as a creative artist apart from a way of life he saw as thin and meaningless and which he had long since turned his back on.

It was not easy living. The 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, a small colony of artists and individuals seeking to live and raise families freely, simply, and close to nature. Highway One had yet to bring the 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. He would live there for 15 years, writing, painting, raising a family, making friends, and suffering the occasional, unannounced fan! .

It is clear in reading this book that the awesome beaut! y of Big Sur affected Miller deeply, as did Paris in the 1930's and Greece afterwards. He came to see the people he met there as kindred spirits in a timeless sanctuary conducive to reflection, perspective, and inner peace. This new found consciousness found its way into his writing.

As with many of his books, Big Sur is not a strict linear narrative, but a collection of thoughts, reminiscences, hopes, dreams, loves, stories, and reveries. The core of the book -- what shines through most -- is the reality of the man, his 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, Miller knew what it was like to live without money, to be hungry on the street, to be maligned, to turn against convention, and to subordinate all to art. Not all of what he did in life can be considered honorable. But he refused to be a pessimist or give up on life's possibilities. Optimism and ho! pe were diamonds at the heart of him. Art, his salvation. The best of his character, his view and love of life, his being driven to create and express himself, his transcending what others accept blindly, his pursuit of individuality and a spirit enlightened and at rest, is this book's gift to readers.

For those ready for it, this book inspires, and we are made better for knowing the truths Miller lived by and the paradise called Big Sur that nurtured his wandering soul.

After writing The Air Conditioned Nightmare, Henry Miller had almost given up hope on America. This book, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, recounts how he feel in love with the country all over again. Set in Northern California, Big Sur is portraitized as being no less than a paradise to this influencial writer. He was seeking to eke out some peaceful lifestyle in the mountains, and for a while he found it. But it did not take long for groupies, love children, and any other manner of lost souls to begin knocking on his door. They were looking for the "cult of anarchy and sex!" and they thought Miller, who had already published and gained notoriety with The Tropic of Cancer, would be the one to lead the way. This book has a definite buoyancy that the reader thrives off. His descriptions of writers, artists,children,and vagabongs is top notch. I would also advise anyone who is seriously interested in the subject, to pick up a copy of Hunter S. Thompson's The Proud Highway. It includes an excellent essay on his take on Miller's "sudden" fame. So pick up this book! Other quick Amazon picks would be Tropic of Cancer, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars One of 20 books I'd choose to take to a deserted isle
This book, and a couple of others by Miller and L. Durrell, was responsible for my husband and me quitting our jobs in LA and going to Greece for a year. Read more

Published on July 18 2003 by Peggy Vincent

4.0 out of 5 stars Miller's reflections on a place
This is a satisfying read if you appreciate language and character. It is a collection of views and vignettes of the author's life when he lived in Big Sur. Read more

Published on Nov 2 2001 by jb

4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative, if Disconnected, Reflections on Life in Big Sur
Henry Miller was an American original, and one of the most memorable personalities among American writers of this century. Read more

Published on Aug 24 1999 by Stefan Herpel

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore that last review.
Clearly, this person hasn't a clue. And just for his impertinence, I'm upping my previous review to five stars. Buy this book! Miller has no equal!

Published on July 20 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars Ramblings of an old man
"big sur and the oranges of Heronymos bosch" is just the ramblings of an old henry Miller trying to remember different things that have happened to him. Read more

Published on July 11 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Miller finds the center of his universe in Big Sur
I must say that I am biased. Henry Miller is one of my favorite authors of all time. I have sought out the rare and out of print editions in libraries and bookstores throughout... Read more

Published on July 28 1998 by Kevin Cowan (kmcowan@bellsouth...

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!