Henry Miller: New Perspectives

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Scholarly responses to Henry Millers works have never been numerous and for many years Miller was not a fashionable writer for literary studies. In fact, there exist only three collections of essays concerning Henry Millers oeuvre. Since these books appeared, a new generation of international Miller scholars has emerged, one that is re-energizing critical readings of this important American Modernist. Henry Miller: New Perspectives presents new essays on carefully chosen themes within Miller and his intellectual heritage to form the most authoritative collection ever published on this author.

Reviews

[C]omprised of previously unpublished articles based on critical readings of Miller's work ... [Henry Miller: New Perspectives] stands as the first collection of its kind ... [The book] provides in-depth analysis on themes in Miller's writing, bringing a fresh approach with recent scholarship trends. * 49th Parallel: An Interdisciplinary Journal of North American Studies *
As the title promises, the essays do indeed take a fresh look at what Miller (1891-1980) achieves in his work, and many contributors make useful contrasts to earlier critical approaches so that the reader will appreciate just why Miller's stock has risen in the 21st century. Though the number of instructors who incorporate Miller in their syllabi is lower than it should beas Louis Renza (emer., Dartmouth) points out in his forewordthose who do will find this collection a gem. And students looking for insights into literature that can be challenging but well worth unraveling will not be disappointed. The array of contributors is impressive, and the neat synopses of the essays in the introduction will be convenient for researchers looking for commentary on particular issues or themes. Dialogues such as this may well encourage readers to shed outdated misconceptions and instead embrace the style, ideas, and contradictions that make Miller so provocative. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *
Henry Miller: New Perspectives offers an exciting collection of essays that illuminate Miller and his work. The essays use a wide range of theoretical approaches and demonstrate that Miller's narratives definitely reward close reading. The volume also treats Miller holistically and considers a variety of his texts and concerns. Particularly absorbing is the way that the book combines fresh reexaminations of classic Miller themes with penetrating investigations of previously unexplored--and unexpected--topics. In short, the book indeed provides a host of "new perspectives" on Henry Miller and should reinvigorate debate over a shamefully neglected American writer. * Roger Jackson, Co-author and Publisher of Henry Miller: A Bibliography of Primary Sources (2 volumes)and Managing Editor of Nexus: The International Henry Miller Journal *
An invaluable contribution to the ongoing reevaluation of Henry Miller as a major American writer, this volume draws on scholarship from around the world to offer the best collection of new essays on his life and work to appear in book form for many years. * Karl Orend, Former Member of the Advisory Board of the Henry Miller Memorial Library, USA, Editorial Director of Alyscamps Press, Paris, and author of Henry Millers Angelic Clown (2012) and The Brotherhood of Fools & Simpletons: Gods and Devils in Henry Millers Utopia (2005) *

Author Bio

James M. Decker is Professor of English and Language Studies at Illinois Central College, USA. He is the author of Henry Miller and Narrative Form: Constructing the Self, Rejecting Modernity (2005) and Ideology (2003) and is the Editor of Nexus: The International Henry Miller Journal. Indrek Mnniste is Lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia, and author of Henry Miller: The Inhuman Artist: A Philosophical Inquiry (2013).