I needed something to purge the Pynchon from my mind. ( )

Not read ( )

Miller grabs you by the mental testicles and yanks. Scathing social commentary hits the bullseye with clarity and breadth. This happens to be the first work of Miller's I've read, oddly enough, and I'm already an addict. On to more...

This books starts with a flash of brilliance and a description of the disease of our national culture which is every bit as relevant today as it was in 1939, then falls apart at a most inopportune moment about halfway through. The rest, in my estimation, is little more than a diatribe on art and some promotion of a few of Miller's friends which, though reasonable enough, are so very self-indulgent and divergent from the apparent topic as to become almost unreadable. Still the observations of the first half warrant reading. ( )

Very insightful. Some of Henry Miller's observations about Americans and American culture ring true over 50 years later. Mr.Miller has a talent for observation. His best asset. ( )