It's a shame that Miller didn't make it to the millennium (though he died at 88 years of age; 1891-1980), although I would imagine he lived long enough to see how right his bleak vision of our self-destructive world come to fruition - for lack of a better word. No man ever will be ahead of his time quite like Miller was, and despite his being ridiculed at the time for his vulgar outlook on the world, he has since become a legend in his own right. I can't begin to convey how enamored I am by his works, especially 'The Air-Conditioned Nightmare'... Everyone knows him of course for his Obelisk Trilogy (Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn and Black Spring), but I firmly believe he is at the top of his game in this book. It's a memoir of everything that's wrong with humanity... It's so majestically written I can't even conjure up the words to explain it. I can't recommend a better read for a realist. Do yourself a favor and read Miller; especially this volume of immaculate confusion and wayward perfection.

heaps of erudite bile passionately thrust at the decadence and emptiness of modern day america

Read this while hitchhiking to New York to start post collegiate life. Maybe that's why that temp job at IBM didn't go so well . . .

how in god's name is it that henry miller always writes exactly what i need to read and knows exactly when i need to read it? thanks h. valentine miller, your words make that huge knot in my throat not quite as difficult to turn into liquid.

I am just amazed how many Americans have not even heard about this book...but then again, many didn't hear about Depleted Uranium Weapons either.

Miller is a beautiful and effortless writer. This was more of a period piece, as a child of the great depression the ex pat has returned to the scene of the crime (the USA) and rails against U.S. Capitalism etc.
Read during the NBA finals and playoffs. Was difficult to get motivated to pick it up.

This was my introduction to Henry Miller. He was a big influence on me as a young man and I do think he's a young man's writer. This book is pretty much an invective against 1940's U.S. and much of it still resonates.

I've read this over the course of a few months, and interestingly enough, finished it just as I leave for a trip abroad. Being American myself, but having lived in Europe for about 3 years on and off, I agreed with many of the ideas Miller put forth. That being said, halfway through the book, I grew tired of the constant complaining about American culture. In fact, I found my time abroad brought to light all of the things I enjoyed about home that I don't think about daily, in addition to those that I am not so fond of. At times, I have felt the same as Miller when I return home from abroad, and I am particularly feeling that way now. But in the midst of masterful prose, deeper emotional awareness is lost.

Still reading....however, I will add that despite being published in 1945, I feel Miller's observations on American and European culture are timeless. He could be writing the same today. Extremely descriptive and passionate...I'll revise my review upon finishing.

Qualche eccessivo giudizio negativo � noto figlio della francesizzazione di HM. Comunque questa � l'America che non visitate, che non vedete che � maggioritaria e che spiega come mai chi si ferma a New York poi non capisce un amato cavolo di cosa fanno gli USA. Troppo lirico per essere un reportage, troppo fotografico per essere un romanzo, � un bel libro che in cambio di qualche informazione sull'anima del Signor Henry Miller ce ne dice molte di pi� sulla Signora America. La sua scarsa diffusione � certamente un complotto degli inviati che giammai vogliono divulgare una delle loro fonti sociologiche e antropologiche primarie. Ma ci sono io. Ricordatevelo bene, cari lettori. Siete sempre i primi a sapere le cose: di prima mano, garantite al cento per cento e in via molto, ma molto confidenziale... :-D

Love Miller ... taught me true writing comes from the love, not the task ... writers write for the love of writing, authors write to get published

henry miller always has interesting commentary on life.