Aller Retour New York

Aller Retour New York is a 1935 novel by Henry Miller structured as an extended letter to his friend Alfred Perlès. The book documents Miller's return journey to his native New York City from Paris, where he had established himself as a writer. The narrative follows Miller's pursuit of Anaïs Nin, who had departed Paris for New York with psychoanalyst Otto Rank. Miller records his observations and experiences of 1930s New York City, contrasting the American metropolis with his adopted home of Paris. The text presents an unvarnished critique of American society and New York City culture during the Depression era. Miller's frank commentary sparked controversy due to his characterizations of various ethnic and social groups. The work stands as a significant example of Miller's early experimental style, exploring themes of exile, cultural identity, and the tension between European and American sensibilities in the interwar period.

Readers view this as a minor work in Miller's catalog, with many finding it reads more like scattered travel notes than a cohesive narrative. The prose captures Miller's raw, unfiltered observations during his 1935 voyage from Paris to New York and back. Readers appreciate: - The authentic snapshot of Depression-era New York - Miller's unrestrained commentary on American culture - The surreal, dreamlike descriptions of ocean travel - Early glimpses of themes he developed in later books Common criticisms: - Lacks structure and feels incomplete - Too much rambling and free association - Minimal character development - Difficult to follow the timeline Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (246 ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (12 reviews) One reader noted: "It's like reading someone's travel diary - sometimes fascinating, sometimes mundane." Another described it as "A rough draft of ideas that would later appear in Tropic of Cancer."

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🌟 Miller wrote this book in just ten days while staying in a Paris hotel room in 1935, fueled by memories of his recent trip to New York 🌟 The book's format as an extended letter was addressed to Alfred Perlès, a close friend and fellow writer who later published his own memoir about his friendship with Miller 🌟 During the period described in the book, New York City had over 2 million people on relief (welfare), marking one of the darkest periods of the Great Depression 🌟 The title "Aller Retour" means "Round Trip" in French, reflecting both Miller's physical journey and his psychological voyage between two cultures 🌟 This work was published by Obelisk Press in Paris, the same publisher that took a chance on Miller's controversial "Tropic of Cancer" when other publishers wouldn't touch it