Tropic of Capricorn — Miller, Evergreen E-669 1975

📖 Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller (1939, Obelisk Press; this edition: Grove Press/Evergreen, 1975) — a semi-autobiographical novel chronicling Miller’s formative years in 1920s New York City, written as a prequel to Tropic of Cancer. This is the First Evergreen Edition (E-669), published after the novel’s 30-year US ban was lifted.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Henry Miller (1891–1980)
• Publisher: Grove Press, Inc. (Evergreen imprint), New York
• Year: 1975 (First Evergreen Edition; copyright 1961 Grove Press)
• Format: Paperback, no dust jacket
• ISBN: 0-394-17898-X (Grove Press ISBN: 0-8021-0114-3) | Catalog: E-669
• Condition: Very Good+ (VG+) — full report below

THE STORY

First published in Paris by Obelisk Press in February 1939, Tropic of Capricorn was banned in the United States for over two decades. A 1961 Justice Department ruling declared the novel not obscene, and Grove Press published the first American edition in September 1962. Miller’s narrative spans his Brooklyn childhood, his unhappy first marriage, his years working at Western Union (reimagined as “The Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company”), and his relationship with his second wife June — referred to as “Mara” in the book. The novel concludes with Miller’s departure for Paris, where Tropic of Cancer picks up. Biographer Robert Ferguson described the book as Miller’s attempt at “retrieving in written form as much as possible of the disappearing past.”

THIS EDITION

The Evergreen imprint was Grove Press’s mass-market paperback line, known for publishing works that challenged censorship laws in mid-century America. This 1975 First Evergreen Edition carries catalog number E-669, with an original cover price of $4.95. Distributed by Random House, Inc., and manufactured in the United States. The Evergreen editions were instrumental in bringing previously banned literature to a wider American readership during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.

COVER ART & DESIGN

The cover features a minimalist typographic design: a white rectangular block centered on a mustard-yellow background, with “HENRY MILLER” in black sans-serif capitals above a thin golden-yellow horizontal bar, and “Tropic of Capricorn” in a larger black serif font below. The Evergreen catalog number (E-669) and original price ($4.95) appear in the lower-left corner. The spine repeats the same color scheme with vertical text. The back cover carries critical blurbs from The Nation, New York Times Book Review, Newsweek, and Time, along with the ISBN and Grove Press address.

WHY IT MATTERS

• One of the key texts of the American sexual revolution — banned in the US from 1939 to 1961, its publication helped redefine obscenity law and literary freedom
• Endorsed by Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac, Miller became a touchstone for the Beat Generation and counterculture movements
• The Evergreen editions (Grove Press) were the primary vehicle for bringing Miller’s work to mainstream American readers after the censorship battle

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First Evergreen Edition, 1975. Grove Press, catalog E-669. Copyright 1961 by Grove Press, Inc.

What condition is it in? Very Good+ (VG+) — full report below.

Is this the same as Tropic of Cancer? No. Tropic of Capricorn is a prequel covering Miller’s life in New York before his move to Paris, where Tropic of Cancer begins.

FOR COLLECTORS

The Evergreen E-669 is the standard collectible paperback edition of Tropic of Capricorn for Miller collectors and counterculture literature enthusiasts. This copy’s clean cover, tight binding, and vibrant mustard-yellow cardstock make it a solid reading copy or shelf piece.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Very Good+ (VG+)

Cover & Spine: Minimal rubbing to extremities; cardstock remains vibrant with a clean, uncreased spine. Foxing on textblock edges, most pronounced on the upper edge. One small surface scuff at the back lower corner.

Dust Jacket: N/A

Text Block & Pages: Lightly age-toned; off-white/cream paper consistent with vintage mass-market production.

Binding: Square and tight; binding remains firm with no loose, torn, or folded pages or spine roll.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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