Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Prelude to a Future Philosophy: Modernist melancholy, Dadaist dances & Surrealist songs 2. Apocalypse Now: The End of History and the Twofold Present 3. The Anxiety of Enframing: Miller, Modern technology & Work 4. Behold, I Teach You the Inhuman!: Inhuman Artist, ܨbermensch & China 5. From Theoria To Praxis: The Poetry of Life Conclusion

Promotional Information

Argues that it is possible to reconstruct a coherent philosophical theory from the works of the American writer Henry Miller (1891-1980).

Promotional Information

Argues that it is possible to reconstruct a coherent philosophical theory from the works of the American writer Henry Miller (1891-1980).

About the Author

Indrek Männiste is Visiting Fellow in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Warwick, UK. He also currently works as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at University of Tartu, Estonia. His primary research interest is modernist literature and its philosophical implications.

Reviews

Männiste’s book offers a strong foundation for any systematic understanding of the overarching concepts informing the writer’s work. Miller claimed to lack a system, but, as Männiste demonstrates, this very lack of a traditional approach is a hallmark of many innovative nineteenth- and twentieth-century philosophies. Männiste’s book will dispel many myths and distortions regarding Miller’s use of philosophical models as well as the meaning of his own ideas.
*James Decker, Illinois Central College, USA*

The work of Henry Miller is undergoing a reappraisal today as the controversies of the 1970s recede. This reappraisal has been aesthetic and historical, but not yet philosophical, and Männiste’s work fills an important gap in the scholarship. It is persuasive and original, and will be an important resource for graduate and higher undergraduate students encountering or studying Miller’s work, as it is the first book to propose an underlying intellectual system behind Miller’s total output.
*Geoff Boucher, Senior Lecturer, School of Communications and Creative Arts, Deakin University, Australia*

Written with diligence and precision, Männiste's exploration of an overriding philosophy in the work of Henry Miller addresses an important aspect of twentieth-century Modernism. More than a reading of Miller's seminal works, this study presents a panorama of the intersections between art, philosophy and aesthetics; an invaluable read for both Miller fans and readers interested in the history of ideas.
*Caroline Blinder, Lecturer in English and American Literature, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, and author of A Self-Made Surrealist: Ideology and Aesthetics in the Work of Henry Miller*

Highlighting Miller's interest in various, global metaphysical traditions, particularly of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, Männiste's Henry Miller: The Inhuman Artist offers a timely perspective, reminding us why scholars have been paying closer attention to the philosophical undercurrents in Miller's work.
*Katy Masuga, Instructor of Comparative Literature, Skidmore College in Paris, France*

What are rather complex philosophical differences are explained with great finesse by Manniste, and this in many ways is one of the main strengths of this book. Manniste shows an incredibly thorough grasp of the intricacies of Miller’s philosophical thought processes throughout his life. [...] This is a well-written, well-researched book that aims to place Miller as a philosophical writer, deserving of more respect than he currently receives from academia. It makes good use of the work that has been done by other Miller specialists and is absolutely representative of the high standard of analysis that Miller deserves.
*The Journal of American Studies, Vol 48, Issue 04*