the colossus of maroussi by henry miller

Men may go about their puny, ineffectual bedevilment, even in Greece, but God’s magic is still at work and…no matter what the race of man may do or try to do, Greece is still a sacred precinct-and my belief is it will remain so until the end of time. Somehow, almost as if He were nodding, Greece still remains under the protection of the Creator. Marvelous things happen to one in Greece-marvelous good things which can happen to one nowhere else on earth. Miller writes in The Colossus of Maroussi:

Yet, the protagonist in the book is the Colossus Katsimbalis although some critics say that the book is a self-portrait of Miller himself on a journey of a lifetime in an unforgettable place. The intellectual company was joined by Nobel laureate poet Giorgos Seferis and the renowned painter, sculptor, and writer Nikos Hatzikyriakos Ghikas. Miller wrote the book in New York, and it reflects his resentment at having to return to America, as well as his feeling of isolation there.Soon enough, a circle of artists, poets, and writers formed around Miller, Katsimbalis, and Durrell.

His portrayal of poet Katsimbalis and the country is tempered by the outbreak of the Second World War, which forced him to leave for the United States in December 1939. Miller drew his Colossus from events that occurred and landscapes he encountered while living for nine months in Greece. Miller had already published what are considered some of his best-known works, including Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, and Tropic of Capricorn. In need of rejuvenation, he traveled to Greece at the invitation of his friend, British writer Lawrence Durrell, who lived in Corfu. In 1939, American writer Henry Miller left Paris, his home of nine years, as the Nazis began to take action in Europe and the outbreak of the Second World War loomed. The work is frequently heralded as Miller's best. Set in pre-war Greece of 1939, it is ostensibly an exploration of the 'Colossus' of the title, George Katsimbalis, a poet and raconteur. 30, 1944 / Washington, D.C.' 'The Colossus of Maroussi is an impressionist travelogue by American writer Henry Miller that was first published in 1941 by Colt Press of San Francisco. Former owner's name and date on ffep - 'David W. 244 pages Contents clean and secure in original blue cloth binding with printed title spine label corners and spine ends rubbed, front board unevenly faded.

The colossus of maroussi by henry miller