When I say friends. I mean friends. Not anybody and everybody can be your friend. It must be someone as close to you as your skin, someone who imparts colour, drama, meaning to your life… A life without friends is no life. However snug and secure it may be.

How good that Miller in the rainbow of his old age is still writing such strong and lucid things.

The Book of Friends is the next best thing to hearing Henry Miller talk about his life, his friends,, his loves. The sound of his voice comes through on every page. It is the voice of a master raconteur – outrageous, entraining and wise.