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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
This is my first erotic novel. Also my first Anaïs Nin novel. It took me about 2 months to really digest the things I read about. I enjoyed this book, but there was so much to take in. I honestly knew that I was getting into heavy erotica. I hadn't expected it to be such a beautiful read.
At first, I have to admit that I misunderstood this novel. This novel is a group of short stories. Delta includes things like incest, rape, and pedophilia. I figured out that erotica in this sense isn't supposed to turn you on, as much as to go to places other writing can't possibly explore. To push taboos and expand your mind. I looked past some of the grossest
But this is extremely good stuff.. it is a writing that is pure, and one that is rarely seen in today's market. The book has a perfect weaving of characters and themes that make up the sensual eroticism of the book. While she takes a dark approach to everything, I believe she is trying to shock and disturb you. There are some difficult scenes, ones that will make you gasp and groan at them. They will shock you because they are taboo.
This is literature, not erotica, it has taken some freedoms and explored the darkness of man, but it is quite beautiful, and even more brilliant.
I can't write this review without mentioning something crucial, that an extremely broke Anais Nin wrote porn at a dollar a page for an unknown collector who kept telling her to write less literary crap, more of the in and out. This pissed her off and made her anger, due to the fact she believed he was destroying everything interesting about sex. This is so relevant because it is basically the same debate people are having today about internet porn.
So she keeps punishing him for it. Incredible sensual stories that are marked with taboo and shock the senses. She is basically ruining his mood. I find that to be quite hilarious in itself.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
AnaÏs Nin's Delta of Venus is a collection of beautifully written erotic short stories. Her prose is vibrant and sensuous, and through it, she explores the various avenues of female sexuality. Most of her stories, however, are hard to read since they do not deal with healthy sexual relationships. Rather, they all involve some sort of toxic or taboo relationship and/or fetish, from incest to necrophilia. Nin conjures dazzling scenes and sexual encounters that one could never have fathomed, both for their creativity and surrealism and for their dark nature. She distracts us with her alluring words from the perversions of the scenes she is describing, trying to beautify things that we consider shocking as a society. Her work is definitely one of the most interesting things I have read so far, not only because her writing style is mesmerising but because she contrasts it with situations we consider to be revolting, treading very thinly on what is permissible and questioning the moral boundaries of the society we inhabit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Revolutionary for its time, really diverse erotic scenarios and well developed sense of place and sensual experiences.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's a bit of a challenge to rate. Some of the stories aged very poorly, meanwhile others manage to enchant still (especially the three last ones are noteworthy)