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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I do like Anais Nin's writing style; and this applies to this book too. I'd read reviews of this book so I was pre-warned of the content but was curious enough to go ahead and purchase.
I'm half way through it but am unlikely to keep going. It's just not for me. Some of the short stories I found boring, whilst others had me cringing and trying to eradicate the associated mental picture.
Each to their own.
I'm half way through it but am unlikely to keep going. It's just not for me. Some of the short stories I found boring, whilst others had me cringing and trying to eradicate the associated mental picture.
Each to their own.
dark
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the two bodies would have to enter each other to end this formidable tension.
The river is like a drug. What I suffer from seems unreal when I come here.'
and I was enjoying the havoc I caused.
The river is like a drug. What I suffer from seems unreal when I come here.'
and I was enjoying the havoc I caused.
50 Shades of Grey by someone who could actually write (disclaimer- I've never read 50 Shades, nor do I intend to, after being told by numerous people that I would hate it. I fully admit to my book snobbery).
Food: chocolate-covered potato chips. Indulgent and best consumed a little at a time.
Food: chocolate-covered potato chips. Indulgent and best consumed a little at a time.
A lot of the stories in this compilation have elements such as pedophilia, incest, bestiality and rape. The language was nice and poetic, but the subject matter was not actually erotic at all, and very fucked up. Each and every story made me uncomfortable in some way or another.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Freud would have loved this book.
I really enjoyed Elena’s chapter because it was between consenting adults, and that should tell you all you need to know about why I gave this low stars. I thought Elena’s chapter exhibited what Nin could truly do with erotica, especially the way she wrote it— the words were powerful and electric. The introduction addresses how Nin was writing these stories for a client that wanted less flowery language and for her to be incredibly mechanical and straightforward about the sex scenes, so this chapter was surprisingly poetic. The rest of the book however, was less enjoyable. This was largely because of themes like incest, pedophilia, rape, necrophilia, and beastiality, among others (which I received no warning for and had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up the book). As such, I gave it a star for Elena’s chapter, but personally cannot give this more than that for the aforementioned themes and the way in which these themes were presented.
I really enjoyed Elena’s chapter because it was between consenting adults, and that should tell you all you need to know about why I gave this low stars. I thought Elena’s chapter exhibited what Nin could truly do with erotica, especially the way she wrote it— the words were powerful and electric. The introduction addresses how Nin was writing these stories for a client that wanted less flowery language and for her to be incredibly mechanical and straightforward about the sex scenes, so this chapter was surprisingly poetic. The rest of the book however, was less enjoyable. This was largely because of themes like incest, pedophilia, rape, necrophilia, and beastiality, among others (which I received no warning for and had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up the book). As such, I gave it a star for Elena’s chapter, but personally cannot give this more than that for the aforementioned themes and the way in which these themes were presented.
Fifty Shades is fucking child's play compared to this.
It's interesting to note that this collection of erotic short stories were originally written at a time when sex and sexuality was hardly ever discussed at large. Way before the Kinsey studies made quite apparent that the average American was more in tune with sexual practices and masturbation than previously thought. And certainly decades before free love and sexual experimentation became more accepted in society.
Some of the sections were downright graphic, I'm not offended by sex in books, but even I was shocked at how detailed some of the descriptions were. And especially for how short some of the stories were. This collection covers everything from orgies, to drug-induced orgies, to unplanned-kinky-roleplaying orgies...let's just say there are a shit ton of orgies, as well as lots of European travel and women who are tired of their boring, vanilla sex-filled marriages.
Definitely something out of my normal reading box, but glad I tried it.
It's interesting to note that this collection of erotic short stories were originally written at a time when sex and sexuality was hardly ever discussed at large. Way before the Kinsey studies made quite apparent that the average American was more in tune with sexual practices and masturbation than previously thought. And certainly decades before free love and sexual experimentation became more accepted in society.
Some of the sections were downright graphic, I'm not offended by sex in books, but even I was shocked at how detailed some of the descriptions were. And especially for how short some of the stories were. This collection covers everything from orgies, to drug-induced orgies, to unplanned-kinky-roleplaying orgies...let's just say there are a shit ton of orgies, as well as lots of European travel and women who are tired of their boring, vanilla sex-filled marriages.
Definitely something out of my normal reading box, but glad I tried it.