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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
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.
While many of the stories in this collection are super dated with some real old-school ideas about sexuality and perversity, Nin's style of writing was understated and beautiful, and I really enjoyed this volume. The preface was really helpful in understanding the context in which Nin wrote these stories - as a starving artist receiving a dollar a page from a mysterious collector - which helped me understand why sometimes the stories would change focus or end abruptly. What they lacked in structure, though, they more than made up for in artistry. Nin's writing is sensual, richly descriptive, and, naturally, a complete pleasure to read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The writing itself is beautiful, and this classic work of short stories was something I had to study in the past at uni and have slowly dipped in and out of since.
It's erotica, and as boundary pushing as Lolita, if not more so. The merit can be found in what I see as a daring and unrelenting pursual of truth in human sexuality, but the book has not aged well. Whilst Nin is at times incredibly liberal, she is also reductive, racist and fetishising in a way that I cannot appreciate.
There are snippets of especially poetic beauty, in writing and story. I could write essay after essay on this text, so I'd recommend it if you are willing to read it for what it is: a daring book on sexuality written by a woman in the 1970s. It explores the male gaze, power, private and public spaces, and sensuality as well as sexuality. But it is a text to be read critically, not to be absorbed without thought, because although I believe it has its place as a historic text, it is outdated in its ideals.
It's erotica, and as boundary pushing as Lolita, if not more so. The merit can be found in what I see as a daring and unrelenting pursual of truth in human sexuality, but the book has not aged well. Whilst Nin is at times incredibly liberal, she is also reductive, racist and fetishising in a way that I cannot appreciate.
There are snippets of especially poetic beauty, in writing and story. I could write essay after essay on this text, so I'd recommend it if you are willing to read it for what it is: a daring book on sexuality written by a woman in the 1970s. It explores the male gaze, power, private and public spaces, and sensuality as well as sexuality. But it is a text to be read critically, not to be absorbed without thought, because although I believe it has its place as a historic text, it is outdated in its ideals.
Anais Nin is engaged in a high wire act here, balancing finely-tuned prose written from the perspective of the women in the stories, without plunging into the muck where most eroticism descends. Not only is this work elegant in both ambiance and description, but it conveys an aura of exoticism as heady as a cloud of French perfume.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence
When I read the blurb I expected more female exploration around sexuality. Trigger warnings: paedophilia, sexual assault were explicit in just the first three stories. Not what I was expecting and not comfortable to read. I stopped after the first three stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence