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amotisse's review against another edition
5.0
Womanly, feminine, courageous, sensual, surprising, steamy, bold...
Anais Nin was recommended to me years ago by a university lecturer.
I've always appreciated her strong, yet soft feminine touch in her erotic writings.
True sensual beauty can be found in erotic literature if one searches a little.
I find that women often achieve this more naturally then men, though there are exceptions.
In any case, I also read some Henry Miller, Nin's friend and lover, which is very much from a man's perspective.
Nin's diaries are an interesting read too.
Anais Nin was recommended to me years ago by a university lecturer.
I've always appreciated her strong, yet soft feminine touch in her erotic writings.
True sensual beauty can be found in erotic literature if one searches a little.
I find that women often achieve this more naturally then men, though there are exceptions.
In any case, I also read some Henry Miller, Nin's friend and lover, which is very much from a man's perspective.
Nin's diaries are an interesting read too.
livelaughliterature's review against another edition
3.25
my friend strongly recommended this to me because it was really poetic---she had saved some really beautiful quotes from it, and through those the prose was just gorgeous. yes, it's so poetic but it's impossible to ignore how fucking off putting it is. it's freeing in the sense that she feels able to sexually express herself with the same abandon as a man may feel, but that doesn't changed the fact that she's also just deranged. you can tell that she fucked her dad and liked it. a story will start out fine but then it'll end with the character molesting and raping his kids, necrophilia, a guy trying to mutilate a woman with a knife, so much random sexual assault from strangers... don't attempt to sugarcoat this book for the sake of its beautiful prose.
sophiemckane's review against another edition
a bit graphic a times but I will try it again!!
martineoand's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
kpjt_books's review against another edition
2.0
Not her best - but interesting format in individual stories with some character overlap to string it all together. It is erotica - some topics may be off the path of "normal."
tittypete's review against another edition
2.0
Old timey porn. Thought it'd be right up my alley but there was a lot of shit about "Barons" with boners who try to surreptitiously rub them against unwitting kids. Or young boys in priest school humping their most ladylike classmate without clear permission. I guess since it's written by a lady we're meant to let it slide and file it under art. All women in this tiring collection of short stories have a pulsating, blooming, honey-oozing "sex". Like lots of juices. And quaint BJ descriptions. That was cool I guess. The 40s were different times I guess. They get theirs and I suppose that's empowering. Normally I like horny shit but this was just like reading flowery, steampunk Penthouse letters. Fun for a bit but hard to read as a book. Pull it out during your next salon in your parlor and remind your guests after they get offended that it was written by a female! They will blush at their small minded bigotry! High-fellatin'!
aront's review against another edition
4.0
I will review the reviews of this book: the 4/5 star reviews give many excellent insights into why this is such a compelling read and definitely worth your time. The people who complain “ick incest/necrophilia/rape/pedophilia/any other perversion” seem to be people who were looking for porn and are annoyed that instead they got a book about the complex intersection between humanity’s animal nature and our overly evolved and somewhat fucked up brains, all from a brilliant woman’s perspective. If you are looking for sexy smut, the brief parts of her diaries that I have already read seem a better option, although I also found lots more insights into human psychology, fun reads and interesting stories.
PS Nin seems a better, more interesting and still relevant writer than Henry Miller, again from the brief readings of his works I’ve done. In many ways (style, subject matter, genre) she reminds me of George Moore.
PS Nin seems a better, more interesting and still relevant writer than Henry Miller, again from the brief readings of his works I’ve done. In many ways (style, subject matter, genre) she reminds me of George Moore.
finchery's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
anais u intrigue me. i felt. inundated with porn by this book; i think her novels will be more to my taste. wish she had tumblr tho. and ao3. i also appreciate the minimal dialogue when describing intercourse - i feel show not tell tends to go out the window when writing erotica (im thinking specifically of fanfiction. please guys it’s impossible to transcribe a moan and convey its sexiness at the same time . stop trying).
this book is sensual in the literal meaning of the word. the look feel smell touch taste of bodies and their exquisite surroundings are so luxuriously described. thank u ms nin
oh i should mention probably. this book isn’t rlly for me bc im asexual but im sure it’s like super hot as well. i just happen to prefer her descriptions of bedchambers to the actions that take place inside them.
this book is sensual in the literal meaning of the word. the look feel smell touch taste of bodies and their exquisite surroundings are so luxuriously described. thank u ms nin
oh i should mention probably. this book isn’t rlly for me bc im asexual but im sure it’s like super hot as well. i just happen to prefer her descriptions of bedchambers to the actions that take place inside them.
girl_in_glasses's review
3.0
I normally don't read erotica, but I received this collection of short stories as a gift and figured I'd give it a try.
I actually really enjoyed Nin's "no nonsense" style of writing and her descriptions. As for the stories, very few intrigued me. But Nin does preface Delta of Venus that she wrote these stories for the pure pleasure of a particular male client who didn't want any poetry, just the down and dirty sex.
And that's exactly what you'll get. Some stories are funny, many have violence, some have incest. They are indeed across the board.
I might read another Nin novel, but erotic in general doesn't whet my appetite. (Did you see what I did there?!)
I actually really enjoyed Nin's "no nonsense" style of writing and her descriptions. As for the stories, very few intrigued me. But Nin does preface Delta of Venus that she wrote these stories for the pure pleasure of a particular male client who didn't want any poetry, just the down and dirty sex.
And that's exactly what you'll get. Some stories are funny, many have violence, some have incest. They are indeed across the board.
I might read another Nin novel, but erotic in general doesn't whet my appetite. (Did you see what I did there?!)