Eroticism seems to be intertwined with literature in this book. In today's world, novels are divided into two categories: non-literary erotica and literary works. I think this book, even if written by a woman in her 30s living today, would create a sensation. In the 1950s, when the social construction of gender was sharply relegating women to the home and expecting them to serve men, writing such stories and novellas was an abnormal situation.

The fact that the entire stories are based on the gender and sexual perceptions/desires we experience/in our minds made it difficult for me to read them one after another. Nevertheless, every story that liberates and rebels against the woman has a place above my head.

The so-called "Bible of Erotica" is just a load of rubbish in my opinion.

Sure, there are perhaps a few fleeting moments where Anaïs Nin's writing flair manages to peek through, but overall, it's just meh.

It fails to truly captivate and engage on a deeper level. The erotic content seems forced and lacks the finesse and artistry that one might expect from a work that claims such a grandiose title.

It's as if the author is more concerned with shock value rather than creating a meaningful and thought-provoking piece of literature.

Perhaps for some, it may hold a certain allure, but for me, it simply doesn't deliver.

I expected so much more from what was hyped up to be this revolutionary and ground-breaking work, but in the end, it left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed.

I had to include this book in my must-have list of books. So far, it stands as the best erotica literary work I have ever read. It truly has the power to make you lose control. What is really fascinating is what Anais阐述 in her preface, which is adapted from her diaries. She wrote for a dollar a page, and this seemingly led to the creation of one of her finest collections of erotic stories. She needed the money to cover her and her friends' living expenses, and she described the situation as "Everyone around me irresponsible, unconscious of the shipwreck." This shows how necessities can create wonders for writers.

Out of the fifteen stories, Anais excelled in writing "The Hungarian Adventure", "Marianne", "Elena" and "The Basque and the Bijou". I appreciate her approach to creating erotica, which portrays the awakening of women's sexuality. Following in the footsteps of D.H. Lawrence's writings on sexuality and the complexity of man-woman relationships, Anais made it even more captivating with the use of language that is entirely beautiful in creating her descriptions. She indeed invented a language of sex that is so different from her predecessors, who were mostly men.
I am currently in my second reading during my second summer with Anais, and it has become one of the best parts of my summer holiday reading.

It allows me to explore the depths of human sexuality and relationships in a unique and engaging way. Anais' writing style is both sensual and profound, making it a truly unforgettable reading experience.

I look forward to many more summers of delving into her works and uncovering new layers of meaning and pleasure.

A memoria forse è il primo vero libro erotico che ho letto, nel senso di appartenente in maniera inequivocabile al genere.

L’erotismo in un libro lo apprezzo, a volte in una lettura lo ricerco, ma deve essere uno dei tanti ingredienti che costruiscono la storia. If it becomes a single theme or a genre book, an indigestible collection of erotic situations, then the thing ends up being boring.

Detto questo, Il delta di Venere ha, innanzitutto, un titolo esplicativo e perfetto. In alcune parti, it is a strongly and pleasantly erotic read, but overall, I perceived the artificiality that pervades these narrations. However, this defect is in a certain way excusable because these stories were written by Anais Nin specifically on commission, and for this purpose, she maliciously submitted herself.

In any case, I am curious to read more of this author to verify how her sensuality gushes forth when it is spontaneous and not imposed.

The characters are colorless, wandering bodies. Often, they are taken up from one story to another, but they are devoid of any thinking activity, to the extent that it makes the stories lack a shred of narrative plot. And even when it is there, it ends up twisting on itself, usually terminating with an annoying abrupt interruption. Of all the stories, the one that I liked the most and that seems deeply sincere to me is Manuel.

If you’re into:

• Necrophilia, which involves sexual attraction to corpses.

• Pedophilia, an inappropriate and illegal attraction towards children.

• Incest, which is sexual relations between close relatives.

• Heterosexual rape, the act of forcing sexual intercourse on a person of the opposite sex without their consent.

• Homosexual rape, similar to heterosexual rape but within the same sex.

• Gang rape, where multiple people are involved in the act of rape.

• S&M, which stands for sadism and masochism and involves elements of pain and pleasure in a sexual context.

• Pretty much any other form of non-vanilla sex, meaning sexual practices that are outside the norm.

• Hard core racism, which is extreme and discriminatory views based on race.

Then, please feel free to read this book. Otherwise don’t. It will turn you off big time.

Maybe you can read the preface, where Nin describes how she gets paid one dollar a page by a ”collector” to write erotica, with the instructions to skip the literary and focus on the in-and-out stuff.

And no, I’m not a particularly prudish person. I just believe that some topics are better left untouched or explored in a more appropriate and ethical manner. This book seems to delve into some very dark and disturbing areas that may not be suitable for everyone. It’s important to be aware of our own boundaries and what we are comfortable with when it comes to reading and consuming media.

El sexe perd tot el poder i la màgia quan es fa explícit, mecànic, exagerat; quan es converteix en una obsessió maquinal. Es torna avorrit.

Vostè ens ha ensenyat, millor que ningú que conec, com n'és de desencertat no barrejar-lo amb l'emoció, la fam, el desig, la sensualitat, les fantasies, els capricis, els llaços personals i les relacions més profundes, que canvien de color, sabor, ritmes i intensitats.

Vostè no sap què s'està perdent per examinar microscòpicament l'activitat sexual, prescindint de tot allò que construeix el carburant que la inflama. Aspectes intel·lectuals, imaginatius, romàntics i emocionals. Això és el que confereix al sexe les seves sorprenents textures, les seves subtils transformacions, els seus elements afrodisíacs. Vostè està reduint el seu propi món de sensacions; està deixant que s'assequi, que es mori d'inanició, que es dessagni.

After reading one of the most powerful prefaces written by the author herself of the book, I expected to enjoy fascinating stories that would move me in many aspects. However, the violence narrated in many of them has horrified me and prevented me from connecting and enjoying the reading. I understand that this is the author's objective, to expose and exalt the most perverse dimensions of human desire, disregarding all limits and taboos. But I think that for those who are starting in erotic literature, this book is not suitable.

The same thing happens to me as with Sade. I don't know at all if I could recommend it or to whom it could appeal. Nevertheless, the preface fascinated me and I have a great desire to read other works of the author and continue to discover her.

You are allowing the world of your sensations to wither away; you are allowing it to dry up, to die of starvation, to bleed to death.

There are things that, when you read them, make you understand that you have not lived at all, that you have not felt or experienced anything until now.

We often go through life on autopilot, not really taking the time to fully engage with the world around us. We rush from one task to another, not stopping to smell the flowers or feel the warmth of the sun on our skin. But when we encounter certain words, certain ideas, they jolt us out of our complacency and make us realize how much we have been missing.

We need to be more present in our lives, to open ourselves up to new experiences and sensations. We need to stop and listen to the sounds of nature, to look at the beauty of a sunset, to taste the flavors of a new cuisine. Only then can we truly say that we are living.

First of all, I was completely unaware that this was a compilation of erotic short stories. For some inexplicable reason, I had the impression that it was a classic like Fifty Shades Of Gray. I must admit that I quite relished reading Fifty Shades Of Gray during my puberty years when my hormones were in full bloom. However, this turned out to be something entirely different.

It is a collection of fifteen short stories, some of which are only a page or two in length. These stories revolve around sexual fantasies, sex, orgies, incest, and strange fetishes, with countless descriptions of different penises, vaginas, and breasts. The most remarkable aspect of this book, aside from being extremely erotic, is that it is beautifully written. It doesn't give the impression of reading some vulgar online sex stories. Instead, it is highly atmospheric and graphic.

I truly, truly enjoyed it. And yes, every single character in the stories ends up having sex with every other character. It's quite a wild ride.

P.S: If you are male, it is advisable to avoid reading this book in public. I assume I don't need to spell out the reason for that.

Delta of Venus can be seen as a sort of chronicle of a writer's evolution. In the early stories, the笔触 is rather broad, almost with a Borgesian flavor, strange as that may seem. As we progress to the later stories, they become much more detailed and explicit, more in line with what one would anticipate from erotica. However, despite the emphasis in the introduction on writing from a woman's perspective and capturing the emotional and sensual facets of sex, I don't think this was accomplished particularly effectively. The scenarios often felt underdeveloped and emotionally unengaging, and the emotional descriptions lacked authenticity, frequently coming across as forced and cliched, although there are some exceptions. Overall, from a literary perspective, I wasn't overly impressed (though I'm aware this may not be the main aim).

I do, however, appreciate the diverse range of themes and perspectives presented in this collection. Some of them are truly strange and shocking. There is a great deal of variety, and it's likely that there will be something here to both arouse and disgust each reader. Nevertheless, overall, Delta of Venus didn't really have a significant impact on me.

Written in the 1940's, yet not published until 1977, after Nin's death, this work is erotica in the 1940's style. It is not as salacious as what we encounter today, like "Fifty Shades of Grey". However, there were a few parts in some of the stories that were a bit excessive. Nin was penning erotica for a dollar per page simply to make ends meet. But she added a touch more style and flourish than her buyers anticipated. This is precisely what distinguished her stories from those of other writers and why they remain of interest to readers even today. The work can be rated 3.5 stars. It offers a unique glimpse into the erotica of the 1940's, with Nin's distinct writing style adding an extra layer of allure. Despite its flaws, it has managed to stand the test of time and continue to captivate audiences.

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin is a remarkable collection of erotic short stories. Seriously amazing ones! I haven't really "read" the book in the traditional sense as it sits on my bedside table, and I take small bites of it whenever the mood strikes. Sometimes I reread certain stories, and other times I skip them entirely. So, I'll be rating the stories individually.

The Hungarian Adventurer: ★★★ This story is rather disgusting. While rouging one's vagina is one thing, the idea of raping one's children is something I really didn't want to read about. But I did, and despite my attempts to resist, I found it strangely fascinating. Eech!

Mathilde: ★★★★★ This story was a lot more sensual, though a bit terrifying. It's an intoxicating mix of drugs, group sex, and a touch of a violent fetish, creating a perfectly erotic tale. It's one of my favorites so far.

The Boarding School: ★★★★ It combines innocence and sexual perversion with a side of non-con and features priests.

The Ring: ★★★★★ Bondage? Yes, please!

Mallorca: ★★★★★ The description of the couple swimming towards the shore and falling on the sand, naked and panting, with the waves still lapping them, is truly sensual.

Artists and Models: ★★★★★ A beautiful model has rendezvous with two married men. The side stories about a nymphomaniac subby, a hermaphrodite in a perpetual state of sexual dissatisfaction, and a shy artist, all topped off with a delicious dollop of secrecy, make this story full of cheek, eroticism, and sensuality. It's another favorite along with Mathilde.

As for the other stories like Lilith, Marianne, The Veiled Woman, Elena, The Basque and Bijou, Pierre, Manuel, Linda, and Marcel, they each have their own unique charm and erotic elements that contribute to the overall allure of this collection.

Delta of Venus
Anaïs Nin

This collection of short stories belongs to the realm of erotic literature. So, if you are not interested in this type of writing, then this collection, and perhaps this review,

is not for you..

Anaïs Nin was an American writer born in France to Cuban parents. She was famous for her erotic and serial writings, as well as her bohemian adventures with writer Henry Miller and others. Nin wrote these stories at the specific request of an unknown wealthy person for his personal viewing. It is said that the client asked her to abandon literary and artistic narrative language, perhaps for this reason some of the stories are just sexual scenes connected by a simple thread.

A scene from the movie "Madison County Bridges" that reminds Anaïs of a similar situation for a liberated woman

And the lack of a plot is not the only flaw in these texts. There is also the shallowness of the characters, the erotic tension and titillation. I think there is a difference between pornographic and erotic text, but this collection blurs the line between them and leans towards the former.

On the other hand, the stories are characterized by diversity in place, time, and characters. They also explore different tastes and sexual desires in a literary language and with a poetic description in some cases. And with the diversity come themes that may shock and repel the reader. To emphasize again: these texts are extremely frank.

I read it in English and I know it has an Arabic translation, but from what I heard it is a mediocre translation. Also, I have had an experience with the translator in the novel "The Magic Mountain" that I do not want to repeat.