Oh, you can clearly tell that this is from a woman's point of view.

There are certain details and expressions that give away the female perspective. However, it must also be admitted that it's not the best writing.

The language might lack polish and sophistication. The flow could be smoother, and the descriptions might not be as vivid as they could be.

But still, it has its charm. It shows the thoughts and feelings of a woman, perhaps in a raw and unfiltered way.

Maybe with a bit of refinement and improvement, it could become a truly excellent piece of writing.

As it is now, it serves as a starting point, a glimpse into the mind of a woman and her unique way of expressing herself.

What is, indeed, being “erotic”? Wherein lays its essence? Does it even have an essence, or a formula that one can follow and therefore achieve “eroticism”? Is it confined only to the feminine? Is age of any importance when it comes to it? Is there a difference between “erotic” and “sexual”? Are these two irrevocably intertwined? Is it the mind that is aroused, or the body? Can you achieve “eroticism” purely by matter of perception? What is considered erotic by an individual, and how has that been shaped by the culture in which he was raised?

This book doesn’t answer any of these things. These are just my questions with regards to the subject, to which I think I found some true (or, in any case, plausible to myself) answers.

Not to say that this work, as have many others, helped with finding some meaning in this very shadowy field.

Anais Nin is one of the writers that leave you baffled from the very first pages. She’s deep, witty in a very informal way while still keeping a very elegant demeanor, can write both porn and romance at the same time (quite honestly, in the same scene), and has a unique way of writing about women.

I have found myself in her writing. I have found the woman that I want to be, the woman that I know I can become. The woman who will not, for anything or anyone, deny her sexuality. And it’s rarely that I see myself in writing, nowadays. I have read a lot for my supposedly “young” years. I looked for myself, found myself and lost myself countless times between the pages of vastly different books – but never, never in such a powerful way as when I read Anais Nin’s writing on womanhood.

People confuse her writing with “erotica”. That is a very cheap way to put it, in my opinion. Her books are not just about sex – not just about the physical act, anyway. They strive to rekindle the fire that we lost somewhere on the way. To take out the cheapness out of the action, it seems to me. We are animals, after all. We do mate, for reproductional purposes. However, there are pleasures that can be found in loving one another that far exceed the scientific meaning of it. That is, in some ways, our blessing and our curse, as human beings – we can find so much pleasure, at the cost of losing it and experiencing so much pain. Sex is one of our most important drives through life, and when done right it improves one’s quality of existence.

Sex is, also, a force of destruction. It can rip one apart, given enough time to gnaw at one’s core. Be it bad or good, it impacts so much on our lives that we even forget how complex and complicated it may be in its beauty, and we focus on the simplest form of it. I refuse that.

Anais Nin writes a prose worthy of awe that flows through the pages and allures the reader with its elusion. She writes a very feminine creation and redefines the concept of “woman”. There is power in me, and there is also weakness. There is a highly dominant side to my sexuality, but also an excessively submissive one. Knowing this instinctively in yourself helps when reading such great works as this author’s, because you find yourself explained in someone else’s words. And you also find out how well your love’s story can go when diving into her stories.

There’s not much else you can ask for, is there?

My full review of Delta Of Venus first made its appearance on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

When judged by today's standards, every single one of these stories has its share of problems to some extent. TW: If you have any sensitivities regarding sex, gender, and/or sexualised violence, it's advisable not to pick up this book. Nevertheless, I didn't despise it..? I was taken aback. There were moments when I blushed, yet I wasn't as disgusted as perhaps I ought to have been – I was definitely never bored. The caliber of Nin's prose, her command over language, and her understanding of desire do not justify the challenging content, but they do make it extremely readable.

It's a complex work that forces the reader to grapple with uncomfortable themes while simultaneously being drawn in by the beauty of the writing. Nin's exploration of the human psyche and its relationship to sexuality is both bold and thought-provoking. While the content may be difficult for some, it's important to recognize the historical context in which these stories were written.

Delta Of Venus is not a book for everyone, but for those willing to engage with its challenging subject matter, it offers a unique and unforgettable reading experience.

Iyk me, yk that I am a slut for intimacy and fucked up stories

Anaïs Nin's Delta of Venus was posthumously published in 1977, yet it was predominantly composed in the 1940s.

It consists of 15 short erotica stories, all penned for a private "collector". In essence, it is a compilation of stories from diverse character perspectives, with some interconnected, meticulously detailing a wide range of sexual encounters, passions, and desires.

The nature of erotica is such that one can't consume an excessive amount of it, as it tends to become tiresome after a while. This was likely a contributing factor to the rather long time it took me to read this relatively concise book. I didn't anticipate a complex plot or in-depth character development, but after a certain point, I yearned to pick up something else and escape Nin's world.

While I derived enjoyment from some of the stories, I had certain reservations regarding the content at times. This book contains elements of paedophilia and incest that made me uncomfortable, along with numerous accounts of adultery and humiliation that simply didn't appeal to me. Therefore, I would advise approaching this book with caution - familiarize yourself with these elements before delving in.

Wow.

I mean, it's truly astonishing. I had never even heard of this until just recently when I was dared to read it. And yes, I was fully aware that I was delving into heavy erotica, but I had no idea it would be this damn good.

Seriously. I'm not ashamed to admit that during most of the reading, I was almost completely unable to stand up. And since I was using text-to-speech, it meant being rather unpleasantly surprised as I went about my day.

I actually wanted to scream out, "Oh, come on!" or "This isn't fair!" at random people while reading.

And then, at various moments, I pondered the great mystery of why so many men don't read this kind of romance. It's really quite simple, my dear women. In fact, it's extremely hard to hide the fact. Forget about all the scoffing, the hemming and hawing, and all the condescending humor that jerky men use to explain why they don't read this stuff. It's all just baloney.

This book is filled with really good stuff.

Extremely good stuff: from the pure writing, the interweaving themes and characters, and the way that the individual stories combine to form a much grander story of sexuality, right down to the purely expert and sensual eroticism of the sex acts themselves. I've never read better, although I'll admit that most of what I've read has been truly horrible.

Even so, I'm amazed at how sensual she can make all these turns, or even the direction she takes them. So many of my own sensibilities were shocked and disturbed as I read a few particularly difficult scenes, but as a whole, the entire book was truly amazing. Perhaps all that illicit and taboo material functions fantastically as the spice that jolts us in and out of our complacency and into the deeper animal parts of us that love to be shocked, allowing us to enjoy the rest of the tales as if we're getting away with something even naughtier than it really is.

Seriously, if every erotic writer or any writer including a sex scene could take a page out of her book, so many of the greatest crimes against sex might be rectified.

Seriously, people, this is Literature, plain and simple, with a freedom applied to women's sensuality that is really quite brilliant. It should be studied, applauded, and copied. Alas.

I hope her writing is always remembered. :)

I don't know how I managed to avoid all mention of this book being straight up pornography.

It's truly a mystery to me. Every time I thought about discussing it, something seemed to hold me back. Maybe it was the fear of being judged or the concern that others might not understand my perspective.

But the fact remains that this book contains content that is undeniably pornographic. The descriptions are vivid and explicit, leaving little to the imagination. It's not the kind of book that one would casually recommend to a friend or family member.

Yet, despite its pornographic nature, there might be some underlying themes or messages that could be explored. However, it's difficult to get past the graphic content and truly engage with the text on a deeper level.

Perhaps I should have been more open about my thoughts on this book from the start. Maybe then, I could have had a more meaningful discussion about its merits and drawbacks. But for now, I'll continue to grapple with my feelings and try to make sense of this rather controversial piece of literature.

Erotica... Isn't the word beautiful? It is.

I see this written on the cover of the book and I imagine something beautiful, something you expect of McEwan's and Marquez's writing. And this? This was porn.

Saying so I felt being romantic, which I am not, so let's continue.

I was looking for a book for my challenge, and this caught my eye. I loved the preface of the book so much (it was adapted from The Diary of Anais Nin) that I wanted to immediately order her diaries. But after the first story, I was so disappointed. She can write, and write well, but she kept it hidden, only showing piece by piece in several stories. At first, I was just reading without enjoying. Rarely did I enjoy only a paragraph, but not the whole story. The longest stories were unbearable, and I just skim-read them.

I could feel she had talent which she wasted on some crap. I understand, she needed money, but still...

The most painful part is that when she wanted, when she tried a little, she was good, really good! Three stars are just for these small, but good parts.

If you ever decide to read this book, I would advise reading her diaries instead. Of the short adaptations from Volume III, I could tell I would enjoy them better than this.

I found this book rather difficult to rate.

On one hand, I really enjoyed a significant portion of what this book explored. It delved into various sexual subjects, which, for the most part, I had no issue reading about. Anais Nin covered topics such as exhibitionism, homosexuality, lesbianism, and sadomachism. I was able to approach these with an open mind and found the exploration quite interesting.

However, there was one aspect that was a bit too much for me, and that was the mention of pedophilia. I was shocked to see that this book dabbled in that area. I had to skim through the pages where it was present as it made for very uncomfortable reading.

Apart from that, the book can be considered sensual erotica. Given that it was written in the 1940s, it was masterfully done. Anais Nin's writing is almost poetic, allowing the reader to truly feel what the characters are experiencing. This requires a great deal of talent. The characters themselves are richly textured, and I was able to connect with some of them on an emotional level.

Unfortunately, I did notice a pattern in the stories. It felt somewhat repetitive, with a troubled, depressed but beautiful female seeking male attention and then meeting a headstrong, possessive male. They would then go into hiding and engage in passionate lovemaking for days, with numerous orgasms involved. It was quite evident that Anais Nin wrote this with a male audience in mind for entertainment and fulfillment.

Nevertheless, I still overall enjoyed this book and greatly appreciated the writing style. I'm looking forward to reading more works from this author to see what else she has to offer.

The story combines elements of eroticism and drama. The employer has specified that the poet's lines and irrelevant flourishes should be cut to emphasize the more exciting scenes. This might be a factor that attracts readers, hoping for a classic and captivating experience without excessive advertising. However, after actually reading it, the result is as expected, but there is also something unexpected. To finish reading, I had to go through many stories.

1) There is an abundance of descriptions on every page, which can easily make the reader feel overwhelmed.

2) Cutting the scenes that set the mood or the poet's lines makes many stories seem rather dry, with only a few moist spots.

3) The story doesn't flow well as it focuses too much on sexual acts. It goes on and on until the end, with the characters waking up and continuing. There is no clear separation between bathing and reminiscing about past experiences. The story jumps from one moment to another, like when the protagonist is bathing and another person comes and they start having sex again.

4) The translated language is vivid and the images are clear, so much so that you don't even need to see the real thing. However, the reader has to be very focused to finish it in one go. As for me, my attention started to wander before I even reached the middle of the book. I liked some stories, but I can't remember them anymore because it's all so confusing.

In conclusion, it's a good effort, but it may not be to my taste.

Basically, this is a book that delves into the actions of individuals who are overcome by their carnal desires and engage in extremely inappropriate and unethical behavior.

It portrays these people as indulging in activities that are considered highly immoral and against the norms and values of society.

The content of the book seems to focus on the more salacious and taboo aspects of human nature, perhaps exploring the darker side of human sexuality and the consequences that can arise from such actions.

However, it's important to note that such a description might not be suitable for all audiences, as it deals with rather explicit and potentially offensive subject matter.

It's crucial to approach such material with a critical eye and consider the potential impact it could have on the reader's perception and understanding of these complex issues.

Anaïs Nin was a French writer based in the USA, where she passed away at the age of 73. She began writing diaries as a teenager, in which she detailed the intimate aspects of her life with her partners and lovers. She is quite well-known in the French erotic literature scene for her own merit as an author and also for having been the lover of Henry Miller. Many of her texts talk at length about her relationship with him.

She wrote novels and erotic short stories; the latter are grouped into two collections: "Delta of Venus" (1977) and "Firebirds" (1979). In the preface to "Delta of Venus", the author explains that the stories contained in the book originated from a commission by a "collector" who paid young writers a dollar for each erotic page they brought him.

Both collections were published posthumously. Although "Delta of Venus" was published first, I recommend starting with "Firebirds": it has a more fluid rhythm, the stories are short and they conclude in a brilliant way on their own. Each story presents sexuality in an honest and very human way, with great doses of passion and poetry. The stories in this collection are direct, create very clear images, I would say they are "effective".

The stories in "Delta of Venus" have a more leisurely rhythm, perhaps they can feel a bit slow. Several of them are connected to each other through common characters whose personalities and sexual fixations develop throughout the book.

The level of description of some erotic scenes is cinematic, a merit to be highlighted of Anaïs.

Another thing that draws a lot of attention in this collection is the preface, in which the author, in addition to explaining about the "collector", makes a kind of manifesto to claim the final product of the book, as she explains to us that the finally published stories are far from what the sponsor wanted, who was only interested in raw sex and wanted everything devoid of poetry. Taking this into account, this book, along with all of Anaïs' work, constitutes a manifesto in favor of erotism as a force that can never be separated from poetry, no matter how bestial its physical manifestations may be.