Reviews
Henry and June: From A Journal of Love: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1932, by Anaïs Nin
mazza's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adore the time and space that produced literature like this. I am obsessed with 1920-1930's Paris, where writers came and explored their craft, mingling with each other, swapping ideas, curiosities, and just generally having a thoroughly dramatic time.
I've read a few of Henry Miller's novels, so have been introduced to Anaïs Ninn and the spectacular hold she had over him. He is one of my favourite writers, and through reading Anaïs' diary, I can see the literary effect that they had on one another.
Anaïs account of their passionate relationship - one she also partly had with Henry's wife, June - is intoxicating. Every page is filled with love, sex, angst. You are truly inside the puzzled place that is her mind, though what a beautiful place to be! I could have read this diary for far longer. Every page gripped me.
Matty dismissed this as "too dramatic", and stopped reading it about halfway through. But that's exactly the point of the time - it was dramatic, it was passionate, everything was filled with sexual metaphor and screamed over indulgence, in every way possible.
Anyway, I loved it, obviously. 5 stars.
I've read a few of Henry Miller's novels, so have been introduced to Anaïs Ninn and the spectacular hold she had over him. He is one of my favourite writers, and through reading Anaïs' diary, I can see the literary effect that they had on one another.
Anaïs account of their passionate relationship - one she also partly had with Henry's wife, June - is intoxicating. Every page is filled with love, sex, angst. You are truly inside the puzzled place that is her mind, though what a beautiful place to be! I could have read this diary for far longer. Every page gripped me.
Matty dismissed this as "too dramatic", and stopped reading it about halfway through. But that's exactly the point of the time - it was dramatic, it was passionate, everything was filled with sexual metaphor and screamed over indulgence, in every way possible.
Anyway, I loved it, obviously. 5 stars.
victorward's review against another edition
3.0
J'ai rarement vu un livre aussi chiant et magnifiquement écrit à la fois.
laurelkane's review against another edition
3.0
At some points I found Anais to be incredibly insightful... at others I grew tired of her self-absorption. but I guess that's what I get for reading someone's diary!
rcsyink's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I enjoyed the parts where the reflection was the main focus of the paragraph. However I couldn't empathise or relate to Anaïs in that way.
emmakielschmidt's review against another edition
5.0
This book must be read as a diary. The feelings and thoughts come before the story. Sometimes the story feels stagnant but it’s not - it’s coursing steadily beneath Anaïs’s daily living. Any time I almost got bored I was pulled back again by some ringing discovery or simple, pounding realization. I didn’t realize how much I loved this book until I finished it.
bonbonmacaron_ana's review against another edition
4.0
Made me more curious about polyamory, although it was too much with Eduardo and Allendy, who were totally unnecessary. It was repetitive but the psychoanalysis bits were the only thing that kept it interesting. I loved the passages where she talked about June. Although I think I totally missed where June went and I was surprised she still thought about her despite having zero contact with her for many months. Also why aren’t love letters a thing anymore? Bring them back! I also highlighted a lot, so many things spoke to me.
cloudbustings's review against another edition
4.0
basically the literary version of “he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me......”
lauraspeechly's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.75
I probably wouldn't recommend this book unless you are a very big fan of Nin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Sexual assault