Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

18 reviews

blanquiblue2's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

AnaÏs Nin's Delta of Venus is a collection of beautifully written erotic short stories. Her prose is vibrant and sensuous, and through it, she explores the various avenues of female sexuality. Most of her stories, however, are hard to read since they do not deal with healthy sexual relationships. Rather, they all involve some sort of toxic or taboo relationship and/or fetish, from incest to necrophilia. Nin conjures dazzling scenes and sexual encounters that one could never have fathomed, both for their creativity and surrealism and for their dark nature. She distracts us with her alluring words from the perversions of the scenes she is describing, trying to beautify things that we consider shocking as a society. Her work is definitely one of the most interesting things I have read so far, not only because her writing style is mesmerising but because she contrasts it with situations we consider to be revolting, treading very thinly on what is permissible and questioning the moral boundaries of the society we inhabit. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment

margztgz's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This is a stunning novel (in both good in bad ways) but all I have to say is wow because I've definitely never read anything like this before and that's what made it fascinating. This book is sort of like when you can't look away from a car crash; it's disgusting, disturbing, but at the same time beautiful and even elegant. 

I haven't read erotica in this more formal and vintage style before, and it's interesting to read because it was largely written in the 1940s and I liked to see perspectives/portrayals of sex from that period. Many of these stories were disturbing and even gruesome (literally PLEASE look up the tws if you want to read this and are sensitive to fucked up sex stuff) but at the same time the language and descriptions as well as scenes were interesting to read because she's such a talented writer. Anais Nin doesn't shy away from any scenario. Also I really liked some of her descriptions of the vagina and the poetic experience of sex itself. Definitely an unforgettable read but I can't say I'd recommend it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment

lilbluerexi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

what the hell did i just read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Homophobia

georgiahb's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

tomato_bisque's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

I can appreciate what Anaïs Nin did for erotica but there is content in here that makes it hard to stomach the rest. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

irisirae's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted tense fast-paced

2.0

"I believe in saying it. There are enough mysteries, and these do not help our enjoyment of each other."

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

jamsreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

jessiejane's review against another edition

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, and Sexual violence