Reviews

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

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Some of the stories were somewhat interesting - although the most interesting stories really strained credibility. Perhaps I'm a prude, or perhaps modern times are somewhat different than the 70-odd years ago these stories were written - but surprise endings of pedophelia and incest really put me off and pedophelia, at least, I think should not be a subject for pornography, any more than snuff porn. The introduction says these stories were written for a patron with very specific requirements, and so perhaps there was some subversion, an attempt to provide exactly what was requested but still defy control.

On the other hand, erotica written by a women from the pre-war "dark ages", when things were much more secret, and much more patriarchal, should be recognized.

fbmzh's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

salomereads's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

3.0

lienhsin's review

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this book horrified me after i read the first story and i never intended to finish it. however, in nin's third diary volume, she describes the birth of this book in such a way that convinced me of their legitimacy (not the right word but it's the best i can do right now). this book still horrified me many times, especially in the first few stories, but it also made me laugh out of sheer bizarreness and the idiocies of men. elena is the best piece of erotic literature i've ever read. i loved her blatant exploration of queerness. the book is a rollercoaster ride of genders, pleasures, and fetishes. upon finishing it, i can say that all the gross and illegal bits were for the man who commissioned these, but the otherwise poetic and fluid descriptions on the nature of sexuality is for the girlies.