Delta of Venus - Or, Anais Bin gets freaky

Delta of Venus - Anais Nin

I have such mixed feelings on this collection. Here's the thing: Nin can actually write a really hot erotic scene. However, she can also write a really messed up disturbing scene, and those two things often get stirred together in these stories. I think she hit Kink Bingo in this collection. There is bondage, exhibitionism, prostitution, masochism, rape, incest, pedophilia, beastiality, necrophilia, and probably more that I'm forgetting at the moment. Now, to be clear, not all of those things are necessarily bad (though some certainly are), but it can make for an uncomfortable surprise when the erotic story you are reading takes a disturbing turn and someone is raping their daughter.

 

There is a lot to find interesting in here beneath the surface though, especially when you take into account when Nin was writing these stories. She does some really interesting things with the female and male gaze, and the societal commentary on sexual mores was also intriguing. These stories must have been absolutely scandalous and taboo when they were published. For that reason alone I found the collection interesting. But more often than not I found many of these stories more disturbing than arousing. If you're looking for something light and hot to read I'd consider looking elsewhere, but if you go into the collection knowing what to expect there's some interesting (and yes, on occasion very sexy) stuff to be found in these pages.