Delta of Venus

Too much rape, pedophilia, and incest for me.

Delta of Venus joyously explores the art of human sexuality. Anais Nin's writing style is at once lyrical and straightforward. While she leaves no doubt in the reader's mind just what is going on, her countless love scenes are imbued with so much warmth and dignity that one could scarcely find them offensive. But most importantly, Anais understood that sex is nothing without emotion, and it's the emotions of her myriad characters that cause the reader to turn happily florid with every page. She understood that while sex is not to be taken lightly, it's certainly not something to be restrained, either. Lastly, of all the locales depicted in this collection of stories, she lends a special affection to Paris. I suspect that of all of Anais' lovers, the City of Light was the dearest to her heart, to wit: "At five I always felt shivers of sensuality, shared with the sensual Paris. As soon as the light faded, it seemed to me that every woman I saw was running to meet her lover, that every man was running to meet his mistress." and "But we were enjoying an orgasm, as couples do in doorways and under bridges at night all over Paris."

This is the first of Nin's works I have read. I had no idea erotica could be so exciting! I had always been turned off by it because it seems very male-centered and raunchy. Nin manages to be sensual without being crude. Her feminine style makes the text sexier. I'm definately going to read her other works. A must read for any woman.

Looking for erotica that is not too far over the edge into bizarre? Although the language in the book is quaint due to the era in which it was written, it is still lushly erotic and perfect for reading to your significant other. Nin's writing style draws the reader into a private world of erotic pleasures, with detailed yet tasteful descriptions of wonderfully sensual scenes.