Delta of Venus (Paperback)

by Anais Nin (Author) "There was a Hungarian adventure who had astonishing beauty, infallible charm, grace, the powers of a trained actor, culture, knowledge of many tongues, aristocratic manners..." (more)
Key Phrases: little mole, Madame Kazimir, The Hungarian Adventurer, Mary Ann (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR DELTA OF VENUS
"A joyous display of the erotic imagination."
-The New York Times Book Review
"Inventive, sophisticated . . . highly elegant naughtiness."-Cosmopolitan

Product Description
In Delta of Venus Anaïs Nin penned a lush, magical world where the characters of her imagination possess the most universal of desires and exceptional of talents. Among these provocative stories, a Hungarian adventurer seduces wealthy women then vanishes with their money; a veiled woman selects strangers from a chic restaurant for private trysts; and a Parisian hatmaker named Mathilde leaves her husband for the opium dens of Peru. Delta of Venus is an extraordinarily rich and exotic collection from the master of erotic writing.






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Product Details Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Harvest Books (February 2, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 0156029030 ISBN-13: 978-0156029032 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,463 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #1 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( N ) > Nin, Anais #39 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Erotica > Adult Fiction

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
There was a Hungarian adventure who had astonishing beauty, infallible charm, grace, the powers of a trained actor, culture, knowledge of many tongues, aristocratic manners. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
little mole

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madame Kazimir, The Hungarian Adventurer, Mary Ann, South America

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 6 books:

• Journal of Love by Nin in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
• Little Birds by Anais Nin in Front Matter
• Children of the Albatross (Vol II) by Anais Nin in Front Matter
• Ladders To Fire: V1 In Nin'S Continuous Novel (Vol I) by Anais Nin in Front Matter
• Spy In House Of Love: V4 In Nin'S Continuous Novel (Vol IV) by Anais Nin in Front Matter

See all 6 books this book cites

 

95 books cite this book:

• Anais Nin: Literary Perspectives by Suzanne Nalbantian on 17 pages
• Anais Nin, Fictionality and Femininity (Oxford English Monographs) by Helen Tookey on 7 pages
• Shattered Subjects: Trauma and Testimony in Women's Life-Writing by Suzette A. Henke in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
• How to Write a Dirty Story: Reading, Writing, and Publishing Erotica by Susie Bright on page 38, page 47, and Back Matter
• Shattered Subjects: Trauma and Testimony in Women's Life-Writing by Suzette A. Henke in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)

See all 95 books citing this book

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	79% buy the item featured on this page: Delta of Venus 4.1 out of 5 stars (74) $11.20
	6% buy Little Birds 4.2 out of 5 stars (31) $11.20
	6% buy Tropic of Cancer 4.1 out of 5 stars (172) $10.98
	4% buy Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love" -The Unexpurgated Diary of Anais Nin (1931-1932) 4.1 out of 5 stars (30) $10.98

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Customer Reviews

74 Reviews 5 star:  (45) 4 star:  (10) 3 star:  (9) 2 star:  (4) 1 star:  (6)           Average Customer Review 4.1 out of 5 stars (74 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 105 of 108 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Sensuality Poetic and Erotic, February 16, 2001 By  L. Carter "Steiffbearlover" (NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback) When I first read "Delta of Venus", I was but a 20-something, as yet uneducated in the ways of love and the world. But I wasn't too young to feel the effect of Nin's dreamy prose, the heightened tease of her language, the titillation of the poetic images of lovers of every variety and combination, all experiencing the joys of the flesh. I never knew descriptions of heretofore "clinical" bodyparts could seem so ... beautiful. Now that I'm older, and can more fully appreciate the various twists and turns of sexuality and desire, Nin's stories are even more arousing, if for no other reason than the fact that I myself am more experienced in these matters. All combinations of love - man/woman, woman/woman, three women together, and more - are exposed here and brought to life with a passionate detachment, if such a thing is possible. There is no guilt within these pages; a reader must be willing to bathe, suspended, in the heated waters of love, taking what comes and accepting it on its own terms without judgment. Yes, it's graphic. I disagree with the idea that "pornography" cannot be an art. I prefer to think of good erotic literature as just that: an art form often attempted but rarely achieved in the purest sense of the word. "Penthouse Forum" is porn - "Delta of Venus" (as well as "Little Birds" and "Spy In The House of Love") is the best example of literary erotica, the combinations of love and the mystery of orgasm and sensuality. 52 of 56 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Celebration of Beauty and Sensuality, August 9, 2000 By  Lance C. Panzer (the Great Lakes) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback) 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." 27 of 31 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars opened my eyes to a whole new world, November 25, 1999 By A Customer This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback) 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.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Follow This was the first true erotica book I read, and it was recommended to me among a group of other books including 'women who run with wolves'. Read more Published 11 days ago by Alma Elizabeth 3.0 out of 5 stars Beauty or love - our choice - Anais aimed ... I hope more and more people will discover the flame in her writings - and see the frustration and the real pain in this hard living woman. Read more Published 1 month ago by Morten Egebjerg 3.0 out of 5 stars worth the read As far as erotica goes it's good if you keep in mind when it was written but its not as good as some of todays writers. Published 5 months ago by M. Canady 2.0 out of 5 stars Delta of Venus Ok I got it. I got it after the first 3 stories. Unless you are studying the difference between male and female fantasy, I found the book boring. Published 6 months ago by Diane C., Goelz 3.0 out of 5 stars Erotically disturbing I had to find out what all the hype was about over this particular writer of erotic literature. And I must say, I found her writing to beautifully constructed. Read more Published 14 months ago by Book Princess 3.0 out of 5 stars Keep this book away from kids I read this book when I was 10, and it absolutely horrified and disgusted me. I had nightmares for years about being sexually molested and was often afraid of boys and men. Read more Published 23 months ago by Lit Chick 3.0 out of 5 stars interesting but not necessarily erotic there is a lot of interesting prose in this book but it's not the erotica I was expecting. she's got interesting things to say and discuss but if you're looking for something to... Read more Published on May 26, 2007 by A. C. Fonte 4.0 out of 5 stars Nin in fine form...sort of The great work of Anais Nin's life was her diary, and everything else she wrote, no matter how much energy and passion she invested in it, seemed distracted and a bit colorless... Read more Published on May 15, 2007 by Katharine Coldiron 4.0 out of 5 stars One of the classics This is one of the classics of sex and eroticism. As a teen, I stole my mother's copy and it inspired many a fantasy. The writing is wonderful and the sex is, well, just hot. Read more Published on March 30, 2007 by Bob Fitzsimmons 2.0 out of 5 stars I expected something deeper I guess I was expecting better writing from Nin. I have heard so many good things about her writing and I have read a few books by one of her "good friends", Henry Miller, that I... Read more Published on March 8, 2007 by John Bugajski Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books (February 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156029030
• ISBN-13: 978-0156029032
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,463 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( N ) > Nin, Anais
  #39 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Erotica > Adult Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensuality Poetic and Erotic, February 16, 2001

By	L. Carter "Steiffbearlover" (NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback)

When I first read "Delta of Venus", I was but a 20-something, as yet uneducated in the ways of love and the world. But I wasn't too young to feel the effect of Nin's dreamy prose, the heightened tease of her language, the titillation of the poetic images of lovers of every variety and combination, all experiencing the joys of the flesh. I never knew descriptions of heretofore "clinical" bodyparts could seem so ... beautiful.

Now that I'm older, and can more fully appreciate the various twists and turns of sexuality and desire, Nin's stories are even more arousing, if for no other reason than the fact that I myself am more experienced in these matters. All combinations of love - man/woman, woman/woman, three women together, and more - are exposed here and brought to life with a passionate detachment, if such a thing is possible. There is no guilt within these pages; a reader must be willing to bathe, suspended, in the heated waters of love, taking what comes and accepting it on its own terms without judgment.

Yes, it's graphic. I disagree with the idea that "pornography" cannot be an art. I prefer to think of good erotic literature as just that: an art form often attempted but rarely achieved in the purest sense of the word. "Penthouse Forum" is porn - "Delta of Venus" (as well as "Little Birds" and "Spy In The House of Love") is the best example of literary erotica, the combinations of love and the mystery of orgasm and sensuality.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Celebration of Beauty and Sensuality, August 9, 2000

By	Lance C. Panzer (the Great Lakes) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback)

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."

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars opened my eyes to a whole new world, November 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Delta Of Venus (Mass Market Paperback)

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.