Anais Nin

[Turamber]

Has anyone read any of her work? Thoughts?

I am currently reading "Fire", one of the volumes from her unexpurgated diaries. Her intelligence and passion for life shine out, some of her insights into others, self and life are uncanny.

Like most readers I'm shocked at her references to a love affair with her (biological) father, but at the same time compelled to know more about her.

 

[Uriel]

Oddly enough yes. Although not much. I'm pretty keen on Henry Miller and have read Henry and June by Nin (an account of her affair with Henry and his then wife June Mansfield, also formed from extracts from her diary). She was certainly a very clever person, although I found her style of writing a little turgid, particularly after reading Cancer/Capricorn/the Rosy Crucifixion. I guess I mistakenly hoped for something that was more gripping than gripped.

Perhaps I'm being a little unfair since certainly from what I understand a lot of the stuff she was writing about at the time was pretty ground breaking and to judge her against those who followed in her wake I guess is to miss the point.

What did you particularly like about 'Fire', would you recommend it?

 

[Turamber]

The honesty of it all, and her ability to, apparently, coldly analyse and criticise herself and all around her. There is a wonderful line, I wish I could remember it word for word, but she talks about how she is dying ... not physically, but because she is losing hope, losing love. She gives herself over to the world of pleasure ... but it's not what she wants.

At one such time she has sex with one of (many! I don't know he kept track of them all) lovers and another woman. She writes the next day in her diary how she knows their bodies intimately now, knows what gives them pleasure ... but really knows nothing about them as people, and would need to be properly introduced to them(!).

I didn't particularly like the style of Henry and June either, but as this is diary it is much more energetic, simply stating facts and moving on.

 

[Uriel]

Hmm. Sound interesting. One to add to the ever growing list.