Book #13

The Veiled Woman by Anaïs Nin

'What did she expect of him? What was her quest? Did she have an unfulfilled desire?'

Transgressive desires and sexual encounters are recounted in these four pieces from one of the greatest writers of erotic fiction.

Erotica isn’t a genre I’m often attracted to, and having never read Nin before, I worried this would be a rampant account of sex for the sake of sex. This was something quite different to what I was expecting.

Nin has a talent for establishing complex and engaging characters, even in very short stories. Their aspirations and motivations were beautifully mapped out, and her explorations of female desire were wonderful and transcendent. The stories each had their own unique plots, which were compelling, and although there’s a good deal of smut and sauce, it doesn’t feel gratuitous or tacky.

My love goes to the third story, Mandra, most of all. Oh, Mandra, what have you done?