- Paperback
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (Jun 13 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0140255257
- ISBN-13: 978-0140255256
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 7.4 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where the funhouse ends,
By ron anderson (sebastopol, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anais Nin (Paperback)
Bair's book is exceptional. She is the finest biographer writing today (see also here work on Beckett) Never having been a fan of Nin's this book was a stunning examination of her bizarre, to say the least, life, from incest to bigamy yet Nin tried to keep it all in perspective for her "art." What is particularly poignant is the relationship between Nin and Henry Miller. Old Henry doesn't hold his own, no matter the quiet days spent in Vichy, they were determined by Nin. She was a morally bankrupt person yet Bair makes the revelations of her life absorbing and nearly understandible.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Misses the point by a mile,
By A Customer
This review is from: Anais Nin (Paperback)
I bought this book despite the negative things I had heard because I had read the diaries, and I wanted to figure out the missing pieces of Anais's life.The only positive thing I can say about the book is that it has a lot of facts, sometimes too many, as Ms. Bair barrages the reader with unfiltered information. Other than that, after about he fifth page, I was completely annoyed with the sarcastic tone of the book. Ms. Bair's insight into the motivations of the people portrayed is about nill. They are about as deep as cardboard cutouts. Everyone is seen as either all bad (Anais, her father) or all good (Anais's mother, Hugo), and all their actions are condemened or excused accordingly. I think the reason most people want to read this book is because they want some insight into her fascinating and troubled life. Don't look for that here. Without any rhyme or reason, Anais is alternately portrayed as an islated loner or as oversexual and overly social, and condemned for both. The only insights Ms. Bair presents are such gems as: Anais did indeed have the flu four times that winter, but we should hate her because she used it as an excuse to get out of social engagements. I guess Anais, the "major minor writer" that Ms. Bair keeps calling her, deserves such a major minor biographer.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting read...,
By Chynared21 (Staten Island, New York USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anais Nin (Paperback)
Being that this is the first book I have read on Anais Nin, I have nothing to compare it to. Ms. Blair had quite a huge task ahead of her researching and reading all the volumes of diaries that Ms. Nin left. What a great accomplishment!Although I found that book quite interesting to read, it was also confusing. There were many names to keep straight. Ms. Nin lived an extrodinary life and her main goal was to become a published author in an era where men dominated the field. Her work was also considered too taboo for her time, maybe if she was born fifty years later than she had been, she might not have had to struggle so hard. I also found it absolutely amazing how she lived her life and it was anything but conventional. What I didn't understand is why she felt a strong need to support Miller and Gonzalo for the many years that she did even to the detriment of her own finances. She'd always find the money to give them and not her creditors. I can't quite come to the conclusion that Ms. Nin was indeed a liar as the book suggests. She did tend to rewrite her dairies to "fit" the occasion, especially if someone would be reading them. I do agree with some of the reviewers that Ms. Blair was at times sarcastic when writing about certain events that took place. I find that Ms. Nin was an extrodinary person and I look forward to reading her work as well as other biographies on her. This book was worth the read, if not completely accurate, at least it's very entertaining.
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