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White Stains
This collection of six sensual, yet explicit short stories is thought to have been written for an Oklahoma oil millionaire, Roy M. Johnson. Anais Nin is said to have paid a dollar per page to produce typescripts of explicit erotica for his own private amusement. In 'Alice' a couple spying on another couple screwing in a public park become involved in a steamy group sex scene. In 'Florence', a New York office girl enjoys sex for the first time sleeping with two men in quick succession! In 'Memories' a man recounts his youth and his teenage initiation into sex by a variety of older women. This facsimile reproduction also contains an explicit sex manual, Love's Cyclopaedia, originally published with the stories. The intorduction by Dr. C.J. Schiener tells the story of the book's first clandestine edition by New York publisher Samuel Roth during the 1940s and all the evidence for attributing this anonymous work to Anais Nin.
- GenresErotica
204 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1925
22 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Anaïs Nin
355 books8,930 followersWriter and diarist, born in Paris to a Catalan father and a Danish mother, Anaïs Nin spent many of her early years with Cuban relatives. Later a naturalized American citizen, she lived and worked in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Author of avant-garde novels in the French surrealistic style and collections of erotica, she is best known for her life and times in The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volumes I-VII (1966-1980).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana%C3%...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana%C3%...
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 15, 2023
I don't consider myself an Anaïs Nin expert or anything, but I'm savvy enough to know Nin definitely didn't write much of this, if any at all. This collection of stories was as far off Nin as one could possibly get. If you are just starting out on discovering Nin, I would strongly advise staying away from this book, and to choose Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love": The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1932 instead. It will be an entirely different experience, and you will enjoy Nin at her best.
What was painfully clear from the very first page was the disjointed writing. There was no real flow or poetic feel to the prose, which made me feel rather irritated reading it. I felt like a really thorough editing job was needed, and then some.
As for the erotic element within these stories; it was shockingly bad. Anaïs Nin is a wonderful writer of erotica, and I adore her prose, but this, this wasn't erotica, this felt cheap and nasty and I read that these were written solely for a male. These stories contained men deliberately getting women drunk to take advantage of them, the molesting of a minor, an orgy and a potential rape. I tend to have a good threshold, but these were not what I wanted to read. There was a lack of love within these pages and along with no plot, this made for a negative experience.
The icing on the cake was the last lengthy section, which admittedly, I skim read, at at alarming pace. This was called 'The Encyclopaedia of sex' and it was something to read whilst sitting down, that's for sure. I expected it to be extremely dated (which is was) but along with that, it was vulgarly written, too. When the author refers to breasts as 'Bubbies' and a penis as a 'Dagger' I had to do a double take. I mean, a dagger? Come on, that's a terrible cliché if ever I read one. But, I suppose it wasn't all bad, because I did learn some valuable information, like flushing the vagina with a heavy dose of vinegar after intercourse will ensure sperm is killed and there isn't a pregnancy, and some really fascinating ways of apparently restoring ones virginity. This book should come with a health warning.
I suppose I should be relieved that this wasn't my first Nin, because if it was, I may not have continued reading her works.
What was painfully clear from the very first page was the disjointed writing. There was no real flow or poetic feel to the prose, which made me feel rather irritated reading it. I felt like a really thorough editing job was needed, and then some.
As for the erotic element within these stories; it was shockingly bad. Anaïs Nin is a wonderful writer of erotica, and I adore her prose, but this, this wasn't erotica, this felt cheap and nasty and I read that these were written solely for a male. These stories contained men deliberately getting women drunk to take advantage of them, the molesting of a minor, an orgy and a potential rape. I tend to have a good threshold, but these were not what I wanted to read. There was a lack of love within these pages and along with no plot, this made for a negative experience.
The icing on the cake was the last lengthy section, which admittedly, I skim read, at at alarming pace. This was called 'The Encyclopaedia of sex' and it was something to read whilst sitting down, that's for sure. I expected it to be extremely dated (which is was) but along with that, it was vulgarly written, too. When the author refers to breasts as 'Bubbies' and a penis as a 'Dagger' I had to do a double take. I mean, a dagger? Come on, that's a terrible cliché if ever I read one. But, I suppose it wasn't all bad, because I did learn some valuable information, like flushing the vagina with a heavy dose of vinegar after intercourse will ensure sperm is killed and there isn't a pregnancy, and some really fascinating ways of apparently restoring ones virginity. This book should come with a health warning.
I suppose I should be relieved that this wasn't my first Nin, because if it was, I may not have continued reading her works.
May 28, 2017
This is a short collection of porn some written by Anaïs Nin. That one word "porn" and the fact that it is not currently available for customers in the United States is all many of you need to know, please check helpful and move on. How much of this book is Ms. Nin's work and how much was contributed by her "friends" is not specified. Given that her friends included Henry Miller and a wide variety of the literati of post-World War I France, this information could be a story in itself.
Anaïs Nin was one of the better modern female writers. She was better than this book. Even her porn was better than this book. It would be nice to say that this is sexy based on a woman's point of view but I'm not prepared to make that presumption. The collection was at the request of a male money man.
The title should be self-explanatory. Each of the short stories in this collection follows a slightly different model of erotic storytelling. This is a good thing as it lends variety.
The selection entitled "Loves Encyclopedia" parallels and clearly is meant to satirize the same discussion in the Sir Richard Burton translation of The Perfumed Garden. This section is the best chapter of this book. Should this volume again become available, at the price I paid (less than a dollar). This selection provides the highest portion of the value of the rest of the collection.
Anaïs Nin was one of the better modern female writers. She was better than this book. Even her porn was better than this book. It would be nice to say that this is sexy based on a woman's point of view but I'm not prepared to make that presumption. The collection was at the request of a male money man.
The title should be self-explanatory. Each of the short stories in this collection follows a slightly different model of erotic storytelling. This is a good thing as it lends variety.
The selection entitled "Loves Encyclopedia" parallels and clearly is meant to satirize the same discussion in the Sir Richard Burton translation of The Perfumed Garden. This section is the best chapter of this book. Should this volume again become available, at the price I paid (less than a dollar). This selection provides the highest portion of the value of the rest of the collection.
Read
April 7, 2016I read about half of this. I made it through the stories, but I just couldn't with the Encyclopedia of sex.
No rating for this because, while I thought the writing was wretched, it is from the 40s and maybe that was how erotica was written at the time. What do I know? I could see of the language as precursors to some of the super-cheese I still see in the occasional bodice ripper, but can't say I enjoyed it here any more than I do in more modern works (less even).
I was also repeatedly dismayed at the stories themselves. We have a 5yo boy being molested. We have a woman being drugged and raped, then taken advantage of by a second man. We have numerous men getting women drunk to take advantage of them and we have a married woman in an orgy with not-her-husband (though that was the least eyebrow raising one of the bunch). Plus, with the exception of the orgy, every sex scene is essentially the same. Nope, none of them tickled my fancy in the least.
I don't think anyone believes Anaïs Nin wrote this. I know if thought this was a representation of her work I'd never pick another one up.
No rating for this because, while I thought the writing was wretched, it is from the 40s and maybe that was how erotica was written at the time. What do I know? I could see of the language as precursors to some of the super-cheese I still see in the occasional bodice ripper, but can't say I enjoyed it here any more than I do in more modern works (less even).
I was also repeatedly dismayed at the stories themselves. We have a 5yo boy being molested. We have a woman being drugged and raped, then taken advantage of by a second man. We have numerous men getting women drunk to take advantage of them and we have a married woman in an orgy with not-her-husband (though that was the least eyebrow raising one of the bunch). Plus, with the exception of the orgy, every sex scene is essentially the same. Nope, none of them tickled my fancy in the least.
I don't think anyone believes Anaïs Nin wrote this. I know if thought this was a representation of her work I'd never pick another one up.
September 25, 2012
My dad bought this for me as a Christmas present a few years ago. Silly me, I should've been more specific when I requested books by Anaïs Nin that what I meant were her diaries. Anyway, he thought the book was about art...
(Also, this wasn't the first time my dad had bought a family member an inappropriate gift by accident.)
Most of the stories aren't even written by Nin. I believe that maybe one or two are, though. Read for cheap thrills.
Don't buy for your children.
(Also, this wasn't the first time my dad had bought a family member an inappropriate gift by accident.)
Most of the stories aren't even written by Nin. I believe that maybe one or two are, though. Read for cheap thrills.
Don't buy for your children.
December 23, 2025
There are elements of this short story collection that I found very interesting; however, its inconsistency left me with complicated feelings. To echo the sentiments shared by many others readers, if you’re looking for an introduction to Anaïs Nin, you’ve found yourself in the wrong place. In fact, I would really only recommend this book to readers who already find Nin’s authorial mystique—the amalgamation of her prose and persona—especially captivating. Otherwise, Nin has written stronger collections and novels, and there is certainly better erotica to indulge in—outside of Nin’s world—if that was your reason for picking up this book. For that, I would highly recommend Anne Rice’s work published under A. N. Roquelaure.
If you are familiar with Nin’s writing, it will quickly become clear that she didn’t write all of these stories. Many lack her fineness and her analytical, almost detached approach to writing about most intimate affairs. This is one instance in which the context of the book’s creation feels relevant for informing the reader’s experience of the text. As the description explains, the collection was written anonymously and later presumed to be the work of Nin alongside various friends and associates.
Personally, I enjoyed speculating about which portions she may have written, and I would be curious to hear which sections other readers attribute to her as well. This exercise made the less palatable stories in the collection more engaging and less painful to get through. Because of the book’s collaborative nature, there is a lot of stylistic and tonal variety between stories. For me, this was positive feature, as it added interest to sections that might otherwise have felt uninspired—or, at times, crude.
That crudeness became intriguing when I considered that the book was initially written for an Oklahoma oil millionaire who commissioned it. Viewed through this lens, the collection almost becomes a study of what Nin and her associates believed such an audience would want. What was erotica to them? What details did they imagine would be stirring? Reading the stories this way helped me to better understand the recurring themes of nefarious, brazen sexual behaviors and relationships.
If you find yourself unengaged or struggling to get through White Stains, I wouldn’t recommend forcing it—especially once you reach the latter half of the book, which is essentially a sexually charged and largely inaccurate health curriculum. Although I found it humorous and an interesting window into the sexual psyche of the era, I don’t think you’ll miss much by skimming—or even skipping it.
If you are familiar with Nin’s writing, it will quickly become clear that she didn’t write all of these stories. Many lack her fineness and her analytical, almost detached approach to writing about most intimate affairs. This is one instance in which the context of the book’s creation feels relevant for informing the reader’s experience of the text. As the description explains, the collection was written anonymously and later presumed to be the work of Nin alongside various friends and associates.
Personally, I enjoyed speculating about which portions she may have written, and I would be curious to hear which sections other readers attribute to her as well. This exercise made the less palatable stories in the collection more engaging and less painful to get through. Because of the book’s collaborative nature, there is a lot of stylistic and tonal variety between stories. For me, this was positive feature, as it added interest to sections that might otherwise have felt uninspired—or, at times, crude.
That crudeness became intriguing when I considered that the book was initially written for an Oklahoma oil millionaire who commissioned it. Viewed through this lens, the collection almost becomes a study of what Nin and her associates believed such an audience would want. What was erotica to them? What details did they imagine would be stirring? Reading the stories this way helped me to better understand the recurring themes of nefarious, brazen sexual behaviors and relationships.
If you find yourself unengaged or struggling to get through White Stains, I wouldn’t recommend forcing it—especially once you reach the latter half of the book, which is essentially a sexually charged and largely inaccurate health curriculum. Although I found it humorous and an interesting window into the sexual psyche of the era, I don’t think you’ll miss much by skimming—or even skipping it.
September 1, 2020
This was an interesting but tough read. As this erotica was written in the 1940s, there are many concepts and scenarios which would be considered very rapey by today’s standards (and I hope by their standards too). There’s lots of talk about getting women drunk so they comply with sex, there’s drugging, a lil pedophilia, stalking, and the encouragement of perseverance until she says yes.
I learnt how to restore my virginity, and that if you lie on your left side during sex you’ll have a girl, and on the right side: a boy. Apparently putting a sponge soaked in vinegar up your vagina or flushing your vagina after sex are great ways to avoid pregnancy.
I doubt many of these stories were written by Anaïs Nin as many are definitely from the male gaze.
Would only recommend to be read with a grain of salt and as an insight into dated views on sex and contraception.
I learnt how to restore my virginity, and that if you lie on your left side during sex you’ll have a girl, and on the right side: a boy. Apparently putting a sponge soaked in vinegar up your vagina or flushing your vagina after sex are great ways to avoid pregnancy.
I doubt many of these stories were written by Anaïs Nin as many are definitely from the male gaze.
Would only recommend to be read with a grain of salt and as an insight into dated views on sex and contraception.
June 24, 2023
It was good until Love's Encyclopedia. I came for porn not sex ed.
August 8, 2023
Read it for Anais Nin only for a small fraction to be written by her. Erotica is no fun when there is a man behind it
August 11, 2025
moi qui n’avait pas compris que c’était un livre érotique…
July 14, 2023
Ce recueil compte 7 nouvelles érotiques. Et pas moyen de savoir qui les a réellement écrites. Anaïs Nin a peut-être écrit les deux premières mais les suivantes semblent être écrites par un homme (ou plusieurs, à moins qu'une autrice se soit fait passer pour le sexe opposé).
J'ai beaucoup aimé Alice, empreinte de voyeurisme et d'échangisme, moins Florence qui raconte le viol (non-traumastisant a priori) d'une jeune femme.
On sent bien, par certaines tournures machistes, que ces nouvelles datent du début du siècle dernier, mais, remis dans leur contexte, elles ne sont pas dépourvues de charme, bien au contraire.
L'écriture est belle, stylée.
J'ai beaucoup aimé Alice, empreinte de voyeurisme et d'échangisme, moins Florence qui raconte le viol (non-traumastisant a priori) d'une jeune femme.
On sent bien, par certaines tournures machistes, que ces nouvelles datent du début du siècle dernier, mais, remis dans leur contexte, elles ne sont pas dépourvues de charme, bien au contraire.
L'écriture est belle, stylée.
April 5, 2011
I'm entirely sure Anais Nin didn't write this garbage and I'm gratified to see that Wikipedia says she "apparently" is the author but it's actually anonymous. I shudder to think about someone reading this as their introduction to Nin! What kind of credible writer would call a penis a "dagger" or breasts "bubbles"? That kind of shit gives the written word a bad name.
January 11, 2016
I've only read Anäis's diaries before and found this cheap (or free) for my kindle. I certainly hope this wasn't really her writing...it was so bad, it was comedic - which is the only thing that kept me going.
Currently reading
April 7, 2011So far, delightfully and tastefully naughty.
Read
July 27, 2011brrrrrrrrrrrr
December 7, 2012
The How To manual at the end of my copy was hilarious
February 21, 2012
I like the first story. Delightful and sexy. After that one...not so much.
July 20, 2012
It's nice to see a dirty mind at work. This book must have been groundbreaking when it was published. It's still an very entertaining read.
February 18, 2016
Classic no holds barred erotica
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews