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The Early Diary of Anaïs Nin #1
The Early Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1
A charming and amusing view of Nin's early life, from age eleven to seventeen; the self-portrait of an innocent girl who is transformed, through her own insights, into an enlightened young woman. “An enchanting portrait of a girl's constant search for herself” (Library Journal). Preface by Joaquin Nin-Culmell; Index; photographs and drawings. Translated by Jean L. Sherman.
715 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1978
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2151 people want to read
About the author
Anaïs Nin
355 books8,894 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 7, 2012
This book is really wonderful. In a world where we have endless amounts of young adult fiction, in which grown women trying to mimic the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl, it's refreshing to read the true thoughts and feelings of an actual teenage girl. She might be a precocious one, but her diary is so genuine, so passionate, so beautifully written that I found it inspiring.
Anaïs Nin, A.N. or Linotte, as she nicknames herself in the book, is a French-Cuban immigrant that came to New York at the age of 11 from Paris by way of Barcelona. At first she despises New York. Eventually, though, she grows to love New York and even begins to forget Spanish.
But even if A.N. is an immigrant (the book is translated from the volumes she wrote in her native French tongue), she's still more privileged than most of her peers. If her family struggles financially, we don't see much of it. They take long summer vacations and attend the theater often.
Yet her world isn't without strife; she writes often to her absent father, who remained behind in Paris as a concert pianist and divorced her mother before the book even begins. She will chide him, even sometimes cruelly berating him for not writing back. We watch her gradual process from adoring her father to realizing "papa" is a flawed human being—and eventually one she hasn't seen in years.
Meanwhile her mother works to support A.N. and her two brothers. A.N. herself struggles with her duty to help her mother with household chores and spending time "dreaming" of new stories and reading.
One of the central themes of the book is this inner conflict, as she struggles to be "good" instead of "bad."
Sometimes this conflict is literal. She talks often of her Catholic faith, even as she begins to question it more and more as she grows older. Other times, she struggles with the expectations that are placed on women: to be kind, generous, upbeat, and so on. Her family encourages her to pursue her intellectual pastimes, but it's hard for her to escape the expectations of being the eldest and a young women in this world. She might not be expected to read literature, but she does.
And oh how this girl loves reading. When her mother gives her permission to buy a new book, she chooses one thoughtfully and carefully. She enthusiastically talks of stories and poems she's working on. Her effusive praise of poetry and literature would be annoying if it wasn't so earnest.
Ultimately this volume might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed spending time in A.N.'s world. I found myself rooting for her, hoping she'd break free from the expectations she felt bound by and become a great artist. Of course, we know she did become a well-known writer in her own right, but her journey to get there is an engaging one.
Anaïs Nin, A.N. or Linotte, as she nicknames herself in the book, is a French-Cuban immigrant that came to New York at the age of 11 from Paris by way of Barcelona. At first she despises New York. Eventually, though, she grows to love New York and even begins to forget Spanish.
But even if A.N. is an immigrant (the book is translated from the volumes she wrote in her native French tongue), she's still more privileged than most of her peers. If her family struggles financially, we don't see much of it. They take long summer vacations and attend the theater often.
Yet her world isn't without strife; she writes often to her absent father, who remained behind in Paris as a concert pianist and divorced her mother before the book even begins. She will chide him, even sometimes cruelly berating him for not writing back. We watch her gradual process from adoring her father to realizing "papa" is a flawed human being—and eventually one she hasn't seen in years.
Meanwhile her mother works to support A.N. and her two brothers. A.N. herself struggles with her duty to help her mother with household chores and spending time "dreaming" of new stories and reading.
One of the central themes of the book is this inner conflict, as she struggles to be "good" instead of "bad."
Sometimes this conflict is literal. She talks often of her Catholic faith, even as she begins to question it more and more as she grows older. Other times, she struggles with the expectations that are placed on women: to be kind, generous, upbeat, and so on. Her family encourages her to pursue her intellectual pastimes, but it's hard for her to escape the expectations of being the eldest and a young women in this world. She might not be expected to read literature, but she does.
And oh how this girl loves reading. When her mother gives her permission to buy a new book, she chooses one thoughtfully and carefully. She enthusiastically talks of stories and poems she's working on. Her effusive praise of poetry and literature would be annoying if it wasn't so earnest.
Ultimately this volume might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed spending time in A.N.'s world. I found myself rooting for her, hoping she'd break free from the expectations she felt bound by and become a great artist. Of course, we know she did become a well-known writer in her own right, but her journey to get there is an engaging one.
December 25, 2014
Anais Nin's writing always makes me happy sigh, infused as it is with a certain otherworldliness and a beauty separate from whatever one may think of the woman herself. (Even in her own diaries, it's clear that Nin must have been a very difficult woman to deal with. And that's putting it mildly.) In short, I'm very much a fan of all her work, but while I'd love to recommend Linotte to everyone, I can't. I'm too aware that this is really a book that will only hold the attention of like-minded fans past the first few pages, because everyone else may be put off by the scribblings of the eleven-year-old girl we are introduced to in the beginning.
Let's be honest hereL those first few pages aren't exactly great literature. They're shaky, often silly, and hit or miss in the "mostly miss" kind of way. She was eleven, so of course they are, as writing better than the average pre-teen, even significantly better like Nin, isn't really saying much. But there's promise there, even in the earliest entries, and the older she gets, the more the reader can recognize that first signs of Nin's style developing, the one that was so defined in Henry and June. The reward at the end is worth the mishaps in the beginning. Definitely. If nothing else, witnessing Nin's evolution as a writer is fascinating.
Highly recommended for fans. If you're interested but uncertain about committing to a 500+ page read that might just end up boring you to tears, just skip the early stuff and go directly to the entries for 1919. You'll be able to catch up, and the final two hundred and fifty pages are the crux of these diaries, anyway.
Let's be honest hereL those first few pages aren't exactly great literature. They're shaky, often silly, and hit or miss in the "mostly miss" kind of way. She was eleven, so of course they are, as writing better than the average pre-teen, even significantly better like Nin, isn't really saying much. But there's promise there, even in the earliest entries, and the older she gets, the more the reader can recognize that first signs of Nin's style developing, the one that was so defined in Henry and June. The reward at the end is worth the mishaps in the beginning. Definitely. If nothing else, witnessing Nin's evolution as a writer is fascinating.
Highly recommended for fans. If you're interested but uncertain about committing to a 500+ page read that might just end up boring you to tears, just skip the early stuff and go directly to the entries for 1919. You'll be able to catch up, and the final two hundred and fifty pages are the crux of these diaries, anyway.
December 30, 2021
what a pure, pure delight to read. nin is incredibly wise and eloquent, yet subject to the same teenage and emotional whims as any sixteen year old (or twenty-four, fine…) year old girl. all of this results in a diary that both inspires me and makes me feel like i’m receiving a letter from an old friend. i am so excited to read the next volumes
July 28, 2016
Actual diary of 13-year-old creative writer from the 1910s, whose family immigrated from France to NYC. I had never heard of Anais Nin when I discovered this book browsing through the Brookfield Public Library. Anne Frank's diary had been very special to me, as a person and as an adolescent writer, so this was a happy discovery. I marveled at her descriptions of life as a Catholic youth from an extended artistic family in New York City during the early 20th century. She meticulously listed how much her clothes cost, and which books she read. She found beauty and mysticism in the most ordinary things.
NOTHING ELSE BY HER IS WORTH READING. She grew up to become famous for her erotica, bisexualism, "open marriage", etc. Reading a bit more of her celebrated multi-volume diary led me into temptation; consider yourself warned. (I wish someone had warned me, or that I had been less willing to explore.) A quote of hers that I have remembered ever since: "Those who indulge in the unnatural lose their taste for natural things."
NOTHING ELSE BY HER IS WORTH READING. She grew up to become famous for her erotica, bisexualism, "open marriage", etc. Reading a bit more of her celebrated multi-volume diary led me into temptation; consider yourself warned. (I wish someone had warned me, or that I had been less willing to explore.) A quote of hers that I have remembered ever since: "Those who indulge in the unnatural lose their taste for natural things."
August 5, 2011
Anaïs Nin clearly has a passion for writing. Her first diaries evoke detailed images of what it was like for her as a teenage immigrant to America. Despite being written in French and subsequently translated into English, her ability to express herself (in two languages) is phenomenal. Her words flow and the minute details of her life are rarely boring. Her insights into other people and the nature of life are much deeper than one would expect for a person of her age. Many of her observations show a wisdom and intelligence that create a desire, for me at least, to continue to read her thoughts and descriptions of her life to find out how she continues to evolve and blossom as a writer and as a woman in the 20th Century.
June 25, 2008
I am having such a hard time putting this book down. Its amazing that an 11 year old girl can write something so beautiful.
October 27, 2022
I've ready many of Anais Nin's works, I can take it or leave it with some of her erotica and short stories, but it's her diaries that really showcase her real writing talent where she's not trying too hard to be lyrical and poetic, but where she makes the mundane seem so naturally wondrous and beautiful. She clearly was a precocious little girl who could already write remarkably and somehow engage you even when hardly much has happened in her day at all. Her early diaries not only served as a personal document for herself but also gave us snapshots of NYC and some glimpses into the popular fashion, movies, celebrities, etc. at the time. It was precious and endearing how much of her passion for writing, family, and living life to the fullest came through so overwhelmingly, and how impressive that so many diary entries, enough for 4 volumes! Does it go on for a little too long, though? Yes, but I wouldn't even say that you'd have to read it in its entirety to get the full picture of what a talented young lady she was and how affective she was as a storyteller. Excellent and worth checking it.
July 8, 2008
I'm not sure where I heard about Anais Nin but I wanted to read her journals. I couldn't bring myself to start in the middle of her life, so I found her earliest journals... and was pretty much bored silly.
December 27, 2016
Her thoughts are astoundingly deep and mature, even when she was only 11. There's a bit of jealousy that goes along with reading this, be warned, a lot of looking back at yourself at these ages and regretting that you weren't as intelligent, as talented, as thoughtful as she was.
September 15, 2024
„Weil ich einen Spiegel besitze: mein Tagebuch. Ist das nicht ein Spiegel, der dem Vergessen die wahre Geschichte einer Träumerin nacherzählt, die vor langer Zeit durchs Leben ging, so wie man ein Buch liest? Als das Buch geschlossen wurde, ließ es seinen Leser mit all seinen Schätzen an Belehrung zurück.“
Wer Nins Tagebücher beginnt zu lesen, in der Hoffnung auf eine spannende „Story“, ist meiner Meinung nach hier fehl am Platz. Es sind vielmehr die vielen kleinen Momente des Erwachens eines jungen Geistes die hier auf einen warten. Es sind Einträge eines Mädchens, das Fragen an die Welt stellt, ohne viele Antworten zu erhalten. Ich verstehe, warum einige diese Tagebücher aus der Kindheit als langweilig empfinden, denn wie Nin selbst mit 16 beschreibt, folgt ihr Schreiben nicht den Regeln eines Romans, der einem bestimmten Prinzip folgt, sondern richtet sich wie Briefe an ihren treuesten Freund: das Tagebuch.
Mich persönlich haben diese Einträge in so vielen Etappen ergriffen und mitgerissen. Allein schon die Möglichkeit, ihre Gedankengänge nachzuvollziehen und an ihrem Leben teilhaben zu können, ist beeindruckend. Da dies erst mein zweites Buch von Nin ist (nach „Delta of Venus“), stelle ich mir nun Fragen, wie es weitergeht: Was erlebt dieses junge Mädchen, und welche Schlüsse zieht sie aus diesen Erlebnissen? Wie gestaltet sich der Weg, begonnen mit der Liebe zu Gott, hin zur Lust am Schreiben, am Leben und, nun ja, auch am Lieben? Ich kann es wirklich kaum erwarten, mehr von ihr zu lesen.
Wer Nins Tagebücher beginnt zu lesen, in der Hoffnung auf eine spannende „Story“, ist meiner Meinung nach hier fehl am Platz. Es sind vielmehr die vielen kleinen Momente des Erwachens eines jungen Geistes die hier auf einen warten. Es sind Einträge eines Mädchens, das Fragen an die Welt stellt, ohne viele Antworten zu erhalten. Ich verstehe, warum einige diese Tagebücher aus der Kindheit als langweilig empfinden, denn wie Nin selbst mit 16 beschreibt, folgt ihr Schreiben nicht den Regeln eines Romans, der einem bestimmten Prinzip folgt, sondern richtet sich wie Briefe an ihren treuesten Freund: das Tagebuch.
Mich persönlich haben diese Einträge in so vielen Etappen ergriffen und mitgerissen. Allein schon die Möglichkeit, ihre Gedankengänge nachzuvollziehen und an ihrem Leben teilhaben zu können, ist beeindruckend. Da dies erst mein zweites Buch von Nin ist (nach „Delta of Venus“), stelle ich mir nun Fragen, wie es weitergeht: Was erlebt dieses junge Mädchen, und welche Schlüsse zieht sie aus diesen Erlebnissen? Wie gestaltet sich der Weg, begonnen mit der Liebe zu Gott, hin zur Lust am Schreiben, am Leben und, nun ja, auch am Lieben? Ich kann es wirklich kaum erwarten, mehr von ihr zu lesen.
May 21, 2023
It is difficult to engage with this book in the beginning. A diary written by an eleven year old girl (a precocious and intelligent one, but still) is trying to read. But, by the time she reaches fifteen you begin to see the writer she becomes. And her description of the fire on a cold night is magical, pure poetry. Worth the effort to read.
January 13, 2024
Wonderful insight into Nin's early years, her family, and the progression of her writing skills. Looking forward to reading the next three volumes of this, together with the five mature journals/diaries that I haven't read yet.
November 14, 2007
Oh, I LOVE Anais Nin! This is a must for any Anais Nin fan. I wish I had started with this years ago, to see her progression. It is fantastically written; even as a young teenager, she is an excellent and captivating writing. You can see her skill and it was not boring by any means; her life has an adventure to it, a novel-like quality like her later diaries do. (What happens next with Prince Marcus? Will Papa come over? What will happen with Maman's business?) I highly recommend this fabulous diary.
August 27, 2013
Very interesting to read such young thoughts from Anais Nin, whose adult impressions have been such a big part of my adult life. I liked seeing her development and am excited to read more of the early diaries of her late teens and early twenties, as I have only read the ones starting in the early 1930s, about ten years after this one. At times this volume could be a bit repetitive, but that makes sense given that it is the day to day of a child's life.
April 4, 2008
Those of you who do not know who she is, for one she was a lover of Henry Miller.
Henry Miller, well hmmm... Wikipedia him.
She started her diary early, age eleven.
This is a great prerequisite to foundate her latter writings.
I'm so excited!
I'm enraptured at the moment and am deleting all current readings. Yeah.
Henry Miller, well hmmm... Wikipedia him.
She started her diary early, age eleven.
This is a great prerequisite to foundate her latter writings.
I'm so excited!
I'm enraptured at the moment and am deleting all current readings. Yeah.
November 28, 2011
What's a polite way to admit that these diary entries are, you know, kind of boring? What did you expect? Anaïs was just a baby. Still, pretty exciting moment there when she realises she is no longer ugly. I'll stop this review now, because as she notes, "people who complain are good for nothing in the world. And pessimists are monsters!"
February 18, 2008
Voyeurism at its best. A study on the psychological landscape of young womanhood. Nin is a born writer - even these diary entries, some as early as nine years old, are concise, beautifully detailed and filled with piercing vulnerability.
Read
November 20, 2013Not terribly interesting, but I realize she was very young when writing this. Considering her age at the time of writing, it's fairly well written. I am willing to read another book of her when she is older.
August 21, 2010
Reading the earliest diaries of Ms. Nin was enjoyable. I would recommend them only to fanatics, however.
August 18, 2011
I need to re-read this - formative.
Want to read
March 16, 2008If Sarah has not led me astray THIS time....
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews