Anaïs Nin wrote novels, short stories, literary criticism, and erotica, but her controversial diary is by far her most well-known and celebrated creation. Her diary was her life's work, and although her novels and short stories were published as fiction, they were largely autobiographical. The original diary spanned some 35,000 pages in 150 handwritten volumes, and the first volume of her diary (
The Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1934) was published in 1966. It was hailed as a breakthrough work of art by feminists and literary critics.
In Nin's edited diaries, most of which were published during her lifetime, she portrayed a liberated, successful female artist. She was a role model to many women who considered themselves members of the new feminist movement, and others who did not. But
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Citation: Darcy, Heather. "Anais Nin". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3345, accessed 21 November 2024.]
