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The Quotable Anais Nin: 365 Quotations with Citations
365 quotations from the work of diarist/novelist Anais Nin (1903-1977). The book is divided into five categories (Lust for Life, Love and Sensuality, Consciousness, Women and Men, Writing and Art) and contains validated citations (book title and page number). Anais Nin's ability to say the unsayable has made her one of the leading inspirational writers whose work has been quoted millions of time. The Quotable Anais Nin collects not only her most popular quotations, but those never published before as well.
- GenresErotica
124 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2014
30 people are currently reading
185 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 27, 2017
As someone who admires Anaïs Nin and often quotes her, I have to say that Herron's book has it all. My only disappointment is that I didn't think of collecting and compiling Nin's quotes myself!
The book includes 365 quotations and citations, all honoring one of my favorite writers and diarists.
As Herron says in his Introduction, when you Google Nin quotes, more than 480,000 websites appear, "making her one of the most oft-quoted authors on the web." In many cases, well-known individuals are often misquoted, but Herron avoids this by sharing the original source of each quote, making this a credible resource.
The book is divided into sections highlighting Nin's favorite subjects-lust for life, love and sensuality, consciousness, women and men, and writing and art. This is a valuable reference book and also a way to access all of Nin's other writings. Highly recommended.
The book includes 365 quotations and citations, all honoring one of my favorite writers and diarists.
As Herron says in his Introduction, when you Google Nin quotes, more than 480,000 websites appear, "making her one of the most oft-quoted authors on the web." In many cases, well-known individuals are often misquoted, but Herron avoids this by sharing the original source of each quote, making this a credible resource.
The book is divided into sections highlighting Nin's favorite subjects-lust for life, love and sensuality, consciousness, women and men, and writing and art. This is a valuable reference book and also a way to access all of Nin's other writings. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2021
As someone who is very familiar with and very fond of Anais Nin such as myself this book is absolutely perfect! This would also be a great introduction to exploring Nin's philosophy, writing style, and personality which would be useful in aiding your decision to read more (and you should!)
This book has it all. So many quotes that felt like they were pulled from my own thoughts or wrapped around my own heart. I rarely feel such a connection to an author as I did through reading The Quotable Anais Nin. There are many quotes floating around the net claiming to have been taken from Anais Nin that are simply unfounded, otherwise sourced to other writers, and some that are incomplete or misworded. If you care about reading the actual thoughts on life this collection is calling your name!
This book has it all. So many quotes that felt like they were pulled from my own thoughts or wrapped around my own heart. I rarely feel such a connection to an author as I did through reading The Quotable Anais Nin. There are many quotes floating around the net claiming to have been taken from Anais Nin that are simply unfounded, otherwise sourced to other writers, and some that are incomplete or misworded. If you care about reading the actual thoughts on life this collection is calling your name!
March 8, 2018
Fantastic! Like reading the mind of a poetic Einstein
Anais Nin captures what we think, and dare not say. She’s whimsical, wildly honest and in love all at the same time. You can almost HEAR her reflections, as if she’s writing only for herself and you get the inside view of a true artist. Brilliant read.
Anais Nin captures what we think, and dare not say. She’s whimsical, wildly honest and in love all at the same time. You can almost HEAR her reflections, as if she’s writing only for herself and you get the inside view of a true artist. Brilliant read.
March 26, 2022
Limited selection of interesting, self-absorbed quotes--often quite brief--with sources cited. Occasionally meaningful.
July 21, 2025
sooo many gems
December 1, 2025
I love ha
October 18, 2020
Anis Nin is revered as erotic for her writings. She is raw in her word choice yet powerful in so many ways. She has the courage to say what we as women are thinking but too afraid to vocalize.
March 26, 2016
“The Quotable Anais Nin” is a dream book for every Nin fan. It is a collection of 365 Nin quotes – one for each day of the year. The quotes are compiled from her diaries released many years ago but also from 2013's “Mirages” and the soon-to-be-released “Trapeze,” which was a pleasant surprise!
As I read through the first pages, I quickly became absorbed in Nin's life and fascinating mind as I was reminded of the larger works the quotes are culled from. Once I found myself again swept into Nin's world, I couldn't put the book down.
Nearly daily, I come across Nin's quotes on the web. Some are incredibly Tweet-worthy:
“With a hammer and nails, paint, soap, money, typewriter, cookbook, douche bags, I created a dream.”
Others are so deep, you get lost inside them and feel you are reading a literary novel as opposed to a quotes book:
“You live this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book...or you take a trip...and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death. Some never awaken.”
Nin was a deep thinker and revolutionary, not only for her time but even for today. It took guts to live as she chose to – not conforming to society's rules according to how a woman is supposed to think, feel and behave. Nin wrote fiction but is primarily remembered for her diaries. Diary writing in general is criticized as self-indulgent, but Nin defends this theory:
“People think this exploration of self is self-centered and selfish, but I notice that whenever I clear up something for myself it quickly affects everyone around me, as if it were a psychic liberation which in turn affects others' conflicts...It is more powerful than the self-sacrifice of the so-called selfless ones.”
Nin wrote her diaries to heal herself, but by doing so, she healed those she cared about in her life and also all of us diary readers in the future. “The Quotable Anais Nin” is not only a satisfying read for those already familiar with her but is the perfect place to start for those just developing an interest for this unique, talented, and forever complex woman.
As I read through the first pages, I quickly became absorbed in Nin's life and fascinating mind as I was reminded of the larger works the quotes are culled from. Once I found myself again swept into Nin's world, I couldn't put the book down.
Nearly daily, I come across Nin's quotes on the web. Some are incredibly Tweet-worthy:
“With a hammer and nails, paint, soap, money, typewriter, cookbook, douche bags, I created a dream.”
Others are so deep, you get lost inside them and feel you are reading a literary novel as opposed to a quotes book:
“You live this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book...or you take a trip...and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death. Some never awaken.”
Nin was a deep thinker and revolutionary, not only for her time but even for today. It took guts to live as she chose to – not conforming to society's rules according to how a woman is supposed to think, feel and behave. Nin wrote fiction but is primarily remembered for her diaries. Diary writing in general is criticized as self-indulgent, but Nin defends this theory:
“People think this exploration of self is self-centered and selfish, but I notice that whenever I clear up something for myself it quickly affects everyone around me, as if it were a psychic liberation which in turn affects others' conflicts...It is more powerful than the self-sacrifice of the so-called selfless ones.”
Nin wrote her diaries to heal herself, but by doing so, she healed those she cared about in her life and also all of us diary readers in the future. “The Quotable Anais Nin” is not only a satisfying read for those already familiar with her but is the perfect place to start for those just developing an interest for this unique, talented, and forever complex woman.
December 3, 2017
This was one of the more interesting daily reading books I have gone through. Some of the quotes are quite pithy, others more abstract and obtuse (but perhaps I just didn't spend enough time thinking about them). In any case Anais Nin functions and thinks on a very deeply emotional level, which was a nice challenge for me as I went through the book.
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January 17, 2019Beautifully produced ...thought provoking.
Anais Nin is a legend as she challenges our consciousness. Her writing is transformative.
Anais Nin is a legend as she challenges our consciousness. Her writing is transformative.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews