Trapeze: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1947–1955

Trapeze is Anaïs Nin's uncensored diary covering the years 1947-1955, published posthumously in 2017. The text documents a pivotal period in Nin's life as she navigates between two marriages and two continents. This volume contains Nin's private reflections on her relationships, creative work, and the challenges of maintaining dual lives in New York and California. Her entries detail encounters with artists, writers, and other cultural figures of the post-war period while chronicling her own development as a writer. The diary represents a departure from Nin's previous published works, as it presents her experiences without the self-censorship that marked her earlier public writings. Editor Paul Herron's work brings forward material that remained private during Nin's lifetime. These writings explore themes of identity, artistic expression, and the complexities of human relationships through Nin's distinctly intimate perspective. The text provides insight into mid-20th century literary circles while examining questions of truth, fiction, and the nature of personal narrative.

Readers describe this volume as more intimate and revelatory than Nin's other diaries, with frequent discussions of her parallel romantic relationships. Many note it offers deeper psychological insights into her personal struggles and artistic development during this period. Likes: - Raw honesty about navigating complex relationships - Details about her writing process and creative inspirations - Historical context of literary Paris and New York - Quality of the prose and self-reflection Dislikes: - Some readers found it self-absorbed and morally questionable - Repetitive descriptions of romantic entanglements - Too much focus on relationships versus artistic work - Several reviewers note feeling exhausted by the constant drama Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (182 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) One frequent comment from positive reviews is that Nin's unflinching examination of her own motives and behaviors reads like an early form of autofiction. Critical reviews often cite moral fatigue with what one reader called "endless justifications for deception."

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath A woman's raw diary-like chronicle of her mental state and relationships in 1950s New York parallels Nin's confessional narrative style.

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath This collection of personal writings reveals a female writer's interior life and creative process during the same mid-century period as Nin's diaries.

The Andy Warhol Diaries by Andy Warhol These intimate diaries document the artistic and social scene of New York from the perspective of a cultural figure who moved in similar bohemian circles as Nin.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway This memoir of 1920s Paris captures the artistic expatriate community and romantic relationships that shaped Nin's early literary life.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed The author's personal journey of self-discovery through travel and introspection echoes Nin's exploration of female identity and personal transformation.

★ Nin pioneered the literary genre of "erotic memoir" and maintained multiple parallel diaries throughout her life - including a 'trap door diary' that contained her most private thoughts and experiences. ★ During the period covered in "Trapeze," Nin was living what she called her "bicoastal trapeze life" - secretly maintaining two marriages simultaneously, one to Hugh Guiler in New York and another to Rupert Pole in California. ★ The book's title "Trapeze" was chosen by Nin herself, reflecting both her emotional balancing act between two lives and her fascination with aerial performers as metaphors for living between worlds. ★ Many of the diary entries in this volume were intentionally kept private during Nin's lifetime to protect the people involved, and were only published decades after her death in 1977, following specific instructions she left. ★ While living this double life, Nin became close friends with notable figures of the time, including Henry Miller, Gore Vidal, and Edmund Wilson, whose appearances and interactions are documented throughout the diary.