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I have a love-hate relationship with Anaïs Nin, I find her an exquisite writer but her narcissism at times makes her unbearable to read. Her books are addictive though - I'm fascinated with the life she lead and the circle of friends she kept. A part of me is envious of the life she had (except for the incest part), yet at the same time she is so self-absorbed it's infuriating, however this is a diary and diaries are self-absorbed: that is the point. She has an excellent way of conveying emotions and writes with explicit sensuality. There are not many writers out there who write with such "sincerity" (I put this in inverted commas because while I feel she has the ability to write with raw honesty, and genuinely does at times, I'm aware she heavily edited these diaries), and her style has heavily influenced my own writing too. She's a writer who is unique and fascinating, but I can only take her in small doses - perhaps once a year.

Out of her diaries would this be my favourite one? I think "Henry and June" is the best, because I find her more honest to herself since that was a story of self- discovery, whereas "Fire" is more an exploration of decadence and there is a sense of superiority in this diary compared to her older ones. She passes between relationships and seems to take nothing away from them. However, in saying that it's an essential addition to the Nin diary collection, and for those who are making their way through the diaries it's an important part. Maybe I can judge the woman and form an inconsistent opinion of her, from being admirable to irritating, yet as a writer she's brilliant, and there is no course for discussion there.