This is fun to read—and a rare pleasure, too, since the importance of perfume advertising means that one doesn’t often get to read strong criticism of multimillion-dollar-earning fragrances. The joy of Turin and Sanchez’s book, however, is their ability to write about smell in a way that manages to combine the science of the subject with the vocabulary of scent in witty, vivid descriptions of what these smells are like. Their work is, quite simply, ravishingly entertaining, and it passes the high test that their praise is even more compelling than their criticism.
— John Lanchester reviews the upcoming book by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, Perfumes: The Guide. Read more in Scents and Sensibility in The New Yorker.
I was already champing at the bit for this book which I've got on pre order from Amazon (along with most readers of NST I expect!) but now my impatience knows no limits! A great article, thanks for the link, Robin. The review of Lanvin's Rumeur and Lancome's Tresor had me in stitches. And what a good point the article's author makes about vocabulary in matters of taste/smell. How the romantic can be cliquey and the point based, devoid of, well, humanity I suppose.
Dear heavens, only about 48 days more to go. I have to say, as much as I've enjoyed doing them, I won't miss my crummy translations from French using the 1994 Guide. Sounds like the new version is right on target for me, unsurprisingly: hate Princess, all the Carolina Herreras and Amarige (the baby spilled my sister-in-law's mini and she still smells like the stuff 8 weeks later. Good thing I love her.) Adore Tresor despite myself, love Opium but never wear it…. So glad to see a great review prominently in the media – but have the problem all perfumistas probably have: the goes on too long introducing the “perfumes CAN be reviewed” part as well as the “miracle of chemicals” bit. Normally, I enjoy reading about wine, but I was getting impatient, there.
“Lanvin’s Rumeur gets a one-word review: “Baseless.”
Hilarious. Can't wait to get this book. Thanks for the article!
The Rumeur review is priceless, and it is a nice article all around. I love the New Yorker.
Erin, I skipped the wine part altogether, although I'll read it later when I catch up to that issue (I'm always at least a month behind on the New Yorker). All of the reviews sounded great — and I won't miss trying to translate the 1994 Guide either!
Baseless is perfect!
I skipped the wine part too. This book goes on my book-wishlist.
If I continue like this I can make wallpaper of all my wishlists..:D…wish I had my walls covered with Euros…
I KNEW it was bacon, LOL! Men and dogs. That's why I'm getting a bottle of Kolnisch Juchten, to drive 'em all wild!!!
What is Kolnisch Juchten??
You can read a review here:
http://tinyurl.com/36sn5m
I cracked up at the bacon 🙂
My wishlist is out of control too 🙂
Mamabear, bacon and saucages and fried eggs, that will distract almost all the men that I know for sure. Not any perfume will be capable to distract them from the b+s+e..
Life can be so basic.
Wish I was a grizlybear in N.W. Canada.
I agree – I can smell like the month of May…but if there is bacon frying, OH will run me over to get to it, LOL!
ummm…MW, help me out, here: why do you wish to be a grizzly in NW Canada!?
I know you said you were avoiding watching the Superbowl, but there was a great commercial in which a man learns to understand what animals are saying. Here's the youtube version:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sSZalSzLWBQ
Mamabear, you would long for the same…after having lived in the centre of a very old city like Prague for some years..
Have not yet been in NW Canada but it is one of my ultimate wishes..
Free nature, unspoiled landscape, fresh air, freedom of being there as whatever or whomever. I should have wished for being a squirl overthere instead of a grizzly bear.
MW, stay with the bear concept, which I kind of like:-) The higher up on the food chain, the more time you (usually) have to enjoy the view!
wonder what kind of perfume would suit bears? maybe something with a juniper note…or blackberry?
A dear friend just left for Prague this morning ! I'm sure visiting is way different from daily living. I love old cities (like Bruges)but that may be a function of living in US where no urban area is much older than 200 or so years. I guess the grass is always greener someplace else, eh? I have spent a bit of time in Canada, though not as far NW as I think you would like to be….I must admit that while it's beautiful it's not my cup of tea..I'm more of a Monaco or Italian Riviera kinda gal….
Mamabear, for the bears: L'Artisan Parfumeur, “Blackberries and Musc” and “La Chasse aux Papillons”.
There is something about Grizlies that appeals to me like the way they hang around at a river to catch some salmon, the way how they impress human beings… It's that they just have to be there and they simply are themselves and impressive by nature. It must be ' being high on the food chain too'.
I have very good feelings about bears.
Mamabear, and I hope that your friend has a very good time in Prague. Hope that she knows that taking streetcars no. 20 and 22 in the very centre is hazardous because of the many pickpockets. Hope that she doesn't carry some handbag but puts everything important close to her body in her coat or the pockets of her jeans. And of course she has to know the phonenr. of the American Embassy in case of any emergency. Police and other emergencies have phonenr.: 112 and NOT: 911.
You a Monaco kind of girl…? For some reason I thought of Paris and yes the Cote d'Azur and then of course the Italian Riviera.
Monaco that is Lamborghini's, overtipping, paying too much for even the basic needs in life. ;D
what a great article. It's true about the bacon too.
I LOVE Paris. Got my purse picked on the Pont Neuf, first time I was there. They didn't get my wallet – they got my cosmetic bag! Oh, no!!!!!! Luckily Galleries Lafeyette was still open. Can't go to dinner without eyeliner. I don't think of Paris this time of year because it's still too cold for me – I love Paris in late September,early October. Perfection! La Cote is just starting to wake up after its winter snooze…
Monaco is just…silly..but in a lovely, fun way. It's one of those places where you really can see what an excess of money and a limited amount of taste can do (n.b. to any Monagasque reading this: not YOU, the folks who visit you:-)…but it is pretty.
You need to get out of Prague for awhile and come visit us here in the States…or we can meet at the Hotel Splendido, in Portofino (don't get me started…)
I'll pass on your invaluable Prague info, though she's relatively travel-savvy (I don't know where she carries her valuables – her purse is incredibly heavy – it would take the Incredible Hulk to lift it. In fact a little kid in Morocco tried to boost it off her shoulder and nearly fell over!LOL!!!)
btw – I love your idea for bear-oriented fragrances. You'd be the best-smelling bear in the woods!!
Mamabear, I do hope to come to the States someday. Can you imagine that I lived in Toronto ON for 6 years and never crossed the southern border..>”< Well had plans to go to NYC amongst others but then the unfortunate thing happened at 9/11 and after that the atmosphere just did not feel right. Heard too many stories from people who had to go to the neighbours in the south and who had a very hard time to cross it for whatever reasons. Then I decided that Canada was still big enough a place to enjoy and the atmosphere there was less tensed. I flew over the us of a to the Dominican Republic. That was very pleasant but a resort felt somehow like a ghetto for the wealthy and just travelling around was not a good idea. Hotel Splendido in Portofino is a wonderful idea. I guess that you have been there. This summer my DH and I plan to go to Italy this summer, yes just south of Genua or to the French/Italian Border, Menton. First we go back to Venice in May for a week. Venice is not a very long drive from Prague. Oh well just wait untill we are in april-may and by then the climate will feel a lot warmer. BTW also lived in Morocco in the '80s and can so very well imagine your friend being robbed from her too heavy bag..and the thief dragging it with him as fast as he could... life can be so hard for tourists...;) I guess that 'my way out' for the moment is enjoying all the lovely and wonderful perfumes and discovering them is also a bit like travelling.
I love Venice. Well, that's not true – I love parts of Venice. I love to pop over to Venice from Lido (I love the louche feel of the Hotel des Bains – I keep expecting Claude Rains to come down the stairs!). Venice itself creeps me out if I'm there for any length of time ( it's been 9000 years since I've been there, alas).
I don't get to go anywhere any more. All I do is work. Hoping that changes for the better, soon.
That poor little thief didn't get that bag – he couldn't hoist it up far enough! A atrapping friend of my friend simply took the kid by the scruff of the neck and removed the straps from his now-numb hands. Then he let him go. They figured he'd suffered enough, just trying to get the bag, LOL!
You've lived in some lovely places! I miss living in and going to interesting and lovely places….
Need it NOW.
LOL — very cute!
Yep.
Wish I had one to give to you.