• About
  • Login to comment
    • Bluesky
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Archives

NST book club in October: Remembering Smell by Bonnie Blodgett

Posted by Cheryl on 3 September 2010 23 Comments

Remembering Smell book coverauthor Bonnie Blodgett

I recently heard an interview with Bonnie Blodgett (shown above right), who wrote a memoir about the experience of losing and rediscovering the sense of smell. I am intrigued, and have placed this book at the top of my reading list.

If you, too, have read or are planning to read Remembering Smell, let's chat about it. How about an October book club? Any takers? I will post a brief review of the book, along with a few questions, on Monday, October 18. Please join us to share your thoughts and reactions to the book!

The book is easy to find: here are links to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Remembering Smell: A Memoir of Losing--and Discovering--the Primal Sense
By Bonnie Blodgett
Hardcover, 256 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Filed Under: perfume books
Tagged With: anosmia, book club, olfaction

Advertisement


23 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. becca b says:
    3 September 2010 at 12:14 pm

    I, too, heard this interview. Quite fascinating.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:53 am

      I hope you get a chance to read the book!

      Log in to Reply
  2. kaos.geo says:
    3 September 2010 at 12:54 pm

    This is very VERY interesting.
    One of my favourite singers ever, Michael Hutchence from INXS, lost his sense of smell after a very violent fight (he got hit in the head).

    After that he went in a downward spiral that ended with his suicide.
    I am not saying that losing his smell DIRECTLY made him suicidal, just that MANY times I wondered, after reading what happened to him, how completely loosing my sense of smell would affect me, not only preventing me from smelling fragrances, but also from enjoying food, the smell of the country, the beach.

    Many people live with sensory handicaps, like loosing sight or hearing, and that is well documented and fairly common (of course I wish no one had to suffer that) and there is specific training for people to overcome their disabilities and become productive and functional. As usual, smell is so underrated that there is no “training” at all to overcome this. Imagine eating food that is already rotten, or having a moment where your deodorant has “abandoned” you and not realizing… Well I could go on. I will read this book if I get the time, perhaps on my next vacation next month.

    Log in to Reply
    • nozknoz says:
      3 September 2010 at 9:12 pm

      “As usual, smell is so underrated that there is no “training” at all to overcome this.” Very interesting observation, Kaos!

      Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:55 am

      What a sad story. And +1 for what Nozknoz said.

      Log in to Reply
  3. aimiliona says:
    3 September 2010 at 1:53 pm

    James Herriott talks about a dog with such terrible gastrointestial problems that nobody could stand to be near him–until he was adopted by a man who had lost his sense of smell.

    Log in to Reply
    • moon_grrl says:
      3 September 2010 at 2:12 pm

      Yes! The flatulent dog was first owned by Mrs Pumphrey, who bought him to be friends with Trickey-Woo. 🙂

      Log in to Reply
      • L says:
        3 September 2010 at 8:04 pm

        Oh yes! Trickey Woo! I read that series as a teen and loved them.

        Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:56 am

      That’s a new one to me! Thanks!

      Log in to Reply
  4. FOandW_oh_my says:
    3 September 2010 at 2:40 pm

    I have to find out more and see how much of her experience parallels my own. I am definitely reading this one.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:57 am

      Glad you’ll be joining. I’d love to hear about your own experience,

      Log in to Reply
  5. Sniffing Around says:
    3 September 2010 at 4:47 pm

    This sounds very interesting. My grandmother lost her sense of smell and while we never talked about it, I’ve often wondered since what it was like for her. I lost my sense of smell for a few days after a bad sinus infection a few years ago and it was incredibly distressing–even though it was in my pre-perfume-obsession life, not being able to smell food and other things created a kind of low-level panic in me. And I was tremendously relieved when my ability to smell returned. I’ll definitely pick up the book, and would enjoy taking part in a discussion about it.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:58 am

      Sounds like she never even mentioned it much?

      Log in to Reply
  6. HemlockSillage says:
    3 September 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Thank you for letting us know about this. It was a great interview. The idea is completely fascinating (and scary), and I will look for the book. A friend of mine has no sense of smell, and his enjoyment of food is so different. Texture is very important, and figures prominently in food descriptions with him.

    I look forward to the book, and to the discussion here, at NST.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:59 am

      Texture, of course. But still…

      Log in to Reply
  7. L says:
    3 September 2010 at 8:08 pm

    This sounds like a great read. I’ll be back for the discussion in October.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 7:59 am

      Great! See you soon!

      Log in to Reply
  8. jorid says:
    4 September 2010 at 5:20 am

    I temporarily lost my sense of smell because of a cold I had a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn’t say it made me depressed, but it wasnt exactly uplifting either. Even though you don’t use your sense of smell as actively as you do with your eyes and touch, it still has a presence. When I got my sense of smell back one evening, I could feel in all of me how much happier I became. I could smell perfume, soap, food, my apartment – it was fantastic!

    Log in to Reply
  9. Cheryl says:
    4 September 2010 at 1:02 pm

    I am intrigued by all of your own stories (you , friends relatives)) of temporary and permanent loss of the sense of smell. I have not experienced it . I so look forward to reading and discussing the book!

    Log in to Reply
  10. Haunani says:
    4 September 2010 at 5:28 pm

    Cheryl – I’m in! Thanks for posting this.

    Log in to Reply
    • Cheryl says:
      5 September 2010 at 8:00 am

      Yay!

      Log in to Reply
  11. 50_Roses says:
    4 September 2010 at 10:09 pm

    I am definitely planning to read this. The sense of smell is surely the most underappreciated of our senses. Being quite vulnerable to respiratory infections, I have frequently experienced a temporary loss of smell. The most recent experience was shortly after hearing the interview mentioned above, and it gave me quite a turn. Although I have always recovered fully (including my sense of smell) within a few weeks, I began to contemplate what it would be like if my sense of smell did not return. I could not appreciate perfume; food would lose its appeal; working in my garden–one of my greatest joys in life–would not be nearly as satisfying without the myriad scents of nature–there is the wonderful scent of the flowers and herbs in my garden, of course, but beyond that there is the fresh green scent of leaves and the earthy sweetness of damp soil. Would I feel as clean after a shower if I could not smell the soap and shampoo? Would freshly laundered linens and clothes be as pleasurable if they did not smell clean? Would going to the beach ever be as much fun without the salty smell of the sea air? As it was, it took about a week for my sense of smell to start to recover, and I was absolutely elated when it did.

    Log in to Reply
  12. Cheryl says:
    5 September 2010 at 8:02 am

    Scary!
    And, yes, the sense is so under-appreciated.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

12 July ~ summer reading poll

 

 

Back to Top

Home
Archives
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2025 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.