My grandmother wore Shalimar, perhaps the most famous Guerlain perfume. The first notes of Vol de Nuit are of my grandmother, and beneath that, a scent that is evocative of spaces and surfaces from a lost era. Too bad that grandmother so often recalls a woman whose femininity has become a burden or joke (pink bedroom slippers, doilies). My grandmother smelled like the time when deep-pile carpet was luxury and Lucite was the future. She smelled like the high polish of wood waxed regularly. So does Vol de nuit, and then it lifts right off.
— Julia Berick examines four perfumes inspired by novels. Read more at The Scent of a Novel at The Paris Review. Hat tip to Kevin!
Books as perfume! My two loves so imaginatively combined
🙂
Loved reading this article – thank you!
I really loved the article, and I understand how the author feels after she finishes a book or has spent so much time immersed in one. You’re not ready to move on yet and sometimes feel like a changed person after reading it. That’s how I felt after reading Donna Tartt’s The Secret History last year. The article also made me sad for not having read any of the books she wrote about.
Only thing is I hope they’ll correct Christopher Brosius’s name. They referred to him as Christian.
I felt the same about the article, and The Secret History!
De-lurking to say I LOVED the article,especially of course because PoaL features!✌????❤️
2nd on both!
And now l must try A Room With A View by CB.