The Perfume Collector
Ratings12
Average rating3.4
A remarkable novel about secrets, desire, memory, passion, and possibility. Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from a complete stranger, Madame Eva d’Orsey, Grace is drawn to uncover the identity of her mysterious benefactor. Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers is that of an extraordinary women who inspired one of Paris’s greatest perfumers. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is. The Perfume Collector explores the complex and obsessive love between muse and artist, and the tremendous power of memory and scent.
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Just when I thought the characters were hopelessly awful people, they surprised me with some goodness.
4.5 stars
Immediate thoughts: Well that was just extremely beautifully written.. going on my favorites list.. Right. Now.
Actual review: I'm extraordinarily in love with The Perfume Collector. It is so romantically whimsical. I felt transported to another place and time - and it was about time - I read so many mediocre books in January that I was beginning to forget that feeling of getting lost in books. The world of Paris and perfume is romanticized so perfectly.. I mean... just look:
Perfume should tell a story - of who you are, who you might be, perhaps even of who you fear becoming.Perhaps, it's an invitation. Maybe we need to literally come to our senses, to return to our sense of taste, touch, sight, smell, hearing and find sustenance in them, inspiration. Life is, after all, a sexual experience. Our senses have the power to truly transport us but also to ground us. Make us human.You could be laughing in public yet wear, right on the surface of your skin, a perfume ripe with longing, dripping with regret, shining with hope, all at the same time.He dreamt in smells, he heard music in colours.
The story of Grace receiving a surprise inheritance from Eva d'Orsey is perfectly woven with the chapters of Eva's past as Grace is trying to figure out who Eva is and why she left her everything. The entire book is a scavenger hunt with the perfect amount of detail. Eva was a brazen, independent woman as you find out through her chapters, and Grace is trying to learn how to be the woman that she feels instead on the social elite that everyone, including her husband, wants her to be. There are underlying themes of finding your place in life and following your heart that I really connected with.
There were also a couple of small twists/surprises in the story that made me grin because of how perfect they were, how Eva fit into Grace's life in ways you wouldn't expect. The plot was just so well thought out and developed. I loved every minute of reading this story. It's full of so much passion, from all the characters involved.
I can honestly say that I have never been interested in going to Paris, but this book actually makes me want to go. This book is magic. I will be reading it again soon, and I can't wait for Tessaro's next book.
For all of these reasons, I highly recommend that you go read this. NOW.
Sidenote: There were an unusual amount of technical errors which is why I can't justify a full 5-star rating... leaving out a/the.. slight mispellings, etc. I don't usually find these type of errors to be too distracting, especially when I'm already enjoying the book so much, but if you are that kind of person... you have been warned.
This review is also posted on Great Minds Read Alike.
