Reviews

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

tamarant4's review

hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

...perfumers are always attempting to capture scents that remind us of certain places, people, moments. It’s the great challenge, to capture not only a true scent but one that recalls entire experience. [p. 191]

Grace Monroe doesn't fit well into her new role as the wife of a businessman in 1950s London. When she receives a letter telling her she's inherited a flat in Paris (not to mention a substantial share portfolio) she jumps at the chance to escape for a while: but who was Eva d'Orsey, and why would she bequeath anything to Grace? The puzzle takes us from Jazz Age New York to Monte Carlo, to wartime Paris and rural Oxfordshire, and to the flat of a mysterious woman known as Madam Zed, once a famous perfumier.

The nature of Eva's connection with Grace was fairly clear (at least to me) from quite early in the book, but that didn't spoil the slow revelation of the story, and Grace's gradual realisation that her future is in her own hands. I liked her rather prickly relationship with her French lawyer, and her friendship with Mallory. Tessaro writes about the career of a twentieth-century perfumier in fascinating detail: I loved the plot device of having Grace smell three perfumes, each of which evoked a period of Eva's life.

I bought this back in 2015, having enjoyed Elegance, by the same author, a while before that: it has languished in my TBR until this year, when I noticed the title whilst looking for a book to fill the 'bibliosmia' prompt on the 52 books in 2024 challenge. And yes, I still like Tessaro's prose, and her braided timelines, and her young women learning who they are. However, this book badly needs a copy-edit: 'avant guarde', 'free reign'... grrr.

herperfume's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

gracefullypunk's review against another edition

4.0

Really enjoyed this find. Of course, it was rather obvious, the connection between the main characters, a generation apart, but the story telling was lovely. Having a near-fantatical love of perfume also helps, and it was interesting to read about how perfumes are made, and to have the central focus of the story be such an unusual, yet compelling object.

katejacks's review against another edition

4.0

Even though the "mystery" about this book is a little predictable, it is still definitely a worthwhile read. A woman unhappy in her marriage finds out she is the heir to a vast wealth from a stranger? Definitely had me interested. The author uses a lot of description which almost painted a picture with her words (forgive my cheesiness but it is true). I'd definitely check it out especially if you are a fan of historical fiction.

alexandra_medley1995's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

agbrom73's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kirsto515's review against another edition

mysterious

4.25

Quick and enjoyable  read with mystery and a strong woman character that survives a ton of shit. Great Paris backdrop too. 

roseangel2's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The back of my book read " best book of the year - good housekeeping". How many books does good housekeeping review? I'm not sure, but it made me laugh every time I saw it. Honestly a sweet read, very smooth and easy to read. Great descriptions of smell, very evocative. Is it surprising? No. A huge twist? No. But a bittersweet vaguely hopeful feel good story? Definitely. Worth the time to read just because of how well it reads and how well the characters are written.

cgharbison's review against another edition

4.0

This book fascinated me. I think it's probably because I have always been intrigued by scent and scent memory. I love that when I smell a certain chapstick, it takes me back to the summer I spent in Italy, to an unseasonably cool day filled with rain and baked goods. I love that some scents I can't even place, but I know they remind me of being young, carefree, and happy. I have long loved perfumes, and I cannot pass a counter without smelling them all. The connection between scent, memory, and emotions is incredibly interesting.

This book, like perfume, was enticing, sensual, and emotion-filled. I truly enjoyed the two main story lines and the characters. It's probably a book I will re-read in the future.

kateyroa's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Meh. The narrator was fabulous. She moved between French, English and Russian accents flawlessly. 
The story was weirdly edited. There are three main stories here and they didn’t get the same weight in their telling. 
This was a slow moving book.