Writing about perfume, and smells in general, is one of the greatest challenges for a journalist/author: how to evoke scents, with words…? But over the years, quite a few have done so very, very successfully. And if you want to build a ‘perfume bookshelf’, to deepen your knowledge of perfumery, start here…
We’ve awarded each title stars out of five, as a guide to which we think are the most important, and the all-round best reads. Nothing less than a three-star book is feataured here, though – so we reckon any of them are a worthwhile read.
As you become ever-more-obsessed (and we know how that feels), you may want to add to your collection – and of course, we’ll add to this section whenever new releases catch our eye…
We’d always prefer you support an independent bookstore rather than One-Clicking on Amazon – these indie stores can happily order most in-print books. However, in a super-busy world, we know it isn’t always practical. (And if you’re happy to buy secondhand – most titles are available via Amazon – this does often support smaller bookstores.)
Looking for out-of-print perfume titles in secondhand bookstores can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, meanwhile. If you’re in a hurry, we generally recommend abebooks.com, which links thousands of secondhand bookstores around the world, while Amazon can be a source for remaindered books…
Catherine Maxwell: Scents &Sensibility: Perfume in Victorian Literary Culture
Scents & Sensibility: Perfume in Victorian Literary Culture, by Catherine Maxwell
We're honoured that Catherine has been a Perfume Society subscriber pretty much since day one, so when we heard she'd published a book, we couldn't wait to get our hands on it. And even more wonderful was the realisation that her choice of subject tied together two of our greatest loves – perfume and books. Delving deep into literary culture, she explores the myriad ways writers have been influenced and inspired by perfume, and how scent can become an invisible 'character' or reflect the inner workings of an actual character's mind. More than that – the way a writer describes and uses scent can give us an insight into their own personality. We were particularly fascinated by how outrageously catty Virginia Woolf, for example, could be!
Catherine's inclusions from her personal diaries and correspondence reveal Woolf loathed strong perfumes, and had very exacting opinions about those women who wore it (we feel she definitely wouldn't have approved of us!) On meeting the writer Katherine Mansfield, Maxwell relates, Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary that she wished 'that one's first impression of K.M. was not that she stinks like a civet cat that had taken to street walking.' Later, Maxwell cites Woolf's further biting comments regarding overly scented women, quoting an occasion Woolf condemned some women she'd met in the library, saying 'A more despicable set of creatures I never saw. They come in furred like seals and scented like civets.' Don't hold back, Virginia – what do you really think?! Further writers and their works are examined – from Oscar Wilde – Catherine also draws on a wealth of contemporary material such as ettiquette guides, advertising, beauty manuals and perfumer's guides. Altogether, it's the most eye-opening account – a scented snapshot of perhaps the greatest literary period in history – and a must-read for anyone who loves literature and wants to enhance their sensorial understanding (and enjoyment of literature.
Cult Perfumes: The World’s Most Expensive Perfumeries
Cult Perfumes: The World’s Most Expensive Perfumeries, by Tessa Williams. Cult, or ‘niche’, perfumes have become a massive fragrance trend – but surprisingly, until now there’s been no book dedicated to them. Scottish journalist Tessa has sniffed out 25 of the world’s ‘cult’ fragrance houses, talking to their ‘noses’ (or creative directors), and visiting their stores, from Santa Maria Novella through to London’s Floris. (Although having said that, being a British author, Scottish journalist Tessa does put a strong emphasis on UK brands like Grossmith and Ormonde Jayne). Once you’ve read this coffee table book, we kind of defy you not to start planning a tour of the perfumeries she mentions. It’s a great starting point.
