Perfumes & Books

Although perfumes have taken up a significant portion of my (F28) time in recent months, I'm still a librarian at heart (it's also my day job). Books are everything to me and when I start fixating on a hobby like fragrances, I scour libraries to find great books (may they be fiction or non-fiction). I love reading about perfumes online, but nothing beats having a good book in your hands and reading it while curled up on your favorite sofa (or bed). This is why I've decided to make a list of books I have read where perfumes are the main star with a small review about them. I'll also be updating this article as I discover more relevant books and newer releases). Don't hesitate to drop your own suggestions in the comments below.

A few things to note before we get right into it. Here are the research elements I have restricted myself to. Fragrances are a huge subject that cross over with many different things which is why I'm trying to stick to fragrance as a main subject (668.54 for those who know librarian gibberish). I am thus avoiding anything having to do with aromatherapy, the art of making your own fragrances (DIY), essential oils and the like. I wanted my books to have fragrances, perfumes and scents as the main subjects. I also avoid books that are too old (pre-dating 2018). Why? If there's one thing that I've learned through all those years as a librairian, it's that things change and it's important to be kept updated with the latest books on a subject. I'm also in Canada, so I have less access to european books. I try to borrow books from the library, so they must be available at a library. Below you'll find my list of fiction and non-fiction books I have read up until now with a short review. A more detailed review can often be found on my book blog, although it's in french. If you have any questions about these suggestions, I'll be glad to answer them!

Fiction:

Le parfum: histoire d'un meurtrier by Patrick Süskind

If there is one classic in literature that every perfume enthusiasts should know about, it's this one. I initially discovered it while studying literature at my cegep and it's been in my book case ever since (long before perfumes began to interest me). It's a great story, a kind of upside down bildungsroman about a murderer that has a special power: his nose. We follow him on his quest as an apprentice perfumer and the descriptions about scent are quite realistic. It's a truly amazing book that also imparts knowledge about the craft that is perfume. It's a must for anyone who loves literary classics and books about perfumes.

Shadowscent (duology) by P. M. Freestone

Shadowscent is a YA oriented book and a duology. I remember loving the first one (although the second book disappointed me) because the mix between adventure, sense of wonder and perfumes was interesting. Rakel, the main character, is an apprentice perfumer and the descriptions she made about scent did remind me of Süskind's book (albeit for a yonger crowd). We're introduced to more Middle Eastern type of fragrances (rose water, orange blossom distilled oil, spices) and it's nice to see another culture that made perfume a part of their history. It's a duology better suited for a young public (I'd say 16-25 years old), but could be enjoyed by people who love fantasy and light YA.

Fragrances: la création d'un parfum by Élodie Font

One of the most beautiful comic book I have ever read. The story starts with Elodie Font, a journalist, wishing to report on perfumes and all that goes behind the process. She gets to meet Constant Viale who provides the matière première, Stéphane Piquart who hunts for new scents, Dominique Ropion who's a renowned nose and Pierre Dinand who's a designer of perfume bottles. We're also treated to a lovely visit at a niche store. The story is peppered with Font's thought about the art of perfumes as someone who recently got interested in this. I learned quite a lot of things while reading this beautiful comic book and many of those things have guided me on my journey. Short read, but lovely nonetheless!

Le parfum de l'impératrice (series) by Leslie Tanguy

I've loved reading this duology. The author has clearly mastered the lexical field of perfumery as every description evoked clear scents in my head. Author did put a lot of emphasis on the sense of smell during the first book (a little less during the second book), but I've got to say the story was also interesting. A nice blend of adventure, suspense and steampunk, with a good dose of perfumery. The series is geared towards young adults, but I've got to say anybody could read it and find something in it!

Non-fiction:

La grande histoire du parfum by Élisabeth de Feydeau

The history of perfumes throughout the ages is closely examined in this marvelous book à la Larousse. We're treated to a lot of information and many styles of pictures from different cultures and places. It's almost like reading an encylopedia on perfumes. Quite a complete book and one that made me enjoy the deep history perfume has. From Antiquity to Modern times, Larousse explores it all and even mentions the houses and names of people who have elevated perfumes to an art form. Quite interesting!

Les cent onze parfums qu'il faut sentir avant de mourir by Nez culture

I love Nez culture and their books. I can sense there's a lot of attention to details and a lot of love behind every tidbits of information gathered in this book. I'm sure not everyone will agree on the perfumes featured in this book, but Nez does a great job in explaining why each perfume had an impact in perfume history and why it has its place in their book. The images are lovely, simple, yet elegant, with a nice color palette. First time I read the book, I wanted to smell them all. It'a aa lovely book for anyone wishing to relive perfume history or anybody who's on the hunt for a new (or classic) perfume.

Le grand livre du parfum : pour une culture olfactive / The big book of perfume by Nez culture

This book takes you on a tour through the whole process of perfumes from the first idea to the complete product. It's a well-rounded book even though it sometimes can get a bit more technical for amateurs. There are two versions of this book and I suggest you get the newest version (2020) as it features interviews by specialists in the field which is a great added value! Chapters are well divided between subjects and there's no need to read it from beginning to end. You can immediately skip to what interests you the most. 

De la plante à l'essence: un tour du monde des matières à parfum / From plant to essence by Nez & Simppar

The most recent book I have acquired. Will be posting my review once I'm finished reading it!

Perfumes: The Guide 2018 by Luca Turin & Tania Sanche

A great read! Loved Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's writing style and loved reading about known and unknown (to me) perfumes. The authors make this book accessible to the more knowledgeable people, but also to the newcomers. It's a book best read in short snippets: comparing Turin's review with Parfumo's database is always fun. I loved reading the introduction and having a glossary at the end of the book. You can read more about my impressions of this book here.

Parfum : de l'essence au flacon by Collectif

This is one of the most complete book I've read on the subject of fragrances I recommend it to everyone. Every aspect of the world of fragrances is covered in this book. I loved seeing all the different styles of pictures compiled in those pages. I loved reading about perfumers and personnalities that have influenced the perfume world. This book also explains things very well from the ingredients used in perfume to the effect perfumes have had on the world as an art form but also as a luxurious item.

Cueilleur d'essences by Dominique Roques

This is a precious book. If you want to know more about a sourcer's job (someone who travels the world in search of raw ingredients for the creation of perfumes) this book is the one. Each chapter talks about a particular raw ingredient and Roques gives us a dense history, geography, religion, and economics course on it. We can hear the respect through his words and it was beautiful to read. I'm truly humbled by the workers who labour in the shadows and contribute the raw materials needed to make perfumes.

1001 Perfumes: The Guide by Daniel Barros

This is a new release that I've spotted through influencer's posts on Instagram. Written by Daniel Barros, cofounder of the ScentXplore event, I was really curious to get my hands on it so I ordered it online. 1001 Perfumes is a genuine, authentic and well-thought out book about perfumes. Whether you're a novice starting out or a long-term veteran of this expensive hobby, you'll be met here with a lovely guide. The book is divided in two big categories each featuring their own sub chapters. First part is all about perfumes in the theoritical sense. The author talks about basic concepts about fragrances, perfume families, renowned noses and the current perfume market. It allowed me to expand on my (admittedly small) knowledge of this art. The writing is easy to understand for everyone and anyone. Second part is about perfume reviews. I enjoyed thumbing through the many fragrances, may they be designer / mainstream or more niche / indie. Daniel Barros goes over a large range of fragrances and even talks about more recent ones like Tobacco Honey by Guerlain. I enjoyed the fact that the author divided his work between feminine, masculine and unisex fragrances. Yes, gendered perfumes are a marketing ploy (and he does talk about it in his book), but it also allowed me to go straight to certain fragrances, knowing they're perceived for that gender in the public's eyes. His reviews are more on the objective side, stating how the notes interact between one another, but they also allowed me to pick up on certain words and phrasing. This will allow me to better my own fragrance reviews.

Grasse, de la fleur au parfum by Lionel Paillés

Such a wonderful book! Opening the doors to Firmenich, we get an exclusive insight at the perfumers, scientifics and farmers who work behind the scene towards the creation of many perfumes. Between an Art book and a documentary, it features stunning pictures and writing that can only be compared to poetry. Respectful and insightful, I found myself being transported in Grasse where I could almost smell the sensual scent of roses, the pure jasmine, the joyful mimosa. I absolutely loved learning more about the enormous work that goes behind creating a perfume. 

Une histoire de parfums (1880-2020) by Yohan Cervi

This book is a collection of articles Nez magazine has made about the history of modern perfumery. The writing is seamlessly well-done so the book can be read as a standalone (without previous knowledge of Nez magazines). I really appreciated the details in this book. It's like reading a history book of art... Olfactive art, that is. It's really nice to see how certain houses have evolved and how fragrances adapted with what was happening in the world at that time. Loved seeing a timeline of perfume releases alongside movie / music / book releases and historical moments. I wish there had been a bit more pictures from archives about perfumes, but it was great to see old ads about fragrances.

Atlas de botanique parfumée by Jean-Claude Ellena

Between a diary and a history book, we have this small, yet thoughtful collection of articles about ingredients and famous perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena's thoughts and experience using them. Each ingredients have a bout a page or two dedicated to them and throughout the book we have illustrations that feature each ingredient. It's a nice book if you want to delve into the thoguhts of a master perfumer!

Les secrets des parfums: mémoires d'une créatrice by Sylvaine Delacourte

One of the most comprehensive and complete book I've seen in a while. Written in two parts (Sylvaine Delacourte's biography and her explanation of certain fragrance related subject), each chapter is well intertwined with the next. We get a few anecdotes and it's really interesting getting to know Delacourte's path as she's had an amazing career (worked for Guerlain during a good chunk of her career). If you wanna know more about a perfumer's impressions and stories, this is a really good book that doesn't take any time to read!

Kew - Fragrance: From plant to perfume, the botanical origins of scent

In equal parts botanical and fragrance-oriented, this book is a very nice introduction to the world of ingredients used in fragrances. 100 materials divided into 11 chapters (flowers, fruits, grasses, herbs, resins, spices, woods). Each material has about a page to two pages devoted to it with some having accompanying images. Theses images, taken directly from the Royal Botanic Gardens archives have this vintage and beautiful aspect that really enhances the reading experience. It's more of an introduction book for novices than a book for veterans. I did learn a lot of new things and now have a better appreciation of the notes I smell in a perfume. I wish there had been more facts and more details about eahc of the ingredients, but the book might have become too big if the authors had done that. Nonetheless, it's a very nice addition for someone who loves perfumes as a hobby and wishes to know more about the ingredients used in fragrances!

The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance by Mandy Aftel

I've gotta say the cover doesn't do the book any justice. If you love the historical and archive side of perfumery with a good dash of chemistry, then this book might be a great choice. Filled with countless pictures and references to the history of perfumery, there are chapters that speak about the materials used in perfumes interspersed with pictures and explanation of historical artifacts kept by the Museum of Scents. It's a beautiful journey and might give you the need to go visit the Museaum (I had never heard about it before this book). I would've personally loved more details about the ingredients used in perfumery (there are often only 5-10 sentences per ingredient on a given page) and a better popularization of historical parts. I sometimes got lost because I didn't understand why the author had included such text or such picture. It was, nontheless, a beautiful journey and one I recommend to anyone who loves perfumery or historical adventures!

I hope my suggestions and reviews have inspired you to delve into books pertaining to perfumes. I know there are a lot more books I haven't laid my hands on yet and I'm always on the hunt for them. If you have any suggestions or want to add to the discussion, don't hesitate and drop a comment below! I'll be seeing you in my next articles!

*** Cover from Charlotte May