|
The GUIDE is a critical survey of the world of perfume, one bottle at a time. Rather than "lists of notes" or categorizations into "fragrance families," which may conceal more than they reveal, you will find opinions and descriptions that sort the good, bad, and ugly of 1,500 fragrances, plus essays and supplementary material that cover the what, how, and why.
Perfumes: The Guide is an authoritative, one-of-a-kind book that will do for fragrance what Robert Parker's books have done for wine. Beautifully designed and elegantly illustrated, this book will be the perfect gift for collectors and anyone who's ever had an interest in the fascinating subject of perfume.
Perfumes features introductions to women's and men's fragrances and an informative "frequently asked questions" section including:
• What is the difference between eau de toilette and perfume?
• How long can I keep perfume before it goes bad?
• What's better: splash bottles or spray atomizers?
• What are perfumes made of?
• Should I change my fragrance each season?
Below is a little sample from the book...
Allure Homme Sport (Chanel) * spicy citrus
A pleasant but studiedly nondescript confection of citrus-metallic notes set against a sweet-spicy background related to the drydown of Pour Monsieur. Like being stuck in an elevator for twelve hours with a tax accountant. LT
Avatar (Coty) * crap fougère
I used to think Houbigant’s Duc de Vervins was the worst fougère of all time. Wrong: Avatar beats it hands down, with a composition that would smell cheap even if they gave it away. LT
Flower (Kenzo) **** melon woody
As George Santayana told us before we forgot who he was, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Yet sadly, of all the arts, perfume is the most amnesiac, not because its history is unworthy of note but because it’s impossible to transmit: it doesn’t photocopy well or burn to CD, and you can’t hum or quote it. While most young painters have seen at least poster prints in the mall of Michelangelo’s Adam, most young perfumers have probably never smelled the original Emeraude. Of course, Alberto Morillas almost certainly knew Caron’s Royal Bain de Champagne by heart when he replicated it and added a splash of hedione to make Flower, but it seems nobody else knew, least of all me, until one day LT pointed out what it was and I gave a good solid smack to my forehead. Royal Bain de Champagne, a debonair, sweet, powdery wood with giddy flourishes of melon, muguet and heliotropin, had suavity and humor, like a tap dance in a tux, the perfume equivalent of a Gershwin tune (“Fascinating Rhythm” would do). We are forgiven for not realizing Flower was a remake, however, since Royal Bain de Caron (the Champagne brand police objected to the original name) hasn’t smelled like itself in a while. In effect, like those bronze Roman copies of ancient Greek sculptures, Flower manages to preserve a classic on the sly, long after the original was melted for scrap. TS
Reviews...
"But if you are interested at all in perfume ... this book is nothing less than an essential possession. Most books that are called life-changing don't make the least little difference to anybody whatsoever. In its own field, this one deserves the name."
David Sexton, "The sweet smell of success." Sept 15, 2008. The Evening Standard. (print only, p 46, "Book of the Week")
"There is a great tradition of olfactory literature, and in Perfumes Turin confirms his right to be classed alongside Proust or Patrick Süskind as a poet of smell."
Lara Feigel, "A fragrant guide to scent, with just a whiff of pretension." Sept 14, 2008. The Observer.
"Such is their cheekiness that they originally hoped to call their book The Song of Pongs."
Lee Randall, "Scents and Sensibility." Sept 13, 2008. Scotsman Magazine.
"Turin and Sanchez are enjoyably gossipy and opinionated guides, and they do a good job of explaining why it is worth reading about something as ephemeral as perfume, without mythologizing it."
Contributor EllenW, Sept 12, 2008. The Culture Show Blog.
"[T]hey look so much like how they write that they are easy to spot: he is a towering vision of irrepressible European poeticism, while she is a small bundle of American enthusiasm and no-nonsense."
Hadley Freeman, "Talking Scents." September 10, 2008. The Guardian.
"Perfumes: The Guide is one of the best books I have ever read ... Dorothy Parker by way of Proust. "
India Knight, "Chemical romance." August 31, 2008. Sunday Times Style.
"Compelling because it's arrestingly honest, passionately poetic. Beautiful and brash in good measure."
Lucinda Pitt, "Scentsational reading." August 25, 2008, p. 92. Grazia (Australia). (print only)
"(My) favorite book of open-sky criticism this year may well be “Perfumes: The Guide,” by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez."
Dwight Garner, "How to Smell Like a Used Bookstore." August 19, 2008. Paper Cuts (the book blog of the New York Times)
|
