Whether you’re a seasoned perfumer or simply have a passion for all things fragrance, you will probably enjoy reading this book. Cult Perfumes is a reference book that explores the history of the perfume industry, and offers a great overview of many different brands.
The book is 192 pages long, making it ideal for a coffee table or reference library. It includes lots of photos and is a good source of information for beginners.
Perfume as a Religious Offering
The scent of perfume, which combines precious oils and resins with floral essences and other naturals was used in ancient Egypt as an offering to the Gods. It was also considered an aphrodisiac and a sign of wealth.
Grenouille: A Master of Odours
In the slums of eighteenth-century Paris, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with an extraordinary sense of smell, enabling him to detect and isolate any odour he can sniff. He becomes a famed perfumer who is able to create scents that can either go unnoticed or incite various emotions among those who smell them.
Grenouille's obsession with capturing the ultimate scent is a consuming one that leads to heinous crimes. The story of Grenouille’s life is not only an evocative tale of the art of scent, but it is also a powerful meditation on the nature of death and desire in modern society.
German writer Patrick Suskind created a flawless portrait of Grenouille’s sociopathic nature, creating a character that is easily recognizable to contemporary readers. Despite the fact that this is a novel that takes many twists and turns, it is still a readable book with a fascinating plot that is well worth reading.
