Helpful Score: 1
Another time-shifting story. These are becoming very popular and I like them when done well, as Tessaros fragrantly evocative book is. The stories of Grace Monroe, a 1955 London wife who moves in rarified social circles, and Eva dOrsey, a Frenchwoman shes never met, collide when Eva dies and makes Grace her beneficiary. When Grace travels to Paris to meet with the lawyers for what she thinks is a misunderstanding, she will embark on a search for Evas past from 1927 New York, to 1932 Monte Carlo, to Paris during the Nazi occupation until Evas death. Who is Eva and what is she to Grace?
I really loved reading this book. It is written beautifully and I felt transported in time.
This is another time-shifting story. These are becoming very popular and I like them when done well as "The Perfume Collector" is. The stories of Grace Monroe, a 1955 London wife who moves in rarified social circles, and Eva d'Orsey, a Frenchwoman she's never met, collide when Eva dies and makes Grace her beneficiary. When Grace travels to Paris to meet with the lawyers for what she thinks is a misunderstanding, she will embark on a search for Eva's past from 1927 New York to 1932 Monte Carlo, to Paris during the Nazi occupation until Eva's death. Who is Eva and what is she to Grace?
I liked this book. It switches every other chapter from 1927 to 1954 so you could learn about both main characters and how their lives entwined. Early on you figure out the connection but it does not detract from the story. The time period was wonderful including the German occupation of France and goes all the way thru how women were normally just an extension of their husbands in the 1950s. Thru Eve's help Grace overcame the stereotypical life of the 1950s housewife.
You learn about perfumes and how scents trigger memories. I also liked the descriptions of various places in Paris and how Grace fell in love with not only the smells but the sights and sounds of Paris. I especially enjoyed that part of the book. I do wish the relationship that both main characters had with the Parisian lawyer was explored more. Also the ending was very assuming, not quite wrapped up in a tidy little package which I prefer. This still did not deter me from liking the book.
If there was one thing distracting, it was the editing. There were a lot of grammatical errors.
You learn about perfumes and how scents trigger memories. I also liked the descriptions of various places in Paris and how Grace fell in love with not only the smells but the sights and sounds of Paris. I especially enjoyed that part of the book. I do wish the relationship that both main characters had with the Parisian lawyer was explored more. Also the ending was very assuming, not quite wrapped up in a tidy little package which I prefer. This still did not deter me from liking the book.
If there was one thing distracting, it was the editing. There were a lot of grammatical errors.
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Two characters with two stories and although you don't know their connection until the end, they are seamless. Usually when there are two different stories going on I tend to favor one over the other, but in this book I loved both equally. Grace is sent on an adventure as she inherits an apartment and shares from an unknown woman, as her marriage isn't on the ups she decides to go and check it out on her own. Eva is the woman who leaves her everything and her story unfolds while Grace is learning it.
The things that made me sit and read this book in two sittings - settings (Paris, New York, London) all were described with just perfect words, characters - I loved the mystery of them and how they each had their own story, and finally the perfume - the words the author used to describe how perfume was created, bottled and so on was just fantastic.
Two characters with two stories and although you don't know their connection until the end, they are seamless. Usually when there are two different stories going on I tend to favor one over the other, but in this book I loved both equally. Grace is sent on an adventure as she inherits an apartment and shares from an unknown woman, as her marriage isn't on the ups she decides to go and check it out on her own. Eva is the woman who leaves her everything and her story unfolds while Grace is learning it.
The things that made me sit and read this book in two sittings - settings (Paris, New York, London) all were described with just perfect words, characters - I loved the mystery of them and how they each had their own story, and finally the perfume - the words the author used to describe how perfume was created, bottled and so on was just fantastic.
The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro successfully sets out to appeal to the senses and tell a story through images. The book spans two generations; it's easily guessed where the story ends. However, the descriptions in the book - about Paris, about World War II, about the perfume industry - are captivating. More than the characters or the plot, it is these descriptions that bring the book to life, giving it richness and depth.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/03/the-perfume-collector.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/03/the-perfume-collector.html
Excellent story. The characters are interesting and the book is well put together making it an easy read. I like the settings of London and Paris and the time period it covers. The subject of perfumery is a unique topic to write about. Not a very long book which I appreciate.
An extra-ordinary novel,I loved this book. Eva d'Orsey
marries, but learns she isn't who she thinks she is. She learns about her true identity through the making or 3 fabulous perfumes. England, Paris and Monte Carlo and WW II, all have an importance in the plot of the story of The Perfume Collector. A well-written novel.
marries, but learns she isn't who she thinks she is. She learns about her true identity through the making or 3 fabulous perfumes. England, Paris and Monte Carlo and WW II, all have an importance in the plot of the story of The Perfume Collector. A well-written novel.
I very much enjoyed this book. It is really the story of 2 women, a mother and daughter. Separated as an infant and how a mothers love is greater then her own wants and needs. I loved the story of Eva, she is the most interesting of characters. How the she made the best of her lowly circumstance, used her talent for counting to rise through the ranks of society, all wrapped up in the scents and nuances of the perfume industry.
