3.5
Perfume and Pain
ByPublisher Description
“Perceptive and witty—like a Sally Rooney novel set in Southern California.” —The Minnesota Star Tribune
“It’s this author’s best work yet. A Sapphic roller-coaster ride.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A controversial Los Angeles-based author attempts to revive her career and finally find true love in this hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction and Hollywood satire.
Having recently moved both herself and her formidable perfume bottle collection into a tiny bungalow in Los Angeles, mid-list author Astrid Dahl finds herself back in the Zoom writer’s group she cofounded, Sapphic Scribes, after an incident that leaves her and her career lightly canceled. But she temporarily forgets all that by throwing herself into a few sexy distractions—like Ivy, a grad student researching 1950s lesbian pulp who smells like metallic orchids, or her new neighbor, Penelope, who smells like patchouli.
Penelope, a painter living off Urban Outfitters settlement money, immediately ingratiates herself in Astrid’s life, bonding with her best friends and family, just as Astrid and Ivy begin to date in person. Astrid feels judged and threatened by Penelope, a responsible older vegan, but also finds her irresistibly sexy.
When Astrid receives an unexpected call from her agent with the news that actress and influencer Kat Gold wants to adapt her previous novel for TV, Astrid finally has a chance to resurrect her waning career. But the pressure causes Astrid’s worst vice to rear its head—the Patricia Highsmith, a blend of Adderall, alcohol, and cigarettes—and results in blackouts and a disturbing series of events.
Unapologetically feminine yet ribald, steamy yet hilarious, Anna Dorn has crafted an exquisite homage to the lesbian pulp of yore, reclaiming it for our internet and celebrity-obsessed world. With notes of Southern California citrus and sultry smokiness, Perfume and Pain is a satirical romp through Hollywood and lesbian melodrama.
“It’s this author’s best work yet. A Sapphic roller-coaster ride.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A controversial Los Angeles-based author attempts to revive her career and finally find true love in this hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction and Hollywood satire.
Having recently moved both herself and her formidable perfume bottle collection into a tiny bungalow in Los Angeles, mid-list author Astrid Dahl finds herself back in the Zoom writer’s group she cofounded, Sapphic Scribes, after an incident that leaves her and her career lightly canceled. But she temporarily forgets all that by throwing herself into a few sexy distractions—like Ivy, a grad student researching 1950s lesbian pulp who smells like metallic orchids, or her new neighbor, Penelope, who smells like patchouli.
Penelope, a painter living off Urban Outfitters settlement money, immediately ingratiates herself in Astrid’s life, bonding with her best friends and family, just as Astrid and Ivy begin to date in person. Astrid feels judged and threatened by Penelope, a responsible older vegan, but also finds her irresistibly sexy.
When Astrid receives an unexpected call from her agent with the news that actress and influencer Kat Gold wants to adapt her previous novel for TV, Astrid finally has a chance to resurrect her waning career. But the pressure causes Astrid’s worst vice to rear its head—the Patricia Highsmith, a blend of Adderall, alcohol, and cigarettes—and results in blackouts and a disturbing series of events.
Unapologetically feminine yet ribald, steamy yet hilarious, Anna Dorn has crafted an exquisite homage to the lesbian pulp of yore, reclaiming it for our internet and celebrity-obsessed world. With notes of Southern California citrus and sultry smokiness, Perfume and Pain is a satirical romp through Hollywood and lesbian melodrama.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesPerfume and Pain Reviews
3.5
“Astrid is an incredibly messy lesbian who I couldn’t help but root for despite her repeated terrible choices. This book is a sapphic gem!”
“I can’t lie I lost interest halfway through. The only real emotion I felt during this read was irritation.”
Feel distantFlatLimited character growthMorally ambiguousUnengagingUnlikableDisjointedLoose endsRepetitiveUneven pacingUnsatisfying conclusionBland/genericLack of depthSetting fits the storyBoring proseClunkyFlowery/lushRepetitiveAbuseBigotryDomestic violenceExplicit sexual contentFat phobiaHomophobiaMisogynySelf-harmSubstance abuse
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