Review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) by David K — 15 Feb 2016

This film/book is inevitably mentioned to any perfume enthusiast. But it should be the nemesis of the olfactory aesthete. It deals in misconceptions, that those who most appreciate sensory pleasures are born with preternaturally sensitive perceptions.

That fragrances are largely dependent on the "body chemistry" of the wearer. That the right scent will conjure carnal instincts in those around you. And, as Luca Turin put it, that "by a small leap of logic much beloved of bigots through the ages, the deceased virgin's smell represents Innocence.

.. instead of smelling like a Moscow bus at rush hour." I'm sure perfume marketers are thrilled that this is the primary pop culture idiom on the topic.