Name: Stas's review of Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
Item: Perfume and Pain
Rating: 1.5
Author: Stas

Anna Dorn

A controversial LA author attempts to revive her career and finally find true love in this hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. 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.

A Novel

Perfume and Pain

Amelia Hruby

The best thing about having a crush is feeling like you're on a stage that your crush is always watching, compelling you to be your best, most interesting, most entertaining self.

What's the Maya Angelou quote? When someone shows you who they are, ignore them entirely and project whatever you want?

The nice thing about dating women is that we aren't men. Men are much more visual. And youth obsessed. My thirtysomething gay male friends will front, like, Check out this twenty-two-year-old model I'm fucking and show me a picture of his cut triangulat body in a Speedo. My thirtysomething lesbian friends will front, like, I'm exchanging very long text messages with this forty-six-year-old academic. 

L. J.

Make no mistake! This was never meant to be good, and it leans into how bad it is supposed to be! The main character is absolutely awful and annoying, you WILL hate her, the side characters are insane, there are barely any redeeming qualities in any of the characters! The politics in the book are as far from politically correct as you can possibly get, but it does raise some interesting conversations about lesbianism in queer spaces (the mc would hate that i said this). PS, take this with a grain of salt as i am a cis straight woman, BUT i thought it was interesting sooo yeah. There is a lot of biphobia and general resentment towards other queer identities, and maybe particularly labels, in this book, so be warned.

The selling point of this book is meant to be the humour and the train wreck aspect, which is def very present. Personally the jokes did not land, which just makes the train wreck aspect more sad than fascinating. This is also such a subjective opinion, and other people love this book, so my opinion means absolutely nothing! The mc was funny a couple times, but for me it was not enough to weigh up for all the other stuff in this book. 

Stas

Make no mistake! This was never meant to be good, and it leans into how bad it is supposed to be! The main character is absolutely awful and annoying, you WILL hate her, the side characters are insane, there are barely any redeeming qualities in any of the characters! The politics in the book are as far from politically correct as you can possibly get, but it does raise some interesting conversations about lesbianism in queer spaces (the mc would hate that i said this). PS, take this with a grain of salt as i am a cis straight woman, BUT i thought it was interesting sooo yeah. There is a lot of biphobia and general resentment towards other queer identities, and maybe particularly labels, in this book, so be warned.

The selling point of this book is meant to be the humour and the train wreck aspect, which is def very present. Personally the jokes did not land, which just makes the train wreck aspect more sad than fascinating. This is also such a subjective opinion, and other people love this book, so my opinion means absolutely nothing! The mc was funny a couple times, but for me it was not enough to weigh up for all the other stuff in this book. 

jacq bridge

I love books about self-obsessed femmes with problematic opinions who write novels satirizing queer pop culture! Definitely the west coast cousin of Dykette. Not for everyone but so for me!

What a messy character. It's hard at times to watch (read?) because Astrid makes very poor choices, choices that would likely lead to even more problems in the real world. I'd like to know how every lesbian Astrid comes across is extremely hot? Fun characters, but makes me extremely glad to not live in LA. Anna's style reminds me of a messier Melissa Broder... actually, maybe those two should date.

L. J. &
Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn

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L. J. &Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn

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L. J. &
Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn