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The French Perfumer
'Shorthand typist required by English speaker in the South of France. Live-in, full board plus salary commensurate with experience.'
Iris Turner, an unworldly young Englishwoman, arrives in the French Riviera to take up a secretarial role for the mysterious Hammond Brooke. Living in a small, exclusive hotel among eccentric and unpredictable aristocrats and struggling to gain her employer's trust, she soon realises that nothing is as it seems.
Initiated into the mysterious world of perfume, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. Gradually discovering the truth, she gains a new understanding of the meaning of love, loyalty and betrayal.
By the bestselling author of The Olive Sisters, this is a captivating and evocative novel full of surprising twists and turns.
Iris Turner, an unworldly young Englishwoman, arrives in the French Riviera to take up a secretarial role for the mysterious Hammond Brooke. Living in a small, exclusive hotel among eccentric and unpredictable aristocrats and struggling to gain her employer's trust, she soon realises that nothing is as it seems.
Initiated into the mysterious world of perfume, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. Gradually discovering the truth, she gains a new understanding of the meaning of love, loyalty and betrayal.
By the bestselling author of The Olive Sisters, this is a captivating and evocative novel full of surprising twists and turns.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
40 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Hampson
12 books216 followersMelbourne-based author, Amanda Hampson has been writing professionally for more than 30 years and is the award-winning author of nine novels: The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer, The Yellow Villa, Sixty Summers, Lovebirds, The Tea Ladies, The Cryptic Clue and The Deadly Dispute.
A runaway bestseller, The Tea Ladies won the 2024 Danger Awards for Best Crime Fiction and was Shortlisted for 2024 Davitt Awards Best Adult Crime & 2024 Ned Kelly Awards Best Fiction.
A runaway bestseller, The Tea Ladies won the 2024 Danger Awards for Best Crime Fiction and was Shortlisted for 2024 Davitt Awards Best Adult Crime & 2024 Ned Kelly Awards Best Fiction.
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January 24, 2019
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#3.5 stars
Amanda Hampson, author of ‘The Olive Sisters’, takes us on a great escape to the beautiful French Riviera region. This historical novel, set in the post world war II era of the 1950’s, is Hampson’s latest release and it comes with a beautiful book title, The French Perfumer.
The book opens as Iris Turner, a rather naive typist, accepts a secretarial based post in the south of France. We learn that Iris longs to escape the clutches of dreary London and is happy to embark on exciting assignment in the luxurious French Riviera. She is to work for a mysterious man named Hammond Brooke, who after gaining his trust, offers her an insight into the glamorous world of perfume production. What seems like both an interesting and easy job to begin with, immerses Iris in a tangled mess of lies and deception. With the villa in which she is residing running into disrepair, Iris is also dismayed to find some of the occupants of the villa hostile towards her. The experience gives Iris first hand experience in the art of perfumery, as well as some life lessons in betrayal and love.
The first aspect that drew me to The French Perfumer was the sheer physical attractiveness of this book. The cover art design is simply gorgeous and reflects the beauty of the region in which the book is set. These gorgeous designs also extend further into the inside of the front and back covers of the book. Interspersed between the pages of The French Perfumer are illustrated chapter beginnings that enticed me further into this book.
The French Perfumer is a book that exudes a timeless quality. It takes a nostalgic step back in time to the 1950’s. Hampson has done her homework on this era and location. I very much appreciated the references to Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, who were two defining figures of this period. The stunning south of France setting is depicted well by Hampson. I have been fortunate to visit this region in the past and it was a joy to be taken back to this picturesque part of the world again by Hampson’s descriptive prose.
The French Perfumer is a book that focuses on the trade of perfumery. We are given the opportunity to learn about this fascinating business through Hammond Brooke, Iris’ employer. The perfume industry sections were especially enlightening. I thought this was an area Hampson displayed a real fair for and she was able to transfer her understanding of this art to the page with ease. I felt a strong sensory overload while reading these perfumery sections, which I rather enjoyed!
The character’s that fill Hampson’s novel are complicated and interesting ones to deconstruct. Iris is the only character who is both pure and clear cut. Her interaction with the other occupants of the villa offers moments of deception and intrigue. I also found the rather eclectic mix of protagonists in the book to be shrouded in an air of mistrust and uncertainly. However, what is obvious is that these characters are haunted by their past, with the war playing a huge in part shaping their motivations.
The French Perfumer is a book that contains a good dose of mystery and ambiguity. In the end it is hard not to feel pity for the protagonists of this novel, as their experiences from the war have clearly warped who they became later in life. Although The French Perfumer did have a few twists and turns, I experienced some issues with the pace of the novel, it was a little off kilter for me. As a result, this book didn’t quite speak as strongly to me as I would have liked.
Historical fiction lovers will be sure to appreciate this release from Amanda Hampson. The French Perfumer is a novel that looks at the after effects of war and the experiences that shape who people become, following such a life changing event. It offers poignant insight into life in the post world war II period, in a location that was heavily touched by war. The overlay of perfume production gives this book another beautiful layer to explore and enjoy.
#3.5 stars
Amanda Hampson, author of ‘The Olive Sisters’, takes us on a great escape to the beautiful French Riviera region. This historical novel, set in the post world war II era of the 1950’s, is Hampson’s latest release and it comes with a beautiful book title, The French Perfumer.
The book opens as Iris Turner, a rather naive typist, accepts a secretarial based post in the south of France. We learn that Iris longs to escape the clutches of dreary London and is happy to embark on exciting assignment in the luxurious French Riviera. She is to work for a mysterious man named Hammond Brooke, who after gaining his trust, offers her an insight into the glamorous world of perfume production. What seems like both an interesting and easy job to begin with, immerses Iris in a tangled mess of lies and deception. With the villa in which she is residing running into disrepair, Iris is also dismayed to find some of the occupants of the villa hostile towards her. The experience gives Iris first hand experience in the art of perfumery, as well as some life lessons in betrayal and love.
The first aspect that drew me to The French Perfumer was the sheer physical attractiveness of this book. The cover art design is simply gorgeous and reflects the beauty of the region in which the book is set. These gorgeous designs also extend further into the inside of the front and back covers of the book. Interspersed between the pages of The French Perfumer are illustrated chapter beginnings that enticed me further into this book.
The French Perfumer is a book that exudes a timeless quality. It takes a nostalgic step back in time to the 1950’s. Hampson has done her homework on this era and location. I very much appreciated the references to Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, who were two defining figures of this period. The stunning south of France setting is depicted well by Hampson. I have been fortunate to visit this region in the past and it was a joy to be taken back to this picturesque part of the world again by Hampson’s descriptive prose.
The French Perfumer is a book that focuses on the trade of perfumery. We are given the opportunity to learn about this fascinating business through Hammond Brooke, Iris’ employer. The perfume industry sections were especially enlightening. I thought this was an area Hampson displayed a real fair for and she was able to transfer her understanding of this art to the page with ease. I felt a strong sensory overload while reading these perfumery sections, which I rather enjoyed!
The character’s that fill Hampson’s novel are complicated and interesting ones to deconstruct. Iris is the only character who is both pure and clear cut. Her interaction with the other occupants of the villa offers moments of deception and intrigue. I also found the rather eclectic mix of protagonists in the book to be shrouded in an air of mistrust and uncertainly. However, what is obvious is that these characters are haunted by their past, with the war playing a huge in part shaping their motivations.
The French Perfumer is a book that contains a good dose of mystery and ambiguity. In the end it is hard not to feel pity for the protagonists of this novel, as their experiences from the war have clearly warped who they became later in life. Although The French Perfumer did have a few twists and turns, I experienced some issues with the pace of the novel, it was a little off kilter for me. As a result, this book didn’t quite speak as strongly to me as I would have liked.
Historical fiction lovers will be sure to appreciate this release from Amanda Hampson. The French Perfumer is a novel that looks at the after effects of war and the experiences that shape who people become, following such a life changing event. It offers poignant insight into life in the post world war II period, in a location that was heavily touched by war. The overlay of perfume production gives this book another beautiful layer to explore and enjoy.
February 16, 2017
3.5★s
Iris Turner had been stuck in her civil service role for more years than she liked to remember, and when her best friend Colleen found an advertisement for a shorthand typist, she decided to take the plunge. The wording of the advertisement - 'Shorthand typist required by English speaker in the South of France. Live-in, full board plus salary commensurate with experience' – had her both excited and nervous at the same time, especially when she arrived at the small, but exclusive hotel in the French Riviera.
When Iris first met Hammond Brooke, who was her boss, she had no idea what her job would entail. And it seemed he wasn’t in any hurry to enlighten her. But gradually they came to an agreement of sorts; and when Iris discovered who Hammond Brooke really was she was astounded, shocked and honoured to work alongside him.
The deception and lies that surrounded the residents of the hotel; indeed the owner Vivien – had Iris on edge. But worse was to come. As Iris worked with Hammond to bring his life’s work to some order, she could feel a sense of an ending. What would be the outcome of the tensions and secrets surrounding them all?
The French Perfumer by Aussie author Amanda Hampson is an intriguing and mysterious look at events which controlled people with secrets from the past; war days with the Germans, the Jews and keeping livelihoods going during hardship. But I was completely disconcerted by the constant and continual use of past and present tense in the one sentence; the one paragraph – in fact the whole way through the novel. It broke the flow of the story for me which in turn made it seem disjointed. But the plot was enjoyable and for that reason I recommend The French Perfumer to lovers of historical fiction.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy to read and review.
Iris Turner had been stuck in her civil service role for more years than she liked to remember, and when her best friend Colleen found an advertisement for a shorthand typist, she decided to take the plunge. The wording of the advertisement - 'Shorthand typist required by English speaker in the South of France. Live-in, full board plus salary commensurate with experience' – had her both excited and nervous at the same time, especially when she arrived at the small, but exclusive hotel in the French Riviera.
When Iris first met Hammond Brooke, who was her boss, she had no idea what her job would entail. And it seemed he wasn’t in any hurry to enlighten her. But gradually they came to an agreement of sorts; and when Iris discovered who Hammond Brooke really was she was astounded, shocked and honoured to work alongside him.
The deception and lies that surrounded the residents of the hotel; indeed the owner Vivien – had Iris on edge. But worse was to come. As Iris worked with Hammond to bring his life’s work to some order, she could feel a sense of an ending. What would be the outcome of the tensions and secrets surrounding them all?
The French Perfumer by Aussie author Amanda Hampson is an intriguing and mysterious look at events which controlled people with secrets from the past; war days with the Germans, the Jews and keeping livelihoods going during hardship. But I was completely disconcerted by the constant and continual use of past and present tense in the one sentence; the one paragraph – in fact the whole way through the novel. It broke the flow of the story for me which in turn made it seem disjointed. But the plot was enjoyable and for that reason I recommend The French Perfumer to lovers of historical fiction.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy to read and review.
January 26, 2018
I found this a delightful, entertaining, and quick read.
In 1956, after Iris has spent 17 years in civil service in London, her friend convinces Iris to take a typist position in the South of France. With only a little understanding of French, she takes off on her first journey abroad with trepidation and soon discovers her new employer, Vivian Brooke, is oddly secretive about the role Iris has been hired for.
Provided accommodation at Vila Rousseau, a small and exclusive hotel Vivian runs for wealthy visitors, Iris soon discovers she is to work for Vivian’s brother, Hammond Brooke, a famous perfumer, but he is not co-operative.
The reader is lead into a vivid and mysterious world, full of colourful characters, the plot twisting and turning, and it kept guessing until the end.
In 1956, after Iris has spent 17 years in civil service in London, her friend convinces Iris to take a typist position in the South of France. With only a little understanding of French, she takes off on her first journey abroad with trepidation and soon discovers her new employer, Vivian Brooke, is oddly secretive about the role Iris has been hired for.
Provided accommodation at Vila Rousseau, a small and exclusive hotel Vivian runs for wealthy visitors, Iris soon discovers she is to work for Vivian’s brother, Hammond Brooke, a famous perfumer, but he is not co-operative.
The reader is lead into a vivid and mysterious world, full of colourful characters, the plot twisting and turning, and it kept guessing until the end.
March 31, 2017
What a great premise. Iris Turner alone and sick of dismal old London takes a secretarial job in the South of France. But all is not as it seems. Miss Brooke who runs the exclusive hotel is strange and standoffish and Mr Brooke, who she is also supposed to be assisting, is reclusive and ill and lives in a cottage at the bottom of the garden.
Iris quickly realises that something is not right about the whole arrangement and Hampson maintains the tension well, keeping the reader guessing and also throwing into the mix a cast of interesting minor characters - some are friends that Iris meets independently and the rest are staying at the hotel. The Farleys are intriguing and also Menna, the maid who works in the kitchen, I think.
Unfortunately there were two stumbling blocks to my enjoyment of the The French Perfumer. The first is a minor thing and that is the introduction of Iris’s nose. When we first learn that she has an extra special sense of smell, it came without warning and I sort of didn’t believe it. The scene was awkward and would have worked so much better if we had perhaps found out about her nose, say at the office where she worked before she left. Then I think the contrast of the mundane office and rainy London with the beauty of the French countryside would have served as a good jumping off point to Iris’s adventure, a la Enchanted April.
The second problem I unfortunately couldn’t manage to overcome and that was the author’s use of tense. From what I can work out Iris reviews the day’s events in present tense but the narrative action is portrayed in the past tense and descriptions written in the present tense. As a result “real time” for this reader was completely lost which was a great pity. I think perhaps this novel would have worked much better written in the present tense.
Iris quickly realises that something is not right about the whole arrangement and Hampson maintains the tension well, keeping the reader guessing and also throwing into the mix a cast of interesting minor characters - some are friends that Iris meets independently and the rest are staying at the hotel. The Farleys are intriguing and also Menna, the maid who works in the kitchen, I think.
Unfortunately there were two stumbling blocks to my enjoyment of the The French Perfumer. The first is a minor thing and that is the introduction of Iris’s nose. When we first learn that she has an extra special sense of smell, it came without warning and I sort of didn’t believe it. The scene was awkward and would have worked so much better if we had perhaps found out about her nose, say at the office where she worked before she left. Then I think the contrast of the mundane office and rainy London with the beauty of the French countryside would have served as a good jumping off point to Iris’s adventure, a la Enchanted April.
The second problem I unfortunately couldn’t manage to overcome and that was the author’s use of tense. From what I can work out Iris reviews the day’s events in present tense but the narrative action is portrayed in the past tense and descriptions written in the present tense. As a result “real time” for this reader was completely lost which was a great pity. I think perhaps this novel would have worked much better written in the present tense.
March 11, 2017
The French Perfumer evokes scents from the past and present.
It's a beautiful story set on the Cote D'Azur in the south of France.
Responding to an advertisement for a temporary stenographer Iris fulfils her dreams of escaping dreary Linton Lane in London to the gardens and villas on the Cote D'Azur in the south of France.
When she arrives everything is not as it seems with many mysteries and also truths unfolding throughout the book.
It's predominantly about Perfume in Grasse but also about scent and where it may lead us on its trail.
It's old fashioned and endearing and a story which will make you feel good as you imagine yourself in a garden filled with roses, irises, lily-of-the-valley, poppies, primrose, daffodils all muddled together.
Or, perhaps, you'll find yourself under the shade of a bright, crimson bougainvillea tree ... overlooking the sparkling blue azure sea on the Cote D'Azur like looking at a postcard of the French Riviera.
From dusty, pink champagne to bottles of wine with oysters, to scents of exquisite perfume from a past era, to motoring around Antibes listening to jazz and violin melodies...
I enjoyed The French Perfumer very much by Amanda Hampson.
Highly recommend. A beautiful story capturing the essence of France.
Loved it.
'If you want to be a mermaid, start with the cuisine'.
It's a beautiful story set on the Cote D'Azur in the south of France.
Responding to an advertisement for a temporary stenographer Iris fulfils her dreams of escaping dreary Linton Lane in London to the gardens and villas on the Cote D'Azur in the south of France.
When she arrives everything is not as it seems with many mysteries and also truths unfolding throughout the book.
It's predominantly about Perfume in Grasse but also about scent and where it may lead us on its trail.
It's old fashioned and endearing and a story which will make you feel good as you imagine yourself in a garden filled with roses, irises, lily-of-the-valley, poppies, primrose, daffodils all muddled together.
Or, perhaps, you'll find yourself under the shade of a bright, crimson bougainvillea tree ... overlooking the sparkling blue azure sea on the Cote D'Azur like looking at a postcard of the French Riviera.
From dusty, pink champagne to bottles of wine with oysters, to scents of exquisite perfume from a past era, to motoring around Antibes listening to jazz and violin melodies...
I enjoyed The French Perfumer very much by Amanda Hampson.
Highly recommend. A beautiful story capturing the essence of France.
Loved it.
'If you want to be a mermaid, start with the cuisine'.
August 13, 2017
A beautifully written and well-crafted story that drew me into Iris's life gently but inexorably. The author has a delightful writing style that inspires me to search out her other book/s. This is not a long story ... in fact I felt the ending was a tad rushed, but that might be because I was sad to reach it!
June 1, 2017
A lovely read with a bit of history, mystery and romance threaded throughout. A refreshing storyline and multifaceted characters. It was not at all predictable and I found it very entertaining.
May 20, 2017
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. The cover said to me light and fluffy - a disservice - this is an intriguing story told as journal entries of an English secretary to a French perfumer just after WWII. A classic Gothic tale, somewhat in the vein of Kate Morton, without parallel time story lines. I'm not sure why there were line drawings scattered throughout, it didn't enhance the story, which stood up by itself. An atmospheric book which draws you in and you don't want to put it down.
August 5, 2017
A well written Agatha Christie-esque (although no murders!) mystery, with a likeable main character.
Written in first person, a naive English girl abroad in France for a mysterious "secretarial" job, each chapter teases you into trying figure out what is going on with the unusual secrecy surrounding the boarding house.
Written in first person, a naive English girl abroad in France for a mysterious "secretarial" job, each chapter teases you into trying figure out what is going on with the unusual secrecy surrounding the boarding house.
September 16, 2017
This had a lovely gentle tone and would make a great movie. Twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
November 24, 2018
This was entertaining but as several reviewers have written the different use of past and present tense was confusing.
February 20, 2020
Non so perché, ma mi aspettavo un romanzo molto più frivolo visto l'abbinamento copertina e fiori.
In realtà, come al solito quando c'è di mezzo la Newton Compton, quasi mai la copertina è davvero centrata con il tema della storia.
Siamo nel 1956 e una non più giovanissima Iris Turner, dattilografa inglese con un lavoro sicuro e l'ingiuria di zitella che aleggia sul suo nome, decide di cambiare la sua vita e di accettare una proposta di lavoro trovata su un giornale.
L'annuncio la porterà nel sud della Francia, ad assistere un vecchio bisbetico, Hammond Brooke.
Il romanzo è davvero interessante, perché utilizza uno stratagemma ormai abusato in letteratura, che però funziona sempre: qualcuno degli eredi della Turner finge di ritrovare un diario dell'epoca, e lascia ai posteri i racconti della madre in quella lunga estate che le cambiò la vita.
La nota importante del romanzo è lo stile della narrazione. L'autrice deve aver fatto una fatica immensa a mettersi nei panni di una donna di quasi quarant'anni in un Inghilterra che sta ancora leccandosi le ferite post seconda guerra mondiale.
La scrittura diaristica è convincente, sia per la formulazione dei pensieri della protagonista, sia per la ricostruzione dell'epoca, con usi e costumi completamente diversi dai nostri.
Hammond Brooke è stato uno dei profumieri più famosi della Francia; purtroppo dopo la guerra, a causa del diabete, ha iniziato a perdere i sensi più importanti per un profumiere, vista e olfatto. L'uomo si è auto esiliato nella dependance della grande villa della sua famiglia, nel frattempo trasformata in albergo di lusso.
Iris, attraverso la collaborazione con il profumiere, e le enormi difficoltà che dovrà affrontare per la durezza del suo carattere, farà tutta una serie di cambiamenti personali, che la porteranno a rivoluzionare la sua vita, a dare una svolta decisa alla piattezza di un'esistenza che sembrava già segnata da tempo.
Questo romanzo racconta dunque pochi episodi concentrati in un'estate. La nota interessante, oltre allo stile della scrittura, è l'atmosfera di decadenza post guerra che l'autrice è riuscita a restituire. L'Europa sta ancora cercando di assestare gli equilibri, ed è alla caccia costante degli ultimi colpevoli delle epurazioni naziste, ancora ben celati tra le persone semplici.
I ricchi hanno ripreso la loro nota indolente, trascinandosi tra una festa e l'altra, senza apparente scopo che sperperare una gloriosa eredità. La vecchia tensione Francia e Inghilterra è stata ricucita, nonostante la stretta collaborazione tra le due nazioni durante la guerra.
E la povera gente ha ripreso a fare del suo meglio, per tirare a campare.
Insomma, devo ammettere che la complessità di alcuni temi trattati mi ha davvero stupita in positivo. Dietro una copertina patinata e fuori contesto, si nasconde in realtà un romanzo interessante e ben costruito, che meriterebbe più attenzione. Niente di eccezionale, che faccia gridare al miracolo narrativo, ma di sicuro un'opera con una sua dignità letteraria, in grado di tenere compagnia a un lettore solitario per qualche ora senza farlo pentire della sua scelta.
In realtà, come al solito quando c'è di mezzo la Newton Compton, quasi mai la copertina è davvero centrata con il tema della storia.
Siamo nel 1956 e una non più giovanissima Iris Turner, dattilografa inglese con un lavoro sicuro e l'ingiuria di zitella che aleggia sul suo nome, decide di cambiare la sua vita e di accettare una proposta di lavoro trovata su un giornale.
L'annuncio la porterà nel sud della Francia, ad assistere un vecchio bisbetico, Hammond Brooke.
Il romanzo è davvero interessante, perché utilizza uno stratagemma ormai abusato in letteratura, che però funziona sempre: qualcuno degli eredi della Turner finge di ritrovare un diario dell'epoca, e lascia ai posteri i racconti della madre in quella lunga estate che le cambiò la vita.
La nota importante del romanzo è lo stile della narrazione. L'autrice deve aver fatto una fatica immensa a mettersi nei panni di una donna di quasi quarant'anni in un Inghilterra che sta ancora leccandosi le ferite post seconda guerra mondiale.
La scrittura diaristica è convincente, sia per la formulazione dei pensieri della protagonista, sia per la ricostruzione dell'epoca, con usi e costumi completamente diversi dai nostri.
Hammond Brooke è stato uno dei profumieri più famosi della Francia; purtroppo dopo la guerra, a causa del diabete, ha iniziato a perdere i sensi più importanti per un profumiere, vista e olfatto. L'uomo si è auto esiliato nella dependance della grande villa della sua famiglia, nel frattempo trasformata in albergo di lusso.
Iris, attraverso la collaborazione con il profumiere, e le enormi difficoltà che dovrà affrontare per la durezza del suo carattere, farà tutta una serie di cambiamenti personali, che la porteranno a rivoluzionare la sua vita, a dare una svolta decisa alla piattezza di un'esistenza che sembrava già segnata da tempo.
Questo romanzo racconta dunque pochi episodi concentrati in un'estate. La nota interessante, oltre allo stile della scrittura, è l'atmosfera di decadenza post guerra che l'autrice è riuscita a restituire. L'Europa sta ancora cercando di assestare gli equilibri, ed è alla caccia costante degli ultimi colpevoli delle epurazioni naziste, ancora ben celati tra le persone semplici.
I ricchi hanno ripreso la loro nota indolente, trascinandosi tra una festa e l'altra, senza apparente scopo che sperperare una gloriosa eredità. La vecchia tensione Francia e Inghilterra è stata ricucita, nonostante la stretta collaborazione tra le due nazioni durante la guerra.
E la povera gente ha ripreso a fare del suo meglio, per tirare a campare.
Insomma, devo ammettere che la complessità di alcuni temi trattati mi ha davvero stupita in positivo. Dietro una copertina patinata e fuori contesto, si nasconde in realtà un romanzo interessante e ben costruito, che meriterebbe più attenzione. Niente di eccezionale, che faccia gridare al miracolo narrativo, ma di sicuro un'opera con una sua dignità letteraria, in grado di tenere compagnia a un lettore solitario per qualche ora senza farlo pentire della sua scelta.
April 15, 2017
Oh! What an absolute joy! Part mystery, part history and all sensual delight! Beautifully written and filled with such lovely description that brings each page to perfumed life. Be sure to read this sitting in your garden, surrounded by all the scents that nature has to offer. Oh, to have a fragrance created just for you.
April 24, 2023
solid 4 stars
24 April 2023
The French Perfumer was an utter delight, and (as always) Imogene Church's narration is fantastic!
22 April 2023
At first glance, The French Perfumer did not seem like I book I would typically read, 1) Imogene Church is the narrator, 2) the book begins in April, and 3) I wanted to read something sweet.
24 April 2023
The French Perfumer was an utter delight, and (as always) Imogene Church's narration is fantastic!
22 April 2023
At first glance, The French Perfumer did not seem like I book I would typically read, 1) Imogene Church is the narrator, 2) the book begins in April, and 3) I wanted to read something sweet.
February 28, 2024
Lovely little story
Not sure it’s for me because I doesn’t interest me to read back in that timeframe but read it because my grandma gave it to me and said it was an easy read.
Read a few chapters and then audio booked the rest.
Not sure it’s for me because I doesn’t interest me to read back in that timeframe but read it because my grandma gave it to me and said it was an easy read.
Read a few chapters and then audio booked the rest.
September 21, 2017
Un libro pieno di profumi floreali in grado di evocare molteplici sensazioni.
Le descrizioni aggraziate rendono la narrazione più elegante e dolce.
Al contrario, ci sono personaggi in grado di riscaldare i nostri animi, in modi diversi.
Vivian, una strega opportunista ed egoista, è in grado di far ribollire il sangue dei lettori e scatenerare il loro disprezzo.
Hammond, invece, è un uomo buono e generoso, impossibile non tifare per lui.
Tanti altri personaggi si mischiano tra queste pagine, mostrando atteggiamenti non sempre tra i più nobili.
Recensione: http://chelibroleggere.blogspot.it/20...
Le descrizioni aggraziate rendono la narrazione più elegante e dolce.
Al contrario, ci sono personaggi in grado di riscaldare i nostri animi, in modi diversi.
Vivian, una strega opportunista ed egoista, è in grado di far ribollire il sangue dei lettori e scatenerare il loro disprezzo.
Hammond, invece, è un uomo buono e generoso, impossibile non tifare per lui.
Tanti altri personaggi si mischiano tra queste pagine, mostrando atteggiamenti non sempre tra i più nobili.
Recensione: http://chelibroleggere.blogspot.it/20...
January 28, 2025
An easy read but a lovely and captivating one 🪻
April 4, 2017
What a lovely story
March 15, 2017
A charming, whimsical story full of surprises. On a lazy Sunday I laughed and I cried - what more can you ask of a book? Grab hold of it with both hands (if you've read it you'll know what I mean), and inhale the warm scent of the French Riviera.
March 10, 2017
Iris is a mid-30s civil servant in 1950s London. She makes the massive decision to take a short term and rather mysterious secretarial post on the French Riviera after realising that she is well an truly in a rut. Arriving at the mansion she is met by the strangely hostile Miss Brooke. It soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems: The guests are an odd bunch - no-one is who they appear, the house is clearly run down, hostility is everywhere.
Mr Brooke, Iris supposed employer, knows nothing about her but is driven by his increasingly medial disability to accept her help.
This is a pleasant but not very challenging read. Iris was occasionally too naive to be true, and then she was be completely unfazed by a gay character. It just doesn't seem to fit.
Iris is constantly described as "young" and "innocent" by other characters, but it strikes me as strange that a woman has made it to her mid 30s (even in the 1940s & 50s) and still managed to be as wide-eyed innocent as Iris. Especially when in those days an unmarried woman of 30 was well and truly 'on the shelf'. It is as if the character was written younger but then had to be made older to fit the timeline of he story.
As things speed to a conclusion the motivations and behaviours of the characters start to slot into place. Although set in the '50s this is a story that ties back to the war. Miss Brooke and Mr Brooke
are both trying to escape their roles in it - although for different reasons. There is the name and legacy of a once great family at stake.
Read for an enjoyable escape in to the glitz and glamour of the Riviera and the shadowy world of post war France. Through it all are the scents of the perfumes Mr Brooke once created which Iris helps to bring back to life.
Mr Brooke, Iris supposed employer, knows nothing about her but is driven by his increasingly medial disability to accept her help.
This is a pleasant but not very challenging read. Iris was occasionally too naive to be true, and then she was be completely unfazed by a gay character. It just doesn't seem to fit.
Iris is constantly described as "young" and "innocent" by other characters, but it strikes me as strange that a woman has made it to her mid 30s (even in the 1940s & 50s) and still managed to be as wide-eyed innocent as Iris. Especially when in those days an unmarried woman of 30 was well and truly 'on the shelf'. It is as if the character was written younger but then had to be made older to fit the timeline of he story.
As things speed to a conclusion the motivations and behaviours of the characters start to slot into place. Although set in the '50s this is a story that ties back to the war. Miss Brooke and Mr Brooke
are both trying to escape their roles in it - although for different reasons. There is the name and legacy of a once great family at stake.
Read for an enjoyable escape in to the glitz and glamour of the Riviera and the shadowy world of post war France. Through it all are the scents of the perfumes Mr Brooke once created which Iris helps to bring back to life.
May 19, 2018
I read a few pages and thought I'd put this book aside as it was written like a diary in the first person. But it only took a couple of chapters and it had me trapped. It's only 220 pages but I couldn't put it down. Iris was stuck in an ordinary job in London when her friend found an ad for an English speaking secretary in the South of France. Her schoolgirl French was no help at all so she was terrified of stepping into the unknown; the channel crossing to Calais, then a train ride in a compartment with strange men, one who eventually becomes a good friend. When she arrives at her destination in the French Rivera and meets Vivian the woman who employed her, Iris feels completely out of place. What she is employed to do is vague as Vivian is giving nothing away until she's sure Iris is fit to do the job. The coming and goings of people who come to stay at Vivian's huge house and the staff is intriguing. When she finally meets the man she is to work for it takes ages for her to realise he is a perfumer and has more to his story than first meets the eye.
May 27, 2017
Thanks to Harry Hartog Booksellers for the ARC. I loved the premise of this book - worn-down by life civil servant Iris goes to the South of France to work for a reclusive perfumer in a villa full of rich guests and secrets - but felt the execution was lacking. Iris' voice is very much 'tell', rather than 'show', making the reading a little stilted and superficial. Given the complexities of the characters involved, I would have liked a narrator with a little more eloquence and insight, which might also have saved the narrative from being rather disjointed (although to be fair, this was part of the 'diary' conceit of the format). Yes, it's a quick read, but I felt it had much more potential than was realised.
July 23, 2017
On a whim Iris responds to an advert for a shorthand typist in the south of France, resigning from her long term civil service job. The role is to help a perfumer get his papers in order, it it is not his choice. Iris has landed in a complicated situation with less than honest characters. But her honesty and forebearance win though.
Not Literature but an easy holiday read.
Not Literature but an easy holiday read.
November 14, 2017
An interesting story of class and mystery, set in the French Riviera several decades ago, of how a single English girl, naive and unworldly, faces up to and is changed by the many challenges that face her. It's not the usual romance I was expecting, but still charming.
May 7, 2017
A lovely tale of a English ladies adventure into the South of France, with enough love, intrigue and frivolity to keep you turning the pages to find out what is going on!
February 26, 2018
Delightful novel, easy read, had a bit of everything from mystery, intrigue & deception. To love, loyalty & betrayal. Set in the mid 50’s. Really enjoyed this read.
January 3, 2018
Ciao lettori. Oggi vorrei parlarvi della mia ultima lettura: “Il profumo segreto dei fiori” di Amanda Hampson. Si tratta di un romanzo storico ambientato nel sud della Francia del 1956, una storia particolare che mi ha colpito sin dalle prime pagine.
La protagonista Iris Turner è una giovane donna inglese che abbandona il suo lavoro in Inghilterra per un impiego temporaneo in Francia, come segretaria del signor Hammond Brooke.
Al suo arrivo, Iris non sa ancora che tipo di compiti le avranno riservato, è all’oscuro di tutto, e ad accoglierla ci sarà Vivian Brooke, la sorella del signor Hammond. È stata lei ad assumere Iris e il signor Brooke non conosce le sue intenzioni.
Iris si ritrova così a vivere nella villa di Vivian con lei e i suoi strambi ospiti, mentre il signor Brooke occupa il villino isolato dal resto del mondo. Sarà proprio la padrona di casa a rivelare alla protagonista il suo compito: deve aiutare il signor Hammond a catalogare i suoi documenti e dedicarsi a tutto ciò che l’uomo le chiederà, in quanto il signore sta perdendo la vista e soffre ancora a causa del suo passato e per ciò che ha affrontato durante la guerra.
Iris scoprirà che il suo datore di lavoro era un famosissimo profumiere. E non uno qualsiasi, ma quello che ha creato la fragranza più amata in quel periodo, famosa anche nella sua Inghilterra.
Le giornate alla villa scorrono molto lentamente, gli unici momenti in cui si sente a sua agio in questo ambiente sono quando si reca al villino o i suoi giorni liberi in compagnia del suo nuovo amico Alexander. Ed è grazie a lui che la sua permanenza in Francia le sembrerà più divertente. Ma la scontrosa Vivian non vuole che Iris racconti a i suoi nuovi amici l’entità del suo lavoro e il problema del fratello Hammond.
Sembra proprio che la padrona di casa voglia sfruttare il lavoro di Iris per scoprire i segreti che il fratello nasconde. Ben presto la protagonista si ritroverà nel bel mezzo di intrighi e segreti che coinvolgono i due fratelli Brooke.
Leggere questa storia è stato come vivere un viaggio nel tempo. La scrittrice è stata molto brava nelle descrizioni. Sembrava di stare nella villa dei Brooke insieme a i suoi strambi ospiti o di stare in compagnia di Alexander e i suoi amici. Lo stile dell’autrice è piacevole, scorrevole ed elegante, adatto all’epoca in cui sono ambientate le vicende. È riuscita a ricreare l’ambiente aristocratico di quel periodo in modo impeccabile.
Ho adorato Iris sin da subito. Quando incontrava qualche personaggio nuovo associava all’odore che sentiva un aggettivo per descrivere chi si trovava di fronte.
Questo è stato uno degli aspetti della giovane inglese che più mi ha colpito all’inizio della storia. Hammond, invece, è il tipico personaggio maschile scontroso che poi, andando avanti nella lettura, cambia radicalmente. Devo ammettere, però, che mi aspettavo di più da questa storia, soprattutto per quanto riguarda i profumi e i fiori.
Questo aspetto è stato trattato pochissimo e non era al centro del racconto, al contrario sembrava quasi fosse uno dei tanti aspetti da affrontare. I misteri e i segreti sono al centro della storia e coinvolgeranno il lettore nei piani della signora Brooke e alle varie vicende degli ospiti della villa.
Non vi resta che immergervi nel racconto della giovane Iris e scoprire anche voi cosa si nasconde dietro le ombre del signor Hammond.
Buona lettura.
La protagonista Iris Turner è una giovane donna inglese che abbandona il suo lavoro in Inghilterra per un impiego temporaneo in Francia, come segretaria del signor Hammond Brooke.
Al suo arrivo, Iris non sa ancora che tipo di compiti le avranno riservato, è all’oscuro di tutto, e ad accoglierla ci sarà Vivian Brooke, la sorella del signor Hammond. È stata lei ad assumere Iris e il signor Brooke non conosce le sue intenzioni.
Iris si ritrova così a vivere nella villa di Vivian con lei e i suoi strambi ospiti, mentre il signor Brooke occupa il villino isolato dal resto del mondo. Sarà proprio la padrona di casa a rivelare alla protagonista il suo compito: deve aiutare il signor Hammond a catalogare i suoi documenti e dedicarsi a tutto ciò che l’uomo le chiederà, in quanto il signore sta perdendo la vista e soffre ancora a causa del suo passato e per ciò che ha affrontato durante la guerra.
Iris scoprirà che il suo datore di lavoro era un famosissimo profumiere. E non uno qualsiasi, ma quello che ha creato la fragranza più amata in quel periodo, famosa anche nella sua Inghilterra.
Le giornate alla villa scorrono molto lentamente, gli unici momenti in cui si sente a sua agio in questo ambiente sono quando si reca al villino o i suoi giorni liberi in compagnia del suo nuovo amico Alexander. Ed è grazie a lui che la sua permanenza in Francia le sembrerà più divertente. Ma la scontrosa Vivian non vuole che Iris racconti a i suoi nuovi amici l’entità del suo lavoro e il problema del fratello Hammond.
Sembra proprio che la padrona di casa voglia sfruttare il lavoro di Iris per scoprire i segreti che il fratello nasconde. Ben presto la protagonista si ritroverà nel bel mezzo di intrighi e segreti che coinvolgono i due fratelli Brooke.
Leggere questa storia è stato come vivere un viaggio nel tempo. La scrittrice è stata molto brava nelle descrizioni. Sembrava di stare nella villa dei Brooke insieme a i suoi strambi ospiti o di stare in compagnia di Alexander e i suoi amici. Lo stile dell’autrice è piacevole, scorrevole ed elegante, adatto all’epoca in cui sono ambientate le vicende. È riuscita a ricreare l’ambiente aristocratico di quel periodo in modo impeccabile.
Ho adorato Iris sin da subito. Quando incontrava qualche personaggio nuovo associava all’odore che sentiva un aggettivo per descrivere chi si trovava di fronte.
Questo è stato uno degli aspetti della giovane inglese che più mi ha colpito all’inizio della storia. Hammond, invece, è il tipico personaggio maschile scontroso che poi, andando avanti nella lettura, cambia radicalmente. Devo ammettere, però, che mi aspettavo di più da questa storia, soprattutto per quanto riguarda i profumi e i fiori.
Questo aspetto è stato trattato pochissimo e non era al centro del racconto, al contrario sembrava quasi fosse uno dei tanti aspetti da affrontare. I misteri e i segreti sono al centro della storia e coinvolgeranno il lettore nei piani della signora Brooke e alle varie vicende degli ospiti della villa.
Non vi resta che immergervi nel racconto della giovane Iris e scoprire anche voi cosa si nasconde dietro le ombre del signor Hammond.
Buona lettura.
September 21, 2017
Recensione presente anche sul blog Bookish Advisor http://bookishadvisor.blogspot.it
Vi siete mai chiesti come ci si potrebbe sentire se un profumiere creasse un profumo solo per voi, un'essenza unica che si ispira al vostro carattere, ad aspetti unici della vostra persona? Se la risposta è sì Il profumo segreto dei fiori è il libro che dovete leggere.
Immaginatevi il sud della Francia, i colori caldi e le temperature miti che vi avvolgono e una storia fatta di profumi, ricordi e sensazioni uniche, questo è molto altro vi aspetta nelle pagine di Il profumo segreto dei fiori di Amanda Hampson.
Siamo nella metà degli anni 50 e Iris, la nostra protagonista e narratrice, decide improvvisamente di lasciare il lavoro e recarsi per un'occupazione provvisoria nel sud della Francia. Questo nuovo viaggio per lei significa ricominciare da capo e ripartire da zero e, perché no, trovare il vero amore e qualcosa che possa rendere la sua vita speciale.
Un romanzo di altri tempi dove vengono delineati aspetti di un'epoca passata dove si cercava, con i pochi mezzi disponibili, di superare il dopo guerra e trovare la propria strada in un mondo che aveva perso le sue certezze. Insieme a Iris vengono delineati molti altri personaggi secondari, la figura misteriosa ed enigmatica del profumiere Hammond, l'eccentrico Alexander e la sola persona che riuscirà a rubare l'attenzione romantiche di Iris, William.
L'originalità della storia creata dalla Hampson è nel ricreare perfettamente la realtà storica nonché l'unica ed inimitabile ambientazione.
La descrizione è minuziosa in ogni singolo dettaglio e arrivano a cogliere l'essenza della realtà con cui viene a contatto la protagonista: gli ambienti, la natura, gli abiti, la città sono tutti elementi ben descritti e analizzati partendo dagli abiti, i loro colori e le stoffe, ai sapori di una terra baciata dal sole e dal mare, i colori di una natura variegata, e i mille profumi che in mano all'autrice assumono una nuova connotazione, un'immagine sensoriale attraverso cui analizzare le emozioni della protagonista e carpirne la profondità psicologica e l'evoluzione del personaggio.
Lo stile della Hampson è immediato, caratterizzato da un linguaggio semplice che rende la narrazione molto veloce e rapida.
Ma la storia creata dalla Hampson non è la tipica storia dove la protagonista parte per un viaggio rivelatore, questa è la storia di una donna che arriva in una casa dove ogni porta e corridoio nascondono un mistero e dove i segreti sono i mattoni che compongono il muro dietro cui si è barricato Hammond. E la storia è proprio questo, la rivelazione della verità.
Questo continuo scoprire e rivelare segreti porta la narrazione ad essere avvincente ed entusiasmante senza contare che il quadro storico porta tutta la storia ad assumere un alone di mistero e sogno che rendono la storia unica nel suo genere.
Una storia di segreti che tiene letteralmente incollato il lettore alle pagine che lo sbalordirà a più riprese perché il finale non è quello che ci si aspetta ma il solo che una storia come questa può avere.
Una storia di un tempo passato che riesce a sbalordire ed ammaliare, commuovere ed emozionare.
Un Woman Fiction che consiglio a chi cerca una storia diversa.
Vi siete mai chiesti come ci si potrebbe sentire se un profumiere creasse un profumo solo per voi, un'essenza unica che si ispira al vostro carattere, ad aspetti unici della vostra persona? Se la risposta è sì Il profumo segreto dei fiori è il libro che dovete leggere.
Immaginatevi il sud della Francia, i colori caldi e le temperature miti che vi avvolgono e una storia fatta di profumi, ricordi e sensazioni uniche, questo è molto altro vi aspetta nelle pagine di Il profumo segreto dei fiori di Amanda Hampson.
Siamo nella metà degli anni 50 e Iris, la nostra protagonista e narratrice, decide improvvisamente di lasciare il lavoro e recarsi per un'occupazione provvisoria nel sud della Francia. Questo nuovo viaggio per lei significa ricominciare da capo e ripartire da zero e, perché no, trovare il vero amore e qualcosa che possa rendere la sua vita speciale.
Un romanzo di altri tempi dove vengono delineati aspetti di un'epoca passata dove si cercava, con i pochi mezzi disponibili, di superare il dopo guerra e trovare la propria strada in un mondo che aveva perso le sue certezze. Insieme a Iris vengono delineati molti altri personaggi secondari, la figura misteriosa ed enigmatica del profumiere Hammond, l'eccentrico Alexander e la sola persona che riuscirà a rubare l'attenzione romantiche di Iris, William.
L'originalità della storia creata dalla Hampson è nel ricreare perfettamente la realtà storica nonché l'unica ed inimitabile ambientazione.
La descrizione è minuziosa in ogni singolo dettaglio e arrivano a cogliere l'essenza della realtà con cui viene a contatto la protagonista: gli ambienti, la natura, gli abiti, la città sono tutti elementi ben descritti e analizzati partendo dagli abiti, i loro colori e le stoffe, ai sapori di una terra baciata dal sole e dal mare, i colori di una natura variegata, e i mille profumi che in mano all'autrice assumono una nuova connotazione, un'immagine sensoriale attraverso cui analizzare le emozioni della protagonista e carpirne la profondità psicologica e l'evoluzione del personaggio.
Lo stile della Hampson è immediato, caratterizzato da un linguaggio semplice che rende la narrazione molto veloce e rapida.
Ma la storia creata dalla Hampson non è la tipica storia dove la protagonista parte per un viaggio rivelatore, questa è la storia di una donna che arriva in una casa dove ogni porta e corridoio nascondono un mistero e dove i segreti sono i mattoni che compongono il muro dietro cui si è barricato Hammond. E la storia è proprio questo, la rivelazione della verità.
Questo continuo scoprire e rivelare segreti porta la narrazione ad essere avvincente ed entusiasmante senza contare che il quadro storico porta tutta la storia ad assumere un alone di mistero e sogno che rendono la storia unica nel suo genere.
Una storia di segreti che tiene letteralmente incollato il lettore alle pagine che lo sbalordirà a più riprese perché il finale non è quello che ci si aspetta ma il solo che una storia come questa può avere.
Una storia di un tempo passato che riesce a sbalordire ed ammaliare, commuovere ed emozionare.
Un Woman Fiction che consiglio a chi cerca una storia diversa.
December 3, 2023
Iris Turner has worked for the civil service for seventeen years as a lowly typist. At thirty five, she has led an extremely sheltered life, and likes nothing better than settling into her cosy home after work with a good book and her cat in her lap. But she surprises herself by answering an advertisement for a shorthand typist to work for an English speaker in the South of France.
Iris leaves behind dreary post-war 1950s London for the bucolic French Riviera. The landscape might be breathtaking, but the people she finds herself among are not all they seem. As she struggles to find her feet with her employer Hammond Brooke, the titular perfumer, she discovers a web of intrigue, not to mention an unexplored gift for interpreting the meaning behind aromas. This is hinted at from the beginning of the book, for example a friend who ‘smells of generosity and kindness’, ‘the smell of pure hostility’ from another character, and Iris being ‘hit by the peppery odour associated with friction and discord’.
The French Perfumer is Hampson’s second novel, written in 2017. I read her most recent book, The Tea Ladies, first. I can definitely see the development of her storytelling skills, but don’t let that deter you from reading this book. It’s full of colourful characters, and it kept me guessing right to the end.
Delightful.
Iris leaves behind dreary post-war 1950s London for the bucolic French Riviera. The landscape might be breathtaking, but the people she finds herself among are not all they seem. As she struggles to find her feet with her employer Hammond Brooke, the titular perfumer, she discovers a web of intrigue, not to mention an unexplored gift for interpreting the meaning behind aromas. This is hinted at from the beginning of the book, for example a friend who ‘smells of generosity and kindness’, ‘the smell of pure hostility’ from another character, and Iris being ‘hit by the peppery odour associated with friction and discord’.
The French Perfumer is Hampson’s second novel, written in 2017. I read her most recent book, The Tea Ladies, first. I can definitely see the development of her storytelling skills, but don’t let that deter you from reading this book. It’s full of colourful characters, and it kept me guessing right to the end.
Delightful.
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