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Parfumerie
E.P. Dowdall's English adaptation of the Hungarian play, Illatszertar by Miklos Laszlo, and English translation by Florence László.
This new adaptation of the play that inspired several movies (The Shop Around the Corner, You've Got Mail, etc.) is a warm, gentle comedy that follows the tangled tale of Parfumerie employee George Horvath. Just days before Christmas, George's boss fires him after mistakenly suspecting him to be the lover of his unfaithful wife. Meanwhile, Goerge's own love life goes awry when he discovers that the stranger he has fallen in love with through a secret correspondence is none other than Amalia Balash, a co-worker with whom he constantly feuds. For the employees of the Parfumerie, only the truth can lead to a happy resolution in this old-fashioned, romantic Christmas tale.
This new adaptation of the play that inspired several movies (The Shop Around the Corner, You've Got Mail, etc.) is a warm, gentle comedy that follows the tangled tale of Parfumerie employee George Horvath. Just days before Christmas, George's boss fires him after mistakenly suspecting him to be the lover of his unfaithful wife. Meanwhile, Goerge's own love life goes awry when he discovers that the stranger he has fallen in love with through a secret correspondence is none other than Amalia Balash, a co-worker with whom he constantly feuds. For the employees of the Parfumerie, only the truth can lead to a happy resolution in this old-fashioned, romantic Christmas tale.
120 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 11, 2017
I've now seen/read every version of this story and each one really adds its own delightful twist on things, but in each incarnation, the ending is so satisfying. I really, really love Sipos here, and Mr. Hammerschmidt and Arpad. The central plot between Amalia and George feels a little in the backseat, but that adds to the slice of life feel. I will say sometimes the translation feels a bit spotty, as it uses some overly modern turns of phrase, but it's fun to see where it all started.
July 27, 2020
This was a a little disappointing, I think because I adore the movie adaptation so much. Parfumerie still has that good good enemies to lovers storyline that we know and love from The Shop Around The Corner, but it focuses so much more on the boss's story, rather than our favorite letter-writing duo. Plus, the ending of George and Amalia's plot was SUPER abrupt. Yet, while it didn't live up to the movie, I think knowing the plot in the form of the movie also slanted my enjoyment to be higher than it would've been if I hadn't already loved that story so much, hence my middle-of-the-road rating.
May 4, 2018
Since I couldn't obtain a copy of an English translation of Illatszertar by the Laszlos, I got this adaptation by the author's and translator's nephew E.P. Dowdall. I assume the bulk of the story is the same from the original play, and it's a bit disappointing. I've recently watched all the movie adaptations - The Shop Around the Corner (1940), In the Good Old Summertime (1949), and You've Got Mail (1998). You can see how the play influenced the 1940 film, and how that influenced the later movies. I don't believe the later movies looked at the original play, as the only memorable lines come from the movie.
In this play adaptation, the pen pal storyline is secondary to the boss's storyline and how that affects the relationships in the store. The conclusion to the love letter story is really matter-of-fact - "oh, hey, i wrote those letters", "oh okay, i thought so, now let's get married", "cool" - those aren't the lines, but that's about how it feels. i also wasn't happy with how it's tense from the very beginning - it starts out with the boss on edge and believing that his top clerk has been having an affair with his wife. and the clerks who love/hate each other have been arguing for two years.
ugh. it's too much tell and not enough show, plus the 1940 movie feels better paced - you see the happy work environment before things change and then the resolutions are much more satisfactory at the end.
In this play adaptation, the pen pal storyline is secondary to the boss's storyline and how that affects the relationships in the store. The conclusion to the love letter story is really matter-of-fact - "oh, hey, i wrote those letters", "oh okay, i thought so, now let's get married", "cool" - those aren't the lines, but that's about how it feels. i also wasn't happy with how it's tense from the very beginning - it starts out with the boss on edge and believing that his top clerk has been having an affair with his wife. and the clerks who love/hate each other have been arguing for two years.
ugh. it's too much tell and not enough show, plus the 1940 movie feels better paced - you see the happy work environment before things change and then the resolutions are much more satisfactory at the end.
January 25, 2018
A translation of the play that “She Loves Me” is based on. Great story, well adapted. Dramatic, funny, and sweet. The focus is a bit more on Arpad and Mr. Hammerschmidt than on George and Amalia, which is fine.
February 6, 2021
This is the original play that spawned, Shop around the Corner, Good Old Summer time and You've Got Mail. These films are nicely done and the story has changed from the original Drug Store Perfumery in Hungary. This explains the premise but isn't nearly as fun as each of the films in their own way.
watched-not-read
October 18, 2018Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews