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The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume
Tilar J. Mazzeo returns with a captivating history of the world’s most famous, seductive, and popular perfume: Chanel No. 5. Mazzeo’s sweeping story of the iconic scent (known as “le monstre” in the fragrance industry) stretches from Coco Chanel’s early success to the rise of the seminal fragrance during the 1950s to the confirmation of its bestseller status in today’s crowded perfume market.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2010
135 people are currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
Tilar J. Mazzeo
20 books322 followersTilar J. Mazzeo is a cultural historian, biographer, and passionate student of wine and food culture. She divides her time among the California wine country, New York City, and Maine, where she is a professor of English at Colby College.
(from the author's website)
(from the author's website)
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March 22, 2017
FROM THE BLURB
A blend of evocative history and thoughtful research, here is a glittering account of where art and sensuality mingle with dazzling entrepreneurship and desire: Chanel No. 5.
When was the first time that you became aware of Chanel No. 5? I can't really remember. But I do remember my reaction when I first received it as a birthday gift. The first moment I smelled it, I was blown away. Really knocked off this planet. Suddenly all the hype around it made perfect sense. I remained in a state of wonder until the last drop was sparingly used. Since then I'm nostalgically thinking back and hope I can one day buy it for myself again. It's expensive. We all know that.
I can understand the culture around this perfume. Like Coco Chanel's haute couture fashion designs, this perfume brought liberty to women to be themselves, to free themselves from social constrictions forced upon them, but to celebrate their natural beauty and self confidence. Coco brought several firsts unto the world scene: lipstick in bullet casings, boy-like haircuts for women, bathing suits, sun tan, short dresses, slacks for women and comfortable elegant clothes. Who does not admire or own that little black number dress? or the famous Chanel jacket that still seduces millions of women to own one? Her designs of 1921 and beyond are still popular today, and no other perfume ever surpassed No. 5 in popularity after its introduction to the world. There is simply no comparison.
I stopped reading this book after chapter eight:
1) I did not want to know more than I already read. Let me explain. When I first smelled the perfume, I experienced emotions of joy, of excitement, like smelling the first pheromones in the air in Spring. The joy of being feminine, the secrets of flowers, the subtle undertone of ylang ylang, and all the other unknown elements in that bottle, which elevated me into a world of heavenly happiness. I just stood there, mesmerized. I felt like the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. I had a smile right around my head. I was speechless. I became an instant goddess and acted like one. While a whole range of perfumes adorn my dressing table, nothing ever inspired this reaction before or after.
How it was made, and the history behind it, did not matter to me at that moment. And honestly, it doesn't really matter now, although I have a tremendous admiration for Mademoiselle Chanel. In 2021, this perfume will be one hundred years old, and still selling one bottle every thirty seconds around the world. "No.5" became a narrative which was as much culturally universal as it was deliciously private until this day.
How perfumes are made is interesting, but information dumping for another couple of hundred pages won't quite work for me, although it is really a good docu-drama of the whole saga. It covers the historical period between 1900 until now, well more or less, in detail. And then repeat it over and over and over again until this book becomes 200 pages too long.
2) What I wanted to know about the history, was already explained. The repetitive nature of the text just started to bore me to tears.
I briefly ventured off onto the internet, watched a few Youtube documentaries, and read some articles on Coco Chanel's life. Some of the information in the book, as well as elsewhere, are verbatim quotes from the same sources. Which explains the limited resources available and the speculative nature of some of the information used for various purposes. The bibliography provides numerous sources to pursue. The author did extensive research.
This book is an unauthorized biography. Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie is an authorized biography. Since I haven't read it, I don't know if it addresses the history of the perfume, developed by the perfumer, Ernest Beaux for Coco Chanel, in so much detail as this book by Tilar J. Mazzeo. The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is all about perfume; how it is made; and how Chanel No. 5 fits into the the picture. This book is about that scent. Fascinating for sure!!!
Coco Chanel was an amazing person. A woman with more insight into the psyche of women and men, than most people on earth. She created a perfume that will forever speak the language of our souls. It tells her own story in fragrances. She was an innocent girl and a worldly woman; she understood us more than we will ever know. "Share the fantasy", says her slogan. We smile and do what she says. Billions of us. It will forever be our story too.
She started a revolution on many fronts, used masses of pearls and perfume as her weapons, and changed the world. It was the first time that American GI's flocked in lines around the block to her Paris boutique to take home this magical potion for the women in their lives.
No.5 was not only a perfume, it was a phenomenon, provided by a phenomenal woman. It became an icon of the twentieth century. A culture on it's own. It defies logic. Advertising did not sell this perfume. That's what makes the story so much more intriguing. People instinctively reacted to it. Coco Chanel found the formula for feminine eternal.
Although this book did not work for me, Coco Chanel's story is important.
A great video to watch about this perfume:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRQa3...
A blend of evocative history and thoughtful research, here is a glittering account of where art and sensuality mingle with dazzling entrepreneurship and desire: Chanel No. 5.
When was the first time that you became aware of Chanel No. 5? I can't really remember. But I do remember my reaction when I first received it as a birthday gift. The first moment I smelled it, I was blown away. Really knocked off this planet. Suddenly all the hype around it made perfect sense. I remained in a state of wonder until the last drop was sparingly used. Since then I'm nostalgically thinking back and hope I can one day buy it for myself again. It's expensive. We all know that.
I can understand the culture around this perfume. Like Coco Chanel's haute couture fashion designs, this perfume brought liberty to women to be themselves, to free themselves from social constrictions forced upon them, but to celebrate their natural beauty and self confidence. Coco brought several firsts unto the world scene: lipstick in bullet casings, boy-like haircuts for women, bathing suits, sun tan, short dresses, slacks for women and comfortable elegant clothes. Who does not admire or own that little black number dress? or the famous Chanel jacket that still seduces millions of women to own one? Her designs of 1921 and beyond are still popular today, and no other perfume ever surpassed No. 5 in popularity after its introduction to the world. There is simply no comparison.
I stopped reading this book after chapter eight:
1) I did not want to know more than I already read. Let me explain. When I first smelled the perfume, I experienced emotions of joy, of excitement, like smelling the first pheromones in the air in Spring. The joy of being feminine, the secrets of flowers, the subtle undertone of ylang ylang, and all the other unknown elements in that bottle, which elevated me into a world of heavenly happiness. I just stood there, mesmerized. I felt like the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. I had a smile right around my head. I was speechless. I became an instant goddess and acted like one. While a whole range of perfumes adorn my dressing table, nothing ever inspired this reaction before or after.
How it was made, and the history behind it, did not matter to me at that moment. And honestly, it doesn't really matter now, although I have a tremendous admiration for Mademoiselle Chanel. In 2021, this perfume will be one hundred years old, and still selling one bottle every thirty seconds around the world. "No.5" became a narrative which was as much culturally universal as it was deliciously private until this day.
How perfumes are made is interesting, but information dumping for another couple of hundred pages won't quite work for me, although it is really a good docu-drama of the whole saga. It covers the historical period between 1900 until now, well more or less, in detail. And then repeat it over and over and over again until this book becomes 200 pages too long.
2) What I wanted to know about the history, was already explained. The repetitive nature of the text just started to bore me to tears.
I briefly ventured off onto the internet, watched a few Youtube documentaries, and read some articles on Coco Chanel's life. Some of the information in the book, as well as elsewhere, are verbatim quotes from the same sources. Which explains the limited resources available and the speculative nature of some of the information used for various purposes. The bibliography provides numerous sources to pursue. The author did extensive research.
This book is an unauthorized biography. Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie is an authorized biography. Since I haven't read it, I don't know if it addresses the history of the perfume, developed by the perfumer, Ernest Beaux for Coco Chanel, in so much detail as this book by Tilar J. Mazzeo. The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is all about perfume; how it is made; and how Chanel No. 5 fits into the the picture. This book is about that scent. Fascinating for sure!!!
Coco Chanel was an amazing person. A woman with more insight into the psyche of women and men, than most people on earth. She created a perfume that will forever speak the language of our souls. It tells her own story in fragrances. She was an innocent girl and a worldly woman; she understood us more than we will ever know. "Share the fantasy", says her slogan. We smile and do what she says. Billions of us. It will forever be our story too.
She started a revolution on many fronts, used masses of pearls and perfume as her weapons, and changed the world. It was the first time that American GI's flocked in lines around the block to her Paris boutique to take home this magical potion for the women in their lives.
No.5 was not only a perfume, it was a phenomenon, provided by a phenomenal woman. It became an icon of the twentieth century. A culture on it's own. It defies logic. Advertising did not sell this perfume. That's what makes the story so much more intriguing. People instinctively reacted to it. Coco Chanel found the formula for feminine eternal.
Although this book did not work for me, Coco Chanel's story is important.
A great video to watch about this perfume:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRQa3...
February 7, 2016
The reason I picked up The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is that I really enjoyed Mazzeo's book The Hotel on Place Vendome: Life, Death, and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
One of the stories told in The Hotel on Place Vendome provides an insight into the life of Coco Chanel and a brief glimpse into the history of her famous perfume - both left me interested enough to want to read a little bit more about both subjects - even tho I am not impressed by either Chanel or her perfume.
The Secret of Chanel No. 5 is a very detailed account of how the perfume was created, the people involved in the process, and the myths and legends associated with it - such as it's origins. Somewhat surprisingly, Coco Chanel herself only seems to play a relatively minor role in the story of the perfume which predates the rise of Chanel as a fashion icon.
Unfortunately, there were two aspects that just did not work for me with The Secret of Chanel No. 5:
For one, whilst some of the writing reveals details of Mazzeo's research in an engaging style, she lapses into what seems to be a fictionalised or hypothetical account when describing the motivations of some of the people involved in the story. As this is supposed to be non-fiction, it grates on me when Mazzeo describes what individual people have felt or thought or sensed when it is doubtful that any of this could be corroborated by factual sources. I'm sure Mazzeo has done a lot of research when writing this book. However, when she presents her own interpretations or hypotheses as the thoughts or emotions of the people she writes about, she diminishes the credibility of her work.
The second aspect that did not work for me was the repetitious nature of some of Mazzeo's over-blown descriptions of the subject matter. In essence, some of the descriptions of the perfume read like they could have come straight out of an advertisement. This is in contradiction to the effort of the book, which is to demystify the legendary status that this particular product has achieved over the decades.
However, I must admit that it did make me smile to think about how the book was trying to deconstruct a the brand of Chanel No. 5 but using generic "sales-speak". I'm just not sure that the irony was intended by the author in this case.
One of the stories told in The Hotel on Place Vendome provides an insight into the life of Coco Chanel and a brief glimpse into the history of her famous perfume - both left me interested enough to want to read a little bit more about both subjects - even tho I am not impressed by either Chanel or her perfume.
The Secret of Chanel No. 5 is a very detailed account of how the perfume was created, the people involved in the process, and the myths and legends associated with it - such as it's origins. Somewhat surprisingly, Coco Chanel herself only seems to play a relatively minor role in the story of the perfume which predates the rise of Chanel as a fashion icon.
Unfortunately, there were two aspects that just did not work for me with The Secret of Chanel No. 5:
For one, whilst some of the writing reveals details of Mazzeo's research in an engaging style, she lapses into what seems to be a fictionalised or hypothetical account when describing the motivations of some of the people involved in the story. As this is supposed to be non-fiction, it grates on me when Mazzeo describes what individual people have felt or thought or sensed when it is doubtful that any of this could be corroborated by factual sources. I'm sure Mazzeo has done a lot of research when writing this book. However, when she presents her own interpretations or hypotheses as the thoughts or emotions of the people she writes about, she diminishes the credibility of her work.
The second aspect that did not work for me was the repetitious nature of some of Mazzeo's over-blown descriptions of the subject matter. In essence, some of the descriptions of the perfume read like they could have come straight out of an advertisement. This is in contradiction to the effort of the book, which is to demystify the legendary status that this particular product has achieved over the decades.
However, I must admit that it did make me smile to think about how the book was trying to deconstruct a the brand of Chanel No. 5 but using generic "sales-speak". I'm just not sure that the irony was intended by the author in this case.
February 8, 2017
What a wishy-washy story for non-fic. The first 70 pages were kind of a recollection of some hazy dream. I just couldn't with this book. No concrete facts, dates, or story. I didn't like the organization of the book and it was incredibly repetitive. Yes, we get it Chanel No.5 is sexy and seductive, that was repeated at least every other page. I think this story overall would have been better served as historical fiction, that way the author gets the liberties to expand on the myth that is Chanel, otherwise there is not enough facts, concrete dates, and details to make this a strong work of non-fiction.
Inspired by the book, I did go to Macys to smell "the monster" and it's just not for me. Reminds me of old people. Thanks but no thanks.
Inspired by the book, I did go to Macys to smell "the monster" and it's just not for me. Reminds me of old people. Thanks but no thanks.
March 17, 2014
Was an incredibly interesting and informative read. Some of the concluding statements however left me, I guess, cringing, by the way they drew conclusion with no clear, hard and recorded evidence. So as a historical text I feel it was challenging because I was often left saying "based on what evidence?" But in the same breath, the author is very talented that she has created a novel looking at the truthful possibility of the rumors and scandals that were associated with Chanel No.5 making an intriguing and entertaining read. It just has to be taken in with a little grain of salt, so to speak.
May 6, 2011
The book was good. The Perfume, better.
May 18, 2024
Als Parfum-Enthusiastin war dieses Buch für mich in der Bibliothek ein logischer Griff, auch wenn ich offen gestanden Chanel No.5 noch nie selbst geschnuppert habe, aber wie das Buch deutlich macht, eilt auch heute noch der Ruf dem Duft voraus.
Man muss im Hinterkopf behalten, dass es eine unautorisierte Biografie ist (es ist ja auch keine Coco Chanel Biografie, sondern eine Chanel No.5 Biografie), aber die Autorin macht das auch klar.
Ich bin jetzt doch neugierig, „das Monster“ mal zu riechen, aber ich würde es nicht kaufen, egal wie gut es mir gefällt, denn meine wichtigste Mitnahme aus dem Buch ist, dass Coco Chanel eine gut dokumentierte Antisemitin und Profiteurin des Naziregimes war, was natürlich auch Einfluss auf den heutigen Erfolg und Wohlstand des Modehauses hat und nie richtig aufgearbeitet wurde.
Es war trotzdem natürlich sehr interessant, über die Entstehung des innovativen Duftes und seines Vermächtnisses zu lesen genau wie all die Wirren, die es im Laufe der jahrzehntelang darum gab; und wie all das es trotzdem nicht davon abhalten konnte, der berühmteste Duft aller Zeiten zu werden.
Man muss im Hinterkopf behalten, dass es eine unautorisierte Biografie ist (es ist ja auch keine Coco Chanel Biografie, sondern eine Chanel No.5 Biografie), aber die Autorin macht das auch klar.
Ich bin jetzt doch neugierig, „das Monster“ mal zu riechen, aber ich würde es nicht kaufen, egal wie gut es mir gefällt, denn meine wichtigste Mitnahme aus dem Buch ist, dass Coco Chanel eine gut dokumentierte Antisemitin und Profiteurin des Naziregimes war, was natürlich auch Einfluss auf den heutigen Erfolg und Wohlstand des Modehauses hat und nie richtig aufgearbeitet wurde.
Es war trotzdem natürlich sehr interessant, über die Entstehung des innovativen Duftes und seines Vermächtnisses zu lesen genau wie all die Wirren, die es im Laufe der jahrzehntelang darum gab; und wie all das es trotzdem nicht davon abhalten konnte, der berühmteste Duft aller Zeiten zu werden.
November 21, 2019
This book is so bad it's irresponsible. I read it for the research, and I give the author 1 star for digging into the archives and unearthing lots of interesting information about the earliest days of the perfume, and the history of the perfume industry. Too bad this genuine research was put to the service of such an unserious, compromised work.
The rest of the book is an exercise in how to throw journalistic credibility out the window. Over and over again, the author extends ENDLESS sympathy and generosity towards Coco Chanel, constantly providing palatable explanations for her terrible behavior - explanations which are grounded in NOTHING.
What, exactly, is the proof of this? Did the author come across a letter written by Chanel expressing these feelings? Did she find a diary entry to this effect? Did someone write down a bit of conversation they had with her, in which she laid her heart bare? If so, the author didn't quote or cite anything. This idea of Chanel's deep emotional attachment to her perfume has zero textual support, and is contradicted by Chanel's actual actions.
What kind of evidence is there to support the idea that she valued Chanel No. 5 as a cash cow and nothing more?
- She sold 90% of the company away at the first opportunity she had to do so.
- She didn't pay any attention to the perfume's distribution or marketing for the first 15 years.
- Her deep concern for the production of Chanel No. 5 overlaps precisely with the moment she closed down her couture house. It became her #1 priority when it became her #1 source of income.
- She deliberately sabotaged the reputation of Chanel No. 5 in the years following World War II, explicitly running campaigns arguing that the quality of the perfume wasn't any good.
At every opportunity, this author bends over backwards to paint even Chanel's worst actions in a positive light. My favorite is when Chanel found out her old employee's husband was now trapped in a fascist Italian POW camp. According to British and American intelligence, Chanel stuck her nose in by telling her high-ranking German contacts that the husband was giving up a LOT of useful information - which was a lie. Somehow, incredibly, the author suggests that this was a misguided attempt to help - how? in what possible way can you interpret that action positively? You have to go through some absurd twists of logic to spin this interference as anything else but a chance to sic the Gestapo on her old employee. And sic them she does! The Gestapo interrogate her old employee, who hates Chanel's guts for the rest of her life. Gee, I wonder why she didn't appreciate Chanel's help?
P.S. A few years after this book was published, French intelligence confirms that Chanel was actually trying to recruit her old employee for a scheme to help the Third Reich take over Madrid. She sent her old employee to Spain - only to have the old employee denounce Chanel and her boyfriend as Nazi spies the minute she arrived. Who could have foreseen that Chanel's friendly gestures were actually a Nazi scheme? Oh, literally everyone using their common sense.
Somehow the author admits that Chanel was a virulent, lifelong anti-Semite, a nasty businesswoman and a shit-stirrer, and nevertheless interprets all of her actions as springing from other impulses. This is not serious journalism, it is fawning sycophancy.
The rest of the book is an exercise in how to throw journalistic credibility out the window. Over and over again, the author extends ENDLESS sympathy and generosity towards Coco Chanel, constantly providing palatable explanations for her terrible behavior - explanations which are grounded in NOTHING.
"For Coco, however, what Chanel No. 5 represented made letting go of the scent emotionally difficult. Losing control of the fragrance evoked too viscerally the pain and desire tangled up with all those earlier losses."
What, exactly, is the proof of this? Did the author come across a letter written by Chanel expressing these feelings? Did she find a diary entry to this effect? Did someone write down a bit of conversation they had with her, in which she laid her heart bare? If so, the author didn't quote or cite anything. This idea of Chanel's deep emotional attachment to her perfume has zero textual support, and is contradicted by Chanel's actual actions.
What kind of evidence is there to support the idea that she valued Chanel No. 5 as a cash cow and nothing more?
- She sold 90% of the company away at the first opportunity she had to do so.
- She didn't pay any attention to the perfume's distribution or marketing for the first 15 years.
- Her deep concern for the production of Chanel No. 5 overlaps precisely with the moment she closed down her couture house. It became her #1 priority when it became her #1 source of income.
- She deliberately sabotaged the reputation of Chanel No. 5 in the years following World War II, explicitly running campaigns arguing that the quality of the perfume wasn't any good.
At every opportunity, this author bends over backwards to paint even Chanel's worst actions in a positive light. My favorite is when Chanel found out her old employee's husband was now trapped in a fascist Italian POW camp. According to British and American intelligence, Chanel stuck her nose in by telling her high-ranking German contacts that the husband was giving up a LOT of useful information - which was a lie. Somehow, incredibly, the author suggests that this was a misguided attempt to help - how? in what possible way can you interpret that action positively? You have to go through some absurd twists of logic to spin this interference as anything else but a chance to sic the Gestapo on her old employee. And sic them she does! The Gestapo interrogate her old employee, who hates Chanel's guts for the rest of her life. Gee, I wonder why she didn't appreciate Chanel's help?
P.S. A few years after this book was published, French intelligence confirms that Chanel was actually trying to recruit her old employee for a scheme to help the Third Reich take over Madrid. She sent her old employee to Spain - only to have the old employee denounce Chanel and her boyfriend as Nazi spies the minute she arrived. Who could have foreseen that Chanel's friendly gestures were actually a Nazi scheme? Oh, literally everyone using their common sense.
Somehow the author admits that Chanel was a virulent, lifelong anti-Semite, a nasty businesswoman and a shit-stirrer, and nevertheless interprets all of her actions as springing from other impulses. This is not serious journalism, it is fawning sycophancy.
April 4, 2023
Perfumes and celebrity fragrances hit the market and seemingly in a twinkling, are gone and never to return leaving people scrambling to purchase those last available bottles. So to even think that one perfume, one scent, has managed to celebrate a centennial on the market seems implausible. And yet, Chanel No. 5 was officially released on May 5, 1921 after Coco Chanel did a shadowy showcase of the tantalizing scent at an exclusive restaurant in 1920 and then sent 100 bottles as holiday gifts to her most loyal clients. . . .who wanted more.
Not only a history of the life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel from her abandonment by her father at a convent orphanage after the death of her mother, to her education as well as learning to sew. Once she hit 18, she made the decision that convent-life was not for her and she took the steps to not only become independent but to use the skills and discipline learned at the orphanage basically for the rest of her life. Mazzeo goes into further detail of her life as the perfume - lush, clean and 'sexy' with thousands of may rose, exclusive jasmine, with a fragrance molecule/aldehyde of clean, crisp arctic snow & winter - was developed along with conflicts between her and the manufacturers of the perfume. Her shop which she emphasized exclusivity, her lovers, her conflicts with other perfume companies, the Great Depression and surviving the invasion of Paris by Germany.
Coco Chanel eventually renegotiated her contract regarding Chanel No. 5 with the distributors (along with all rights to her business and name) and it was enough to provide her with an annual income and payment of all her bills for the rest of her life. No.5 represented pre-war luxury and glamour at the end of WWII and it still symbolizes it today. The owners make a point of attempting to keep ahead of new regulations while keeping the elusive scent close to the original. Even after 100 years, it is still as popular and seductive as it was when Coco first enticed those other restaurant patrons with that elusive and beguiling scent.
2022-256
Not only a history of the life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel from her abandonment by her father at a convent orphanage after the death of her mother, to her education as well as learning to sew. Once she hit 18, she made the decision that convent-life was not for her and she took the steps to not only become independent but to use the skills and discipline learned at the orphanage basically for the rest of her life. Mazzeo goes into further detail of her life as the perfume - lush, clean and 'sexy' with thousands of may rose, exclusive jasmine, with a fragrance molecule/aldehyde of clean, crisp arctic snow & winter - was developed along with conflicts between her and the manufacturers of the perfume. Her shop which she emphasized exclusivity, her lovers, her conflicts with other perfume companies, the Great Depression and surviving the invasion of Paris by Germany.
Coco Chanel eventually renegotiated her contract regarding Chanel No. 5 with the distributors (along with all rights to her business and name) and it was enough to provide her with an annual income and payment of all her bills for the rest of her life. No.5 represented pre-war luxury and glamour at the end of WWII and it still symbolizes it today. The owners make a point of attempting to keep ahead of new regulations while keeping the elusive scent close to the original. Even after 100 years, it is still as popular and seductive as it was when Coco first enticed those other restaurant patrons with that elusive and beguiling scent.
2022-256
February 8, 2024
This book discusses the creation, marketing, and success of one of the world's most popular perfume scents- Chanel No. 5. This also includes a lot of information about Coco Chanel, and would be a great reference book about her life. It was really neat to learn about this iconic scent and how it came to be. I really liked her motivation behind creating the scent, and I also admire her desire to become something more than what she was at the time. I personally am not a fan of this scent, but I still enjoyed learning the history of it.
I have the Audible version of this book, and I believe it was around eight hours to listen to. The paperback version is just over 300 pages if you are interested. I appreciated the way the story was told. It was actually very interesting. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. This isn't something I would normally pick out to read, but I am glad that I got it. I learned a lot from this book. It also got me through a shift at work in peace, which is wonderful.
I have the Audible version of this book, and I believe it was around eight hours to listen to. The paperback version is just over 300 pages if you are interested. I appreciated the way the story was told. It was actually very interesting. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. This isn't something I would normally pick out to read, but I am glad that I got it. I learned a lot from this book. It also got me through a shift at work in peace, which is wonderful.
December 31, 2010
The perfume industry calls Chanel no 5 "le monstre" and rightly so. It is and has been for most of its 90 years the best-selling perfume in the world. Marilyn Monroe wore it (and nothing else) to bed. Andy Warhol made a silk screen of it along with Campbell soup.
So what's the secret? It's an unusually sophisticated perfume that, unlike many other luxury products, has not compromised over the years. What I wear today (you knew I wore Chanel No 5, of course) is pretty much what Chanel envisioned in 1923 when it was introduced. There is the essence of 1,000 jasmine flowers in my little 1/2 oz bottle, and getting those flowers from Grasse where they are grown to Hackensack, NJ, where Chanel was manufactured during World War II was a matter of black market buying and smuggling at tremendous risk, not to mention the cost.
Chanel signed away the rights to the perfume to the Wertheimer family in the 1920s and she regretted it almost immediately. The company had to keep an attorney on the payroll solely to deal with the many lawsuits Chanel bombarded them with. During the occupation of France she tried to use the Nazi law forbidding Jews to own property to regain control. (Not a nice lady, Chanel. Not a lady at all but a demi-mondaine really.) Fortunately the Wertheimers had sold the company to an "Aryan" before they fled France for the United States. After the war when they bought their company back they decided to give Coco a larger share in the profits in order to avoid a court battle that would have made Chanel's collaboration public knowledge and destroyed the glamour of the name, Chanel.
So if the book is so fascinating why only 4 stars? Alas, the book is in dire need of a good editor. It is sometimes rambling, constantly repetitious, and written in that breathless manner where every little fact and surmise is "secret" and is tied into the development and fame of the perfume, whether it fits or not. Nonetheless, if you are interested in perfume, or if you read the recent Justine Picardie biography of Mademoiselle and want to know the other side of the story, this is a good place to go. It really is a fascinating story.
2011 No 1
So what's the secret? It's an unusually sophisticated perfume that, unlike many other luxury products, has not compromised over the years. What I wear today (you knew I wore Chanel No 5, of course) is pretty much what Chanel envisioned in 1923 when it was introduced. There is the essence of 1,000 jasmine flowers in my little 1/2 oz bottle, and getting those flowers from Grasse where they are grown to Hackensack, NJ, where Chanel was manufactured during World War II was a matter of black market buying and smuggling at tremendous risk, not to mention the cost.
Chanel signed away the rights to the perfume to the Wertheimer family in the 1920s and she regretted it almost immediately. The company had to keep an attorney on the payroll solely to deal with the many lawsuits Chanel bombarded them with. During the occupation of France she tried to use the Nazi law forbidding Jews to own property to regain control. (Not a nice lady, Chanel. Not a lady at all but a demi-mondaine really.) Fortunately the Wertheimers had sold the company to an "Aryan" before they fled France for the United States. After the war when they bought their company back they decided to give Coco a larger share in the profits in order to avoid a court battle that would have made Chanel's collaboration public knowledge and destroyed the glamour of the name, Chanel.
So if the book is so fascinating why only 4 stars? Alas, the book is in dire need of a good editor. It is sometimes rambling, constantly repetitious, and written in that breathless manner where every little fact and surmise is "secret" and is tied into the development and fame of the perfume, whether it fits or not. Nonetheless, if you are interested in perfume, or if you read the recent Justine Picardie biography of Mademoiselle and want to know the other side of the story, this is a good place to go. It really is a fascinating story.
2011 No 1
May 13, 2014
I really wanted to love this book. I did learn about the stories behind Chanel No. 5 (and I say stories because much of this book remains speculative), my main issue with 'The Secret of Chanel No. 5' is with the writing style.
Mazzeo has a tendency to repeat phrases. For example, between pages 12 and 15, she makes reference to the idea that Coco Chanel had "not yet thought of" becoming a fashion or fragrance designer no less than seven times over the course of three pages. While I get the reason for emphasizing these ideas, the technique is clumsy.
This repetition of phrases extends to repetition of whole ideas, paragraphs, sections of chapters. Each and every chapter was written as if the reader hadn't read any of the previous chapters. So much of this already-slight book was spent summarizing, re-summarizing and re-re-summarizing. It's the literary equivalent of the air in your bag of chips. I'm all for ensuring that a reader is oriented to the material, however, Mazzeo could have done it more sparingly.
Continuing on a theme, the author is unable to resist this tendency to re-summarize even after the book-proper ends. The tacked on afterword re-summarizes the entire book and offers no new insights. I wish she'd just let the writing stand (and end) as it was.
All in all, while the subject matter was interesting, the story might have been better suited (in depth and edited-length) to a Vanity Fair-style feature.
Mazzeo has a tendency to repeat phrases. For example, between pages 12 and 15, she makes reference to the idea that Coco Chanel had "not yet thought of" becoming a fashion or fragrance designer no less than seven times over the course of three pages. While I get the reason for emphasizing these ideas, the technique is clumsy.
This repetition of phrases extends to repetition of whole ideas, paragraphs, sections of chapters. Each and every chapter was written as if the reader hadn't read any of the previous chapters. So much of this already-slight book was spent summarizing, re-summarizing and re-re-summarizing. It's the literary equivalent of the air in your bag of chips. I'm all for ensuring that a reader is oriented to the material, however, Mazzeo could have done it more sparingly.
Continuing on a theme, the author is unable to resist this tendency to re-summarize even after the book-proper ends. The tacked on afterword re-summarizes the entire book and offers no new insights. I wish she'd just let the writing stand (and end) as it was.
All in all, while the subject matter was interesting, the story might have been better suited (in depth and edited-length) to a Vanity Fair-style feature.
March 5, 2011
Should really be 2.5 stars. A fascinating concept -- the biography of a scent, arguing that Chanel No. 5 is quite literally the distillation of the life, times, loves, fears, and memories of Coco Chanel and her heady 1920s années follees era -- pretty much ruined by atrocious writing, mindless repetitions, historical inaccuracies, factual contradictions, and other sins against nonfiction writing. This would have made a great New Yorker article, but there's clearly not enough information out there -- and definitely not enough intellectual heft or nuance in Mazzeo's writing -- to sustain an entire book. I upped to 3 stars only because, when I wasn't cringing and/or skimming through the mess of the prose, I was thinking about the stature of Chanel No. 5 and breathlessly sharing its provocative premise and ideas with friends.
January 16, 2012
Like a high school essay turned into a book. I learned nothing, and came away with a deep seated feeling of violation. Shame.
March 26, 2021
History of Chanel No 5 with a bit of world history. Interesting read, the image of american soldiers standing in line at the shop in Place Vendome to buy a bottle of Chanel no 5 it's something that will stay me because it adds a new significance to the perfume, it adds hope.
June 10, 2025
Entertaining history of perfume and the woman behind it. The world war II revelations were particularly interesting
July 21, 2024
Relato da história bem interessante do Chanel Nr. 5
Às vezes é um pouco repetitivo.
Às vezes é um pouco repetitivo.
Read
August 19, 2018Read this if: You’re someone who can delight in couture and fine art.
The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is a deep dive into the life of Coco Chanel and her famous perfume, No. 5. It’s a detailed account of the history of the scent and speculation as to why it remains the world’s most beloved fragrance. At times the writing is very repetitive and reads like a history lesson. But for those fascinated by women fashion designers, this is another read to add to the collection.
The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is a deep dive into the life of Coco Chanel and her famous perfume, No. 5. It’s a detailed account of the history of the scent and speculation as to why it remains the world’s most beloved fragrance. At times the writing is very repetitive and reads like a history lesson. But for those fascinated by women fashion designers, this is another read to add to the collection.
August 25, 2011
The book reads like an overwritten book version of Behind The Music, the author tends to repeat herself a lot (as if she was getting paid by the word...or if she didn't trust her audience to read straight through and actually retain the information), and the writing is just plain klunky in some places. Although the book seems meticulously researched (at least there are a gazillion notes so one assumes), I never feel safe with the theses that she makes. Bottom line: Mme. Chanel doesn't seem to be a very nice person (or actually even a good businesswoman)...not that that really matters. What does matter, though, is the human decisions that she makes (even if we don't agree with them like literally sleeping with the enemy during the Nazi occupation of Paris in WWII). I just wish there was more depth to the rationale given for her decisions. Admittedly this may not be my bag (get it?), but I was surprised to hear myself talk about Coco Chanel and her iconic fragrance to anyone who would listen. I appreciated thinking about her connection to the abstract art movement and the bold step she took with her vision to "abstract" perfume by taking it from the realm of the real to the realm of the synthetic with use of aldehydes. She may not have been the first (she was the third actually), but she was the difference maker. After her, perfume was not a fragrance, it was an emotion, an experience, a touchstone for personality. That, I think, is visionary and cool. You go, Coco.
December 21, 2015
A fantastic introduction to the science of scent! It focuses on the arguably most famous perfume in history. Called le monstre by industry insiders, Chanel No. 5 lived her own life; she freed herself from her creators. She became famous despite a basically non-existent marketing campaign, ridiculously expensive ingredients, and questionable political affiliations. And, yes, I am referring to the perfume as "she."
This book traces the twin trajectories of both Coco Chanel and her trademark perfume, and it's fascinating to watch the perfume take on more character and depth than its creator. While Chanel the person matured from ruthless business woman to vindictive old bat, her perfume remained unchanged, not unlike Dorian Gray.
Chanel No. 5, according to this book's author, still remains as living history. The employed "nose" at Chanel's laboratories is only the third since the original chemist made the sample that won Coco's approval in 1920. The formula has retained its integrity as closely as possible, while conforming to modern safety and conservation regulations.
And believe it or not, I have never knowingly smelled Chanel No. 5. I am just dancing for the opportunity now to visit a department store and meet le monstre for the first time. In essence, this is Coco's soul.
This book traces the twin trajectories of both Coco Chanel and her trademark perfume, and it's fascinating to watch the perfume take on more character and depth than its creator. While Chanel the person matured from ruthless business woman to vindictive old bat, her perfume remained unchanged, not unlike Dorian Gray.
Chanel No. 5, according to this book's author, still remains as living history. The employed "nose" at Chanel's laboratories is only the third since the original chemist made the sample that won Coco's approval in 1920. The formula has retained its integrity as closely as possible, while conforming to modern safety and conservation regulations.
And believe it or not, I have never knowingly smelled Chanel No. 5. I am just dancing for the opportunity now to visit a department store and meet le monstre for the first time. In essence, this is Coco's soul.
October 4, 2010
How did the Imperial Russian court and the revolution, cabaret clubs, a breakthrough in molecular chemistry, a convent in the South of France, the flower fields of Grasse, American GIs and German troops in World War II, contribute the to creation and worldwide popularity of this iconic fragrance? Mazzeo tells all in this fun slice of history.
Knowing there are more definitive biographies of Coco Chanel already written, Mazzeo wisely gives us just enough of her background to show how and why she developed the fragrance, and what she meant to convey with it. The author also dispels a lot of old myth and rumor about the famous fragrance.
I really enjoyed the background information on chemistry, perfume categories and development, and the rich feel of the 1920s and 1930s that Mazzeo captured and conveyed.
Recommended.
Knowing there are more definitive biographies of Coco Chanel already written, Mazzeo wisely gives us just enough of her background to show how and why she developed the fragrance, and what she meant to convey with it. The author also dispels a lot of old myth and rumor about the famous fragrance.
I really enjoyed the background information on chemistry, perfume categories and development, and the rich feel of the 1920s and 1930s that Mazzeo captured and conveyed.
Recommended.
August 31, 2014
Well, I do have to admit this is an enjoyable and fascinating read about Gabrielle Chanel. What I am enjoying the most about this book is how the perfume itself came into existence. Starting with the background of Gabrielle's youth(life in the convent) and then the serendipitous meetings with the cousin of the last Czar of Russia and the parfumer Ernest Beaux is compelling. The idea that it could be the ill fated perfume of the late czarina is remarkable!
I have had a fascination with flowers and perfumery since I was quite young. So, far it has been fantastic. I am curious to see how much it dovetails with the biography I have previously reviewed on Mme. Chanel,
Sleeping with the Enemy.
I have had a fascination with flowers and perfumery since I was quite young. So, far it has been fantastic. I am curious to see how much it dovetails with the biography I have previously reviewed on Mme. Chanel,
Sleeping with the Enemy.
June 20, 2020
I have always been interested in the history of Coco Chanel, drawn to the beautiful simplicity of her clothes rather than her signature perfume. And so I was surprised to enjoy this book. I did not know there were several perfumes that bore her name and, more surprisingly, that she was not involved in the development or the management of the business of her perfume. She owed much of her fame and fortune to two brothers whom she sought to ruin. Truth be told, I found her story to be quite mundane, even though she lived during one of the most fascinating times.
The book could have used a better edit. The was too much repetition and the author's idolatory of the perfume was, at times, too intense.
The book could have used a better edit. The was too much repetition and the author's idolatory of the perfume was, at times, too intense.
August 18, 2018
In addition to learning more about Coco Chanel's life, this is a good insight into a woman running her own business in a misogynistic world, and the walk through my old neighborhoods in Paris was really great.
February 21, 2011
I liked the history of the times and the iconic perfume but the writing style was lackluster and several facts were repeated too much, unable to camouflage the lack of information available.
Read
February 24, 2014Las posibles historias del nacimiento del perfume más famoso del mundo y sus creadores.
April 18, 2021
Chanel No. 5 is debatably the most desirable consumer luxury product of the 20th and 21st centuries. But it hasn’t changed in any of the essentials; rather, decade after decade, we have reinvented it in our minds.
At moments, principally since the 1980s, brilliant marketing has been part of what has guided us. But Chanel No. 5 was never the creature of crass commercialism. Instead, something larger, something more timeless, almost immediately made it an unprecedented success.
All along, we have been enthusiastic participants in the production and reproduction of its legend. Indeed, we have been the principal agents of it. It’s part of the reason stories about Chanel No. 5 flourish.
We have sometimes invented and dreamed our way to those legends, so the true history of the world’s most famous fragrance comes to us at moments as a surprise.
And it’s not just with the invention of “new luxury” in the 1990s that we began to map onto it the narratives of our own hopes and desires and sometimes even our losses. Chanel No. 5 has been about the stories we tell of ourselves from the beginning, and that includes all the people who have shaped its history.
Some of those people are the characters whose lives were tangled up intimately with the history of this perfume–the characters whose lives this book touches upon.
All of them found ways to connect individually and privately with this scent that they helped to make famous, and, of course, no one was as tightly bound to the fragrance as Coco Chanel. It was part of her history and her story.
Few products around the world are more beloved than Chanel No. 5, and it inspires in its millions of fans–and there are millions–the kind of passion and loyalty that executives in slick advertising offices on Madison Avenue can only dream about manufacturing.
The quandary for any curious historian, savvy entrepreneur, or fragrance aficionado is: what, precisely, is the connection?
How did Chanel No. 5 become one of the most celebrated luxury products of all time?
If it took decades for the marketing to catch up with the success of the world’s most celebrated perfume, what is the secret of its magnificent destiny?
More simply still, why is Chanel No. 5 the most sensual perfume in the world, and what exactly is it that makes this scent so sought-after?
This book–the unauthorized biography of a scent–separates the fact from the fiction, and teases out the truths from the clutter of half-truths and enlightening silences, to tell the story of a familiar cultural monument whose history we’ve never really known.
At moments, principally since the 1980s, brilliant marketing has been part of what has guided us. But Chanel No. 5 was never the creature of crass commercialism. Instead, something larger, something more timeless, almost immediately made it an unprecedented success.
All along, we have been enthusiastic participants in the production and reproduction of its legend. Indeed, we have been the principal agents of it. It’s part of the reason stories about Chanel No. 5 flourish.
We have sometimes invented and dreamed our way to those legends, so the true history of the world’s most famous fragrance comes to us at moments as a surprise.
And it’s not just with the invention of “new luxury” in the 1990s that we began to map onto it the narratives of our own hopes and desires and sometimes even our losses. Chanel No. 5 has been about the stories we tell of ourselves from the beginning, and that includes all the people who have shaped its history.
Some of those people are the characters whose lives were tangled up intimately with the history of this perfume–the characters whose lives this book touches upon.
All of them found ways to connect individually and privately with this scent that they helped to make famous, and, of course, no one was as tightly bound to the fragrance as Coco Chanel. It was part of her history and her story.
Few products around the world are more beloved than Chanel No. 5, and it inspires in its millions of fans–and there are millions–the kind of passion and loyalty that executives in slick advertising offices on Madison Avenue can only dream about manufacturing.
The quandary for any curious historian, savvy entrepreneur, or fragrance aficionado is: what, precisely, is the connection?
How did Chanel No. 5 become one of the most celebrated luxury products of all time?
If it took decades for the marketing to catch up with the success of the world’s most celebrated perfume, what is the secret of its magnificent destiny?
More simply still, why is Chanel No. 5 the most sensual perfume in the world, and what exactly is it that makes this scent so sought-after?
This book–the unauthorized biography of a scent–separates the fact from the fiction, and teases out the truths from the clutter of half-truths and enlightening silences, to tell the story of a familiar cultural monument whose history we’ve never really known.
July 5, 2025
She [read: this review] has spoilers.
Gabrielle Chanel's mom died when she was young and her father dumped her and her siblings at an orphanage. She eventually became a wealthy man's mistress, which was socially shameful and prevented her from more socially accepted traditional marriage. The fragrance that would become Chanel No. 5 had its formulaic roots in the Romanov Dynasty. She had an idea for a scent that apparently matched this briefly manufactured scent for the Russian royal family. It was really popular as soon as No. 5 was released and distributed in Paris, but a few years after its launch Gabrielle sold most of her rights to the perfume so it could be mass produced to meet demand, and she only retained 10% ownership of her superstar fragrance. The majority stakeholder was a Jewish family who had to flee Europe to avoid Nazis. Gabrielle legally sold her company strategically to increase production but she forevermore painted herself as a victim once she realized just how much money her fragrance was making, most of that income went to that Jewish family because, that's how owning a majority vs. a minority of a company works. She took advantage of Nazi laws and tried to claim outright ownership of her company, as one example of her bullshit business practices. She lost because, even though she was being sneaky with amoral Nazi laws, she still wasn't in the legal right. She was just a clumsy asshole about stuff. She also was fucking a Nazi during their occupation of Paris, so big yikes. She wasn't a morally upright person, she was more a megalomaniac who found creative moral stories to justify her actions and avoid retribution. Long story short she got out of the war unpunished, she figured out a way to negotiate earning 2% sales of Chanel perfume which added up to an equivalent of tens of millions of dollars income a year, she got her business partners to pay not only her entire life but to relaunch the Chanel fashion house after the war... I mean, what an annoying piece of shit of a person.
This book, especially the first half, read like a soap opera. Every section ended with some kind of dramatic cliffhanger that was entirely unnecessary. This is a [seemingly] well researched piece of nonfiction, I don't constantly need to be reminded about how famous Chanel No. 5 would become. The drama of suggesting her childhood orphanage experience surrounded by flowers lead to her love of perfume, and the architecture of the orphanage itself influencing the design on the perfume bottle could only be wild speculation. This book could have been much better by cutting out the fabricated drama.
Gabrielle Chanel's mom died when she was young and her father dumped her and her siblings at an orphanage. She eventually became a wealthy man's mistress, which was socially shameful and prevented her from more socially accepted traditional marriage. The fragrance that would become Chanel No. 5 had its formulaic roots in the Romanov Dynasty. She had an idea for a scent that apparently matched this briefly manufactured scent for the Russian royal family. It was really popular as soon as No. 5 was released and distributed in Paris, but a few years after its launch Gabrielle sold most of her rights to the perfume so it could be mass produced to meet demand, and she only retained 10% ownership of her superstar fragrance. The majority stakeholder was a Jewish family who had to flee Europe to avoid Nazis. Gabrielle legally sold her company strategically to increase production but she forevermore painted herself as a victim once she realized just how much money her fragrance was making, most of that income went to that Jewish family because, that's how owning a majority vs. a minority of a company works. She took advantage of Nazi laws and tried to claim outright ownership of her company, as one example of her bullshit business practices. She lost because, even though she was being sneaky with amoral Nazi laws, she still wasn't in the legal right. She was just a clumsy asshole about stuff. She also was fucking a Nazi during their occupation of Paris, so big yikes. She wasn't a morally upright person, she was more a megalomaniac who found creative moral stories to justify her actions and avoid retribution. Long story short she got out of the war unpunished, she figured out a way to negotiate earning 2% sales of Chanel perfume which added up to an equivalent of tens of millions of dollars income a year, she got her business partners to pay not only her entire life but to relaunch the Chanel fashion house after the war... I mean, what an annoying piece of shit of a person.
This book, especially the first half, read like a soap opera. Every section ended with some kind of dramatic cliffhanger that was entirely unnecessary. This is a [seemingly] well researched piece of nonfiction, I don't constantly need to be reminded about how famous Chanel No. 5 would become. The drama of suggesting her childhood orphanage experience surrounded by flowers lead to her love of perfume, and the architecture of the orphanage itself influencing the design on the perfume bottle could only be wild speculation. This book could have been much better by cutting out the fabricated drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2021
I was not impressed by this book at all.
Roughly 40% of the ebook was endnotes and citations, which would usually be a good sign, however I looked through the citations and a lot of them cited some random Daily Mail or other, even less reputable magazine or newspaper opinion pieces.
The author made a lot of assumptions for dramatic purposes. While these assumptions were clearly labeled, that had the effect of making the author sound unsure or just really wishy washy about whether something happened a certain way.
At the end of the book the author writes a little summary in which she attempts to clarify what "The Secret" is, stating that she didn't title the book that to be coy or anything. However I feel that what "The Secret" was should have been clear, and even after the summary, it wasn't. The author said some sentimental thing about what the perfume means to us being the secret, but the vast majority of the book focused on the "creator" Coco Chanel.
The author's thesis seems to be surrounding Coco Chanel's emotional relationship with the perfume. I found this extremely confusing because in the beginning, I felt the author was attempting to make her a sympathetic character. However, this changes quickly as the author starts to detail how all of her successes are due to the men in her life. I found this offputting with vague misogynistic undertones. Allegedly she created the perfume to remind her of men, she got the money and the connections from men, etc etc. Maybe this is true and maybe it isn't, I honestly don't have confidence that anything I learned from this book is factual.
Additionally complicating how I should feel about all this, Coco Chanel is a literal Nazi who tried to steal her partners' business because they were Jews. WOW. Instead of the author condemning this as incredibly cruel, she explored how Coco's emotional attachment to the perfume influenced her actions, her relationship with a Nazi (again blaming/crediting her actions to a man) and showed how she reconciled with her Jewish business partner later in life. I am absolutely revolted by this Nazi apologetic BS.
I can't recommend this book to anyone.
Roughly 40% of the ebook was endnotes and citations, which would usually be a good sign, however I looked through the citations and a lot of them cited some random Daily Mail or other, even less reputable magazine or newspaper opinion pieces.
The author made a lot of assumptions for dramatic purposes. While these assumptions were clearly labeled, that had the effect of making the author sound unsure or just really wishy washy about whether something happened a certain way.
At the end of the book the author writes a little summary in which she attempts to clarify what "The Secret" is, stating that she didn't title the book that to be coy or anything. However I feel that what "The Secret" was should have been clear, and even after the summary, it wasn't. The author said some sentimental thing about what the perfume means to us being the secret, but the vast majority of the book focused on the "creator" Coco Chanel.
The author's thesis seems to be surrounding Coco Chanel's emotional relationship with the perfume. I found this extremely confusing because in the beginning, I felt the author was attempting to make her a sympathetic character. However, this changes quickly as the author starts to detail how all of her successes are due to the men in her life. I found this offputting with vague misogynistic undertones. Allegedly she created the perfume to remind her of men, she got the money and the connections from men, etc etc. Maybe this is true and maybe it isn't, I honestly don't have confidence that anything I learned from this book is factual.
Additionally complicating how I should feel about all this, Coco Chanel is a literal Nazi who tried to steal her partners' business because they were Jews. WOW. Instead of the author condemning this as incredibly cruel, she explored how Coco's emotional attachment to the perfume influenced her actions, her relationship with a Nazi (again blaming/crediting her actions to a man) and showed how she reconciled with her Jewish business partner later in life. I am absolutely revolted by this Nazi apologetic BS.
I can't recommend this book to anyone.
March 22, 2018
As a fragrance lover, I am familiar with Chanel No. 5's gravitas, but didn't know the history. This book was fantastic at telling me things I didn't know about it. It has a really intriguing history with many twists and turns, and even has a WWII plot line. It's remarkable that it hasn't been turned into a movie--though I'm probably speaking too soon, here.
My grandmother wore Chanel No. 5, and I didn't even know this until after she passed away and I found a few bottles of it while going through her things. Because of the popularity of Chanel No. 5 especially around WWII, and the fact that my grandmother and grandfather met and got married while my grandfather was a pilot in WWII, this mostly empty bottle of Chanel No. 5 has an entire backstory that is unfamiliar to me, yet is comforting.
The book itself is very good, and reads much like a history or biography would. If you are into fragrances and their history, this is a must-read. For me it was a must-read. And after finishing it, I have a much deeper respect--and now even a connection--to Chanel No. 5 that I didn't know I had before, and I'm grateful for that. Perfume, though it is marketed as liquid sex appeal, is much more powerful that the ads claim. Perfume can make memories and connect you to loved ones in ways that no other medium can. I think this book facilitated that connection with me and my grandmother.
My grandmother wore Chanel No. 5, and I didn't even know this until after she passed away and I found a few bottles of it while going through her things. Because of the popularity of Chanel No. 5 especially around WWII, and the fact that my grandmother and grandfather met and got married while my grandfather was a pilot in WWII, this mostly empty bottle of Chanel No. 5 has an entire backstory that is unfamiliar to me, yet is comforting.
The book itself is very good, and reads much like a history or biography would. If you are into fragrances and their history, this is a must-read. For me it was a must-read. And after finishing it, I have a much deeper respect--and now even a connection--to Chanel No. 5 that I didn't know I had before, and I'm grateful for that. Perfume, though it is marketed as liquid sex appeal, is much more powerful that the ads claim. Perfume can make memories and connect you to loved ones in ways that no other medium can. I think this book facilitated that connection with me and my grandmother.
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