This nails something profound about memory's power over us. That fast lane bypass, where smell skips the thalamus and hits emotion directly, explains why certain scents ambush us. Last year hospital antiseptic triggered a grief response beacuse of a family thing, and it's wild how defenseless you are. The unfiltered quality of smell-memories doesn't give you time to prepar yourself.
You are so right about the "defenseless" bit! I think in many memoirs you also see a prevalence of smells, maybe because there are so deeply imprinted and felt.
Nabokov’s writing I think is a sensory festival and generally breathtaking to read.
Not to be disrespectful or blasphemous, but I find Dostoyevsky’s language quite flat and not something I enjoy (not the synthesised magic of the works, or the messages, moods etc - the writing itself).
I’ve never read Russian in translation and even looking at some of the translations of these passages I thought they distorted the voice, sometimes significantly. But then, literary translation is very hard work, you have to really wring yourself out. I think the translator has to be a product of the original’s culture more than the target language to get things across, or perhaps work in tandem with someone from the target language to discuss at length.
The literature journey you guided us, your readers through, and varios authors takes on smells is amazing.
Readibgvit made me think of a lot of scentd and many situations. One store in Florence also came to mind, named Aquaflor. They have their own lab where they make perfumes and the store is a magic world of creativity. You would have loved it there.
Went on their website and it looks beautiful. Have you done a custom fragrance there?
For many years now the only thing that doesn’t feel suffocating to me is Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo, the lighter stuff like bergamot and fig, because there’s no synthetic underscent and it’s not very long-lasting.
I don’t think they do custom made perfumes. they only work on their own collection that is only sold at that only location . and probably online…?
I buy my perfume only there and prefer leather and rail road vagabond inspired scents (those post-Soviet nineties, you can’t get them outta the girl, you know.. 🤭)
This nails something profound about memory's power over us. That fast lane bypass, where smell skips the thalamus and hits emotion directly, explains why certain scents ambush us. Last year hospital antiseptic triggered a grief response beacuse of a family thing, and it's wild how defenseless you are. The unfiltered quality of smell-memories doesn't give you time to prepar yourself.
You are so right about the "defenseless" bit! I think in many memoirs you also see a prevalence of smells, maybe because there are so deeply imprinted and felt.
Now I must sniff out these books (some I know already, e.g., Dostoevsky of course).
I'm sure I've missed many that can be added!
Nabokov’s writing I think is a sensory festival and generally breathtaking to read.
Not to be disrespectful or blasphemous, but I find Dostoyevsky’s language quite flat and not something I enjoy (not the synthesised magic of the works, or the messages, moods etc - the writing itself).
I’ve never read Russian in translation and even looking at some of the translations of these passages I thought they distorted the voice, sometimes significantly. But then, literary translation is very hard work, you have to really wring yourself out. I think the translator has to be a product of the original’s culture more than the target language to get things across, or perhaps work in tandem with someone from the target language to discuss at length.
The literature journey you guided us, your readers through, and varios authors takes on smells is amazing.
Readibgvit made me think of a lot of scentd and many situations. One store in Florence also came to mind, named Aquaflor. They have their own lab where they make perfumes and the store is a magic world of creativity. You would have loved it there.
Thank you!
Went on their website and it looks beautiful. Have you done a custom fragrance there?
For many years now the only thing that doesn’t feel suffocating to me is Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo, the lighter stuff like bergamot and fig, because there’s no synthetic underscent and it’s not very long-lasting.
I have to explore more perfumes.
I don’t think they do custom made perfumes. they only work on their own collection that is only sold at that only location . and probably online…?
I buy my perfume only there and prefer leather and rail road vagabond inspired scents (those post-Soviet nineties, you can’t get them outta the girl, you know.. 🤭)
Got it, thank you, will check out! (imprinting is real for sure, for me it's the hunt for black currant)