French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Leygonie, Les odeurs
Other Literary Studies

Les odeurs
Alain Leygonie

Publication date: 01/03/2016 Publisher: Belles Lettres Series: L'Exception ISBN: 978-2-251-44572-4 EAN: 9782251445724 Format: Large Format Binding: Paperback No. of pages: 126 p.

Language is the only tool we possess to describe odors. It is impossible to sculpt, set to music, draw, paint, or photograph them. Patrick Süskind, who knows what he is talking about having devoted an entire novel to the subject (Perfume), argues that our language is inadequate for describing them.

It is precisely because of this difficulty that Alain Leygonie embarked on this endeavor, exploring 37 different scents, both pleasant and unpleasant. From the smell of manure to the fragrance of the rose, passing through the scent of linden blossom, bleach, Africa, fog, wood smoke, soup, gunpowder, money, incense, the stinkbug, and Eau de Cologne.

Most of these are familiar scents, summoned by memory. There is nothing quite like a smell to restore the past. This book invites us on a quest for lost time—childhood in particular.

Contents:

Hay
– Manure
– Poppy
– The smell of money
– Linden blossom
– Bleach
– Shit
– Africa
– The smell of tar
– Fog
– Boxwood
– The smell of snow
– The smell of wood smoke
– The smell of burning horn
– The smell of soup
– Baby smell
– Incense
– Cellulose
– Stinkbug
– Bread
– Rose
– The smell of a country house
– The smell of home
– Wallflower
– School supplies
– Cleopatra
– Camphor
– Foot odor
– The smell of a billy goat
– The smell of a wet dog
– The smell of a fox
– Plum trees in bloom
– Violet
– The smell of gunpowder
– The smell of porcini mushrooms
– The smell of grape marc
– Eau de Cologne

Alain Leygonie investigates the complex relationship between olfaction and language, building on a tradition famously highlighted in Patrick Süskind's novel Perfume. While words often struggle to capture ephemeral sensory experiences, this volume examines thirty-seven distinct aromas ranging from the fragrance of roses to the scent of manure, bleach, and gunpowder. By turning our attention to these everyday phenomena, the author addresses the fundamental challenge of articulating sensory impressions that resist direct visual or musical representation.

This collection will appeal to readers interested in sensory studies, memory, and the nuances of descriptive prose. By connecting familiar scents like linden blossom, wood smoke, and old school supplies to personal recollection, the book offers a reflective journey reminiscent of Proustian remembrance. It serves as a thoughtful companion for anyone curious about how language can map the invisible landscape of our olfactory experiences and childhood memories.