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A review by librarysoflyss
Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn
4.75
"i sit down wanting to write the great lesbian love story, but wacko bitches just keep coming out."
calling all my messy lesbians!!!! "perfume & pain" follows lesbian writer astrid dahl as she attempts to bounce back after a public campaign to have her 'cancelled.' naturally, she does this by relying on her old friend, the 'patricia highsmith' — a combination of alcohol, adderall, and cigarettes, her perfect blackout combo. crumbling under the pressure of her book being picked up for a movie amidst all the controversy, astrid says way more shit she regrets, and gets involved in a series of tumultuous lesbian situationships that only further fuels her chaos.
i loved everything about this. i often find that many "unlikable protagonist" books miss the mark for me a bit, but when they're done well, this book is a reminder of how enjoyable they can be. fueled by astrid's self-loathing-induced sabotage and bender- invoked messiness, even though she is insufferable at times (often), there's something about her that's so alluring you can't help but continue reading.
i feel so unironically lucky to exist at a time where lesbian stories are multiplying in publishing— where lesbians are allowed to be multidimensional and unlikable and horny and messy. getting to consume lesbian media that isn't fueled by fetishization and the male gaze is something i'll never take for granted. thanks for coming to my ted talk!
calling all my messy lesbians!!!! "perfume & pain" follows lesbian writer astrid dahl as she attempts to bounce back after a public campaign to have her 'cancelled.' naturally, she does this by relying on her old friend, the 'patricia highsmith' — a combination of alcohol, adderall, and cigarettes, her perfect blackout combo. crumbling under the pressure of her book being picked up for a movie amidst all the controversy, astrid says way more shit she regrets, and gets involved in a series of tumultuous lesbian situationships that only further fuels her chaos.
i loved everything about this. i often find that many "unlikable protagonist" books miss the mark for me a bit, but when they're done well, this book is a reminder of how enjoyable they can be. fueled by astrid's self-loathing-induced sabotage and bender- invoked messiness, even though she is insufferable at times (often), there's something about her that's so alluring you can't help but continue reading.
i feel so unironically lucky to exist at a time where lesbian stories are multiplying in publishing— where lesbians are allowed to be multidimensional and unlikable and horny and messy. getting to consume lesbian media that isn't fueled by fetishization and the male gaze is something i'll never take for granted. thanks for coming to my ted talk!