Perfume and Pain: A Novel

“Perceptive and witty—like a Sally Rooney novel set in Southern California.” —The Minnesota Star Tribune
“It’s this author’s best work yet. A Sapphic roller-coaster ride.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A controversial Los Angeles-based author attempts to revive her career and finally find true love in this hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction and Hollywood satire.
Having recently moved both herself and her formidable perfume bottle collection into a tiny bungalow in Los Angeles, mid-list author Astrid Dahl finds herself back in the Zoom writer’s group she cofounded, Sapphic Scribes, after an incident that leaves her and her career lightly canceled. But she temporarily forgets all that by throwing herself into a few sexy distractions—like Ivy, a grad student researching 1950s lesbian pulp who smells like metallic orchids, or her new neighbor, Penelope, who smells like patchouli.
Penelope, a painter living off Urban Outfitters settlement money, immediately ingratiates herself in Astrid’s life, bonding with her best friends and family, just as Astrid and Ivy begin to date in person. Astrid feels judged and threatened by Penelope, a responsible older vegan, but also finds her irresistibly sexy.
When Astrid receives an unexpected call from her agent with the news that actress and influencer Kat Gold wants to adapt her previous novel for TV, Astrid finally has a chance to resurrect her waning career. But the pressure causes Astrid’s worst vice to rear its head—the Patricia Highsmith, a blend of Adderall, alcohol, and cigarettes—and results in blackouts and a disturbing series of events.
Unapologetically feminine yet ribald, steamy yet hilarious, Anna Dorn has crafted an exquisite homage to the lesbian pulp of yore, reclaiming it for our internet and celebrity-obsessed world. With notes of Southern California citrus and sultry smokiness, Perfume and Pain is a satirical romp through Hollywood and lesbian melodrama.

From the Publisher

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CL5G99HC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 21, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3.6 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 349 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668047187
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #194,553 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #141 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Books) #187 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Kindle Store) #312 in Humorous Literary Fiction
Customer Reviews: 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (704) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });

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