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Мирис
Мирис (1999) е дебютният роман на Радхика Джха, който разказва за отчуждението, белязало живота на красива млада жена в Париж – отчуждение, усилено многократно от изключителното й обоняние. Романът е носител на френската награда Герлен. Преведен е на двайсет и три езика.
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Radhika Jha
14 books18 followersRADHIKA JHA is from India (born Delhi 1970), studied anthropology at Amherst College, did her Masters in Political Science at the University of Chicago and has lived in Paris as an exchange student. She writes and performs Odissi dancing. She has worked for Hindustan Times and BusinessWorld, writing on culture, the environment and the economy. She has also worked for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, where she started up the Interact project for the education of the children of the victims of terrorism in different parts of India. She now lives in Tokyo with her husband and 2 children. The story SLEEPERS from THE ELEPHANT & THE MARUTI has appeared in Ellery Queen Magazine and Radhika has contributed other stories to anthologies and publications, for example Akashic Books' Delhi Noir series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 13, 2017
I had such high hopes regarding this book.... and all came crumbling down one by one, one page after the other:(
July 9, 2014
There is a thundering sound up there. The first drops of rain fall on the parched earth; they have traveled miles only to splatter against the myriad surfaces and amidst the scattering crowd looking for shelter, a penetrable smell arises; of the soil. It has always been there but it takes the advent of the rain to catalyze that strong happy odour, a smell marking change, a wetness redefining green and your eyes close unconsciously as you sniff with a deep breath and a heaving chest and the smell permeates and fills up your senses.
And can a stronger, better and unparalleled smell exist than that of a mother? An infant sleeping peacefully, cuddled in the safety of her embrace; her touch and scent an invisible layer of protection. You don’t need to turn around to know she is there; her clothes bear elaborately that cognitive, distinct Motherly smell and the presence of it lingers like a taken for granted comfortable acceptance; an acceptance which didn't need any accepting.
Then there are the myriad confusing smells of spices, the intoxicating fragrance of the rose, the salty smell of the sea, the pungent odour of sweat, the eggy smell of a freshly baked cake, the reeking of dried blood, the stench of death, the raw carnal smell oozing from the wild sensations of passionately intertwined bodies. We all have a realization of these smells but Leela, the protagonist of this novel envisages that her olfactory senses go beyond the normal. She has been displaced to her uncle’s house in France, abandoned by her mother due to the untimely death of her father in Nigeria, where she belonged.
Her life changes immensely as she is trying to come to terms with the acerbic tone of her aunt and her new lessons in cooking (which would be an integral attribute in her life later), when an untoward incident forces her to run away from the only family she knows in France, that of her uncle and aunt’s.
“I had rather be a whore than return back there”, she proclaims.
Her only friend Lotti comes as a guardian angel to her rescue and fixes her up with a female model for sharing a room. Once with Maeve, the model, Leela conveniently forgets Lotti. A few months later, when Maeve can’t accommodate her due to personal reasons, she shows the way for Leela to be au pair for the Baleine’s and their two growing children. Once comfortable with the family, she readily gives herself to Bruno (Mr. Baleine) and dreams of him forsaking his wife for her. And this doesn't last for long as she ultimately realizes that her placement at the Baleine’s was scripted since Bruno had a penchant for exotic females. Out of the Baleine’s family and she dives straight into the arms of Philippe Lavalle, a tycoon in the food business, a Casanova known to play and fiddle with beauties and dump them at will; she wants to be famous with him as the stepping stone. Her newly found friend Olivier, who likes her, has warned her against him but she has this penchant of abandoning well wishers and conveniently forgetting their favors in hard times; maybe this feeling was absorbed from her abandoning by her mother. From one male to other, she chooses and allows herself be used and abused and she wants people to be feel sorry for her sorry state. She keeps Philippe Lavalle mused by describing to him the various smells emanating from his body, during the wild love making and otherwise and when she fails to entice him anymore, he throws her out of his life like clearing a speck of dirt from his shirt.
Almost throughout the book, you hunt for a connection to smell, you seek to discover the extraordinary olfactory sense of Leela, but you realize you are toyed around with and the only unobvious premise you are presented is Leela’s disturbing discovery of a strange unpleasant smell within herself which she is afraid will get exposed to others and will render her unacceptable and she is turning crazy in bits because of this made up fear. In the end, it is a stranger, a ventriloquist who makes her realize that there is no smell, it is just a self created veil against which she prefers hiding and has now found comfort in and how important it is for her to drive away that fear from her mind which permits others to strike heavily and disgracefully on this vulnerability of not being accepted.
The writing appears subdued to a great extent and lacks passion. The author implicitly wants us to sympathize with Leela’s naivete and vulnerability but the want to do so lacks merit when the character is so thankless, selfish and unconcerned. It seemed like Radhika Jha had a mouth watering delicious dish in mind but somehow what is finally presented is a bland assortment on your hungry plate.
And can a stronger, better and unparalleled smell exist than that of a mother? An infant sleeping peacefully, cuddled in the safety of her embrace; her touch and scent an invisible layer of protection. You don’t need to turn around to know she is there; her clothes bear elaborately that cognitive, distinct Motherly smell and the presence of it lingers like a taken for granted comfortable acceptance; an acceptance which didn't need any accepting.
Then there are the myriad confusing smells of spices, the intoxicating fragrance of the rose, the salty smell of the sea, the pungent odour of sweat, the eggy smell of a freshly baked cake, the reeking of dried blood, the stench of death, the raw carnal smell oozing from the wild sensations of passionately intertwined bodies. We all have a realization of these smells but Leela, the protagonist of this novel envisages that her olfactory senses go beyond the normal. She has been displaced to her uncle’s house in France, abandoned by her mother due to the untimely death of her father in Nigeria, where she belonged.
Her life changes immensely as she is trying to come to terms with the acerbic tone of her aunt and her new lessons in cooking (which would be an integral attribute in her life later), when an untoward incident forces her to run away from the only family she knows in France, that of her uncle and aunt’s.
“I had rather be a whore than return back there”, she proclaims.
Her only friend Lotti comes as a guardian angel to her rescue and fixes her up with a female model for sharing a room. Once with Maeve, the model, Leela conveniently forgets Lotti. A few months later, when Maeve can’t accommodate her due to personal reasons, she shows the way for Leela to be au pair for the Baleine’s and their two growing children. Once comfortable with the family, she readily gives herself to Bruno (Mr. Baleine) and dreams of him forsaking his wife for her. And this doesn't last for long as she ultimately realizes that her placement at the Baleine’s was scripted since Bruno had a penchant for exotic females. Out of the Baleine’s family and she dives straight into the arms of Philippe Lavalle, a tycoon in the food business, a Casanova known to play and fiddle with beauties and dump them at will; she wants to be famous with him as the stepping stone. Her newly found friend Olivier, who likes her, has warned her against him but she has this penchant of abandoning well wishers and conveniently forgetting their favors in hard times; maybe this feeling was absorbed from her abandoning by her mother. From one male to other, she chooses and allows herself be used and abused and she wants people to be feel sorry for her sorry state. She keeps Philippe Lavalle mused by describing to him the various smells emanating from his body, during the wild love making and otherwise and when she fails to entice him anymore, he throws her out of his life like clearing a speck of dirt from his shirt.
Almost throughout the book, you hunt for a connection to smell, you seek to discover the extraordinary olfactory sense of Leela, but you realize you are toyed around with and the only unobvious premise you are presented is Leela’s disturbing discovery of a strange unpleasant smell within herself which she is afraid will get exposed to others and will render her unacceptable and she is turning crazy in bits because of this made up fear. In the end, it is a stranger, a ventriloquist who makes her realize that there is no smell, it is just a self created veil against which she prefers hiding and has now found comfort in and how important it is for her to drive away that fear from her mind which permits others to strike heavily and disgracefully on this vulnerability of not being accepted.
The writing appears subdued to a great extent and lacks passion. The author implicitly wants us to sympathize with Leela’s naivete and vulnerability but the want to do so lacks merit when the character is so thankless, selfish and unconcerned. It seemed like Radhika Jha had a mouth watering delicious dish in mind but somehow what is finally presented is a bland assortment on your hungry plate.
November 4, 2014
Книгата ще допадне на хората, които харесват типа книги, които акцентират върху сетивността. Авторката се справя доста добре с представянето на усещанията за мирис, допир.
Книгата е и доста секси, интересна е и гледната точка на жената без корени, не-пасваща на мястото (Париж) и на културата (Индия).
Начинът, по който се разви историята обаче ми се видя твърде банален.
Книгата е и доста секси, интересна е и гледната точка на жената без корени, не-пасваща на мястото (Париж) и на културата (Индия).
Начинът, по който се разви историята обаче ми се видя твърде банален.
May 22, 2021
Confesso che mi aspettavo qualcosa di più da questo libro.
Leela, una ragazza di origine indiana che abita in Kenia, dopo la morte del padre viene mandata a Parigi, mentre la madre va con il fratello minore in Inghilterra - dove più avanti sposerà un altro uomo. Leela va a vivere con il fratello del padre, che ha un'épicerie, e viene trattata dagli zii un po' come una schiava che lavora sia in casa che al negozio senza percepire alcuna paga, né ricevere alcuna istruzione.
Leela ha un olfatto molto sensibile, che a volte svolge anche una sorta di funzione di coscienza: ogni volta che Leela si trova in una situazione di disagio percepisce un odore sgradevole che emana dal suo corpo, ma è un odore che sente solo lei.
Si tratta di un romanzo di formazione che copre diversi anni della vita di Leela, le sue relazioni con uomini che la vogliono solo perché rappresenta un trofeo esotico e poi non esitano a maltrattarla e a sottovalutarla dopo aver sfruttato le sue qualità, e che le tolgono ogni autostima tanto da farle percepire l'odore sgradevole, con cui alla fine Leela impara a convivere perché fa parte di se stessa.
Leela, una ragazza di origine indiana che abita in Kenia, dopo la morte del padre viene mandata a Parigi, mentre la madre va con il fratello minore in Inghilterra - dove più avanti sposerà un altro uomo. Leela va a vivere con il fratello del padre, che ha un'épicerie, e viene trattata dagli zii un po' come una schiava che lavora sia in casa che al negozio senza percepire alcuna paga, né ricevere alcuna istruzione.
Leela ha un olfatto molto sensibile, che a volte svolge anche una sorta di funzione di coscienza: ogni volta che Leela si trova in una situazione di disagio percepisce un odore sgradevole che emana dal suo corpo, ma è un odore che sente solo lei.
Si tratta di un romanzo di formazione che copre diversi anni della vita di Leela, le sue relazioni con uomini che la vogliono solo perché rappresenta un trofeo esotico e poi non esitano a maltrattarla e a sottovalutarla dopo aver sfruttato le sue qualità, e che le tolgono ogni autostima tanto da farle percepire l'odore sgradevole, con cui alla fine Leela impara a convivere perché fa parte di se stessa.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
Mirosul lumii mi-a picat dintr-o greșeală în mână, si bine am facut ca i-am acordat o șansă. O data începută, n-am mai fost in stare sa o las până nu am terminat-o.
Cartea asta este fix pe stilul meu.
O poveste de viata, încalcita, cu suisuri si coborasuri, spusă într-un stil natural si efectiv hipnotizant.
Deși personajul principal este jumătate indianca, jumătate africanca, acțiunea se petrece în Franța, Paris, acolo unde Leela ajunge după moartea tatălui ei.
Ce călătorie am avut cu cartea asta... nici nu va pot spune.
Am descoperit Parisul până în cele mai mici detalii. Autoarea a știut exact unde si cum sa apese astfel încât povestea sa devina fascinanta.
Cartea este despre pierderea stimei de sine, despre supraviețuire, despre a fi imigrant intr o țară foarte naționalistă, despre familie si prietenie.
Nu am empatizat cu Leela decât în prima parte a cărții, când credeam in ea, când speram sa aiba puterea sa răzbată in toata nebunia in care ajunsese, ulterior însă, am început să nu-i inteleg alegerile. Mi s-a parut slaba. Credința în religia ei o țintuia, nepermitandu-i sa aiba curajul de a face ceva... singura.
Rând pe rând, personajele cu care intră în contact își pun amprenta asupra ei, storcand din ea si ultima fărâmă de energie.
Asta mi s-a parut trist, dar nu mi-a fost milă de ea... pt ca ar fi putut oricand sa rupă pisica in doua si nu a facut-o. A fost doar alegerea ei.
Titlul cărții este perfect ales, pt ca marchează punctul culminant al trăirilor Leelei. Are un simt al mirosului dezvoltat, care însă, în loc să o ajute, nu face altceva decât să o încurce, neștiind sa profite de el.
Mi s-a parut minunat cum autoarea te plimba prin bucătăria indiană, apoi prin cea pariziană, făcând un amestec de mirosuri si mirodenii menite sa-ti trezească simțurile.
Povestea are usor accente filozofice, făcând niste paralele destul de interesante.
Una peste alta, recunosc, mi-a plăcut!
5*, si o recomand.
E o poveste de citit, chiar dacă are un final deschis si cu o grămadă de lucruri de interpretat, chiar dacă uneori ajungi sa nu înțelegi alegerile ei si modul în care permite să fie tratată... cartea merita.
Cartea asta este fix pe stilul meu.
O poveste de viata, încalcita, cu suisuri si coborasuri, spusă într-un stil natural si efectiv hipnotizant.
Deși personajul principal este jumătate indianca, jumătate africanca, acțiunea se petrece în Franța, Paris, acolo unde Leela ajunge după moartea tatălui ei.
Ce călătorie am avut cu cartea asta... nici nu va pot spune.
Am descoperit Parisul până în cele mai mici detalii. Autoarea a știut exact unde si cum sa apese astfel încât povestea sa devina fascinanta.
Cartea este despre pierderea stimei de sine, despre supraviețuire, despre a fi imigrant intr o țară foarte naționalistă, despre familie si prietenie.
Nu am empatizat cu Leela decât în prima parte a cărții, când credeam in ea, când speram sa aiba puterea sa răzbată in toata nebunia in care ajunsese, ulterior însă, am început să nu-i inteleg alegerile. Mi s-a parut slaba. Credința în religia ei o țintuia, nepermitandu-i sa aiba curajul de a face ceva... singura.
Rând pe rând, personajele cu care intră în contact își pun amprenta asupra ei, storcand din ea si ultima fărâmă de energie.
Asta mi s-a parut trist, dar nu mi-a fost milă de ea... pt ca ar fi putut oricand sa rupă pisica in doua si nu a facut-o. A fost doar alegerea ei.
Titlul cărții este perfect ales, pt ca marchează punctul culminant al trăirilor Leelei. Are un simt al mirosului dezvoltat, care însă, în loc să o ajute, nu face altceva decât să o încurce, neștiind sa profite de el.
Mi s-a parut minunat cum autoarea te plimba prin bucătăria indiană, apoi prin cea pariziană, făcând un amestec de mirosuri si mirodenii menite sa-ti trezească simțurile.
Povestea are usor accente filozofice, făcând niste paralele destul de interesante.
Una peste alta, recunosc, mi-a plăcut!
5*, si o recomand.
E o poveste de citit, chiar dacă are un final deschis si cu o grămadă de lucruri de interpretat, chiar dacă uneori ajungi sa nu înțelegi alegerile ei si modul în care permite să fie tratată... cartea merita.
May 28, 2019
Cartea a inceput bine, eu fiind gurmanda, cu mirosuri care iti gadila narile, care te atrag in magia si savoarea gustului. Dar, undeva, pe parcurs, cartea a luat-o pe o panta in jos. Ce promitea sa fie bun, a devenit ceva obisnuit, apoi chiar de nedorit, cumva. Leela mi se pare putin prea dramatica, putin prea nesigura pe ea - desi ar fi putut sa isi croiasca o viata buna. Ea s-a lasat prada deznadejdii.
Inteleg ca se incearca o trasare a dramatismului in cultura indiana, credinta in sorti si faptul ca nu se "ia taurul de coarne".
Desi mi-a placut mult inceputul, carrea si-a pierdut din magie ulterior.
2,5 stele (rotunjit la 3)
Inteleg ca se incearca o trasare a dramatismului in cultura indiana, credinta in sorti si faptul ca nu se "ia taurul de coarne".
Desi mi-a placut mult inceputul, carrea si-a pierdut din magie ulterior.
2,5 stele (rotunjit la 3)
February 18, 2023
O carte premiata in 2004 la Paris, ce imbina cultura indiana cu mirosul Frantei.
Dupa moartea tatalui ucis intr-o rascoala in Nairobi, tanara Leela este trimisa de catre mama ei la unchiul din periferia Parisului. Ghinionul o urmareste si ajunge singura sa lupte pentru supravietuire. Trecand de la o slujba la alta si prin relatii nefericite, Leea devine Lily si incepe sa descopere lumea, miroul fin dezvoltat si puterea exotismului ei.
Desi am crezut ca o sa fie un roman despre diferenta dintre culturi si lupta pentru supravietuire si adaptare, m-am inselat. Este vorba despre miros si unde te poate duce acesta. Cum fiecare lucru are o aroma si fiecare om un parfum.
Sfarsitul este un pic ciudat dar cu siguranta cartea este deosebita, iar curiozitatea mirosului te atrage pana la final.
Dupa moartea tatalui ucis intr-o rascoala in Nairobi, tanara Leela este trimisa de catre mama ei la unchiul din periferia Parisului. Ghinionul o urmareste si ajunge singura sa lupte pentru supravietuire. Trecand de la o slujba la alta si prin relatii nefericite, Leea devine Lily si incepe sa descopere lumea, miroul fin dezvoltat si puterea exotismului ei.
Desi am crezut ca o sa fie un roman despre diferenta dintre culturi si lupta pentru supravietuire si adaptare, m-am inselat. Este vorba despre miros si unde te poate duce acesta. Cum fiecare lucru are o aroma si fiecare om un parfum.
Sfarsitul este un pic ciudat dar cu siguranta cartea este deosebita, iar curiozitatea mirosului te atrage pana la final.
January 5, 2010
A girl is living in a happy, privileged childhood in Africa. When she witnesses the death of her father in a fire, her mother and brother leave for England and she is sent to Paris to live with an uncle. The story follows her experiences as an immigrant in a strange city, learning the language and trying to survive ... using the scent to describe/define the different stages in her life.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although the story is a bit darker than I had expected. It is exceptionally well-written, using language so elegantly to evoke the sight, smells, and experiences of the main character. I felt as though I was there.
While the story itself is very compelling, the underlying topic is also the immigrant experience. In all honesty, I had never thought about what it would be like ... to go from a life of education and beauty, to a life where one doesn't know the language, where the local residents have such a flawed perception of outsiders, where this girl has to try to survive. Although this takes place in Paris, it could just as easily be any city in the United States.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although the story is a bit darker than I had expected. It is exceptionally well-written, using language so elegantly to evoke the sight, smells, and experiences of the main character. I felt as though I was there.
While the story itself is very compelling, the underlying topic is also the immigrant experience. In all honesty, I had never thought about what it would be like ... to go from a life of education and beauty, to a life where one doesn't know the language, where the local residents have such a flawed perception of outsiders, where this girl has to try to survive. Although this takes place in Paris, it could just as easily be any city in the United States.
February 18, 2023
Trouxe este livro da biblioteca porque se adequava a um tópico num dos desafios literários que ando a fazer.
Desconhecia a autora e vi que o livro não tem lá grande média aqui no GR, mas por acaso até achei o inicio interessante, o que me fez pensar que talvez viesse a tornar-se uma boa surpresa. O enredo está dividido em cinco partes, e foca-se na vida da Leela Patel, que cresceu com a familia em Nairobi mas após tumultos no país e a morte do pai, a mãe e os irmãos mais novos vão para Inglaterra e ela vai viver com uns tios em Paris.
A parte mais intrigante é o facto de a Leela ter uma capacidade extraordinária no que diz respeito a sentir cheiros e, sinceramente, pensei que as experiencias de vida dela fossem estar, de algum modo, relacionadas com isto.
Em parte, sim, mas à medida que avançamos na história e a Leela vai passando por determinadas coisas, comecei a achar que a ideia se perde um bocado em situações sem grande interesse e a Leela não me pareceu evoluir como personagem. Há cenas que nos deixam a pensar mas infelizmente, a Leela não parece adquirir maturidade e o final é absolutamente fraco e sem desenlace acerca de nenhum dos pontos a desenvolver, por isso.... meh.
Desconhecia a autora e vi que o livro não tem lá grande média aqui no GR, mas por acaso até achei o inicio interessante, o que me fez pensar que talvez viesse a tornar-se uma boa surpresa. O enredo está dividido em cinco partes, e foca-se na vida da Leela Patel, que cresceu com a familia em Nairobi mas após tumultos no país e a morte do pai, a mãe e os irmãos mais novos vão para Inglaterra e ela vai viver com uns tios em Paris.
A parte mais intrigante é o facto de a Leela ter uma capacidade extraordinária no que diz respeito a sentir cheiros e, sinceramente, pensei que as experiencias de vida dela fossem estar, de algum modo, relacionadas com isto.
Em parte, sim, mas à medida que avançamos na história e a Leela vai passando por determinadas coisas, comecei a achar que a ideia se perde um bocado em situações sem grande interesse e a Leela não me pareceu evoluir como personagem. Há cenas que nos deixam a pensar mas infelizmente, a Leela não parece adquirir maturidade e o final é absolutamente fraco e sem desenlace acerca de nenhum dos pontos a desenvolver, por isso.... meh.
April 1, 2018
Non mi soffermerò per nulla sulla trama di questo romanzo.. anche perchè di interessante e particolare non c'è nulla da dire.
il mio pensiero su questo libro si riassume in: NERVOSO!
Nervoso sulla protagonista. Tutto il libro disperata o a piangersi addosso ma non fa nulla.. si ritrova solo ad essere in balia di quello che gli altri decidono per lei e non fa nulla (tranne in alcuni momenti piangersi addosso).
No dico ma di cosa stiamo parlando? Sei sperduta in una città nuova... cerca lavoro o esci e cerca di ambientarti? no lei no lei sta in casa ad aspettare che qualcuno arrivi e le risolva il problema (poi vabbè non dico come perchè non voglio spoilerare).
Insomma leggendo il libro avevo voglia di scrollarla e dirle "riprenditi ragazza mia".
per chiudere direi che anche sta cosa dell'odore poi io non l'ho proprio capita..
vabbè leggete altro secondo me...
il mio pensiero su questo libro si riassume in: NERVOSO!
Nervoso sulla protagonista. Tutto il libro disperata o a piangersi addosso ma non fa nulla.. si ritrova solo ad essere in balia di quello che gli altri decidono per lei e non fa nulla (tranne in alcuni momenti piangersi addosso).
No dico ma di cosa stiamo parlando? Sei sperduta in una città nuova... cerca lavoro o esci e cerca di ambientarti? no lei no lei sta in casa ad aspettare che qualcuno arrivi e le risolva il problema (poi vabbè non dico come perchè non voglio spoilerare).
Insomma leggendo il libro avevo voglia di scrollarla e dirle "riprenditi ragazza mia".
per chiudere direi che anche sta cosa dell'odore poi io non l'ho proprio capita..
vabbè leggete altro secondo me...
August 3, 2007
The writing was good, the story-telling - well, not so much. I suppose what happened to me was that I got so very angry with the protagonist and that anger inadvertently flowed over onto the author. I suppose that's not fair: in other books, I was able to separate the two. What was wrong? The book was chock full of self-hate. The main character felt, through incidents of racism in her home, her community, her migration to Paris, that she smelled. Initially, she thought she "reeked" of curry; later she thought she carried her own woman-scent - she wrote it like it was an overwhelming smell. And all these smells collided against what she wanted, smashed against her progress in life. I grew disgusted by her discomfort with her skin color and how it made her look 'out' at her own heritage.
July 12, 2010
A book I could not put down till I had reached the very last word. "Smell" takes you on an olfactory journey from terrorist ridden Kenya to a part of Paris one had not thought about; with spicy Indian smells winding their way to our noses now and then... So natural for a women to be so sensitive to smells and a delight to read the narration of a girl's journey through life and the discovery of herself through these smells... Radhika Jha is a good story teller with her indianness coming through in her writing as naturally as her womanness - not artificial or forced. She makes the reader feel with her and we feel the alienness of Paris as much as she feels it when she just gets there and move on to the feeling of comfort as she lets the city slowly become part of her.
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April 18, 2012It was a captivating book up until the first half, then you stop feeling sorry for Leela and just begin to hate her for being so weak. She lets herself be degraded by every character in the book and all you see is revolt but no clear action to follow it. It could have been a great book but i find the ending lacking in substance and the omnipresent force that the other chapters had. I always though that she's open her own restaurant and make good use of her sense of smell but i was left wanting.
I guess i understand part of the ending, and the conquer of fear but i am still disappointed because the book ends just like it starts - with no clear definition of who Leela is.
I guess i understand part of the ending, and the conquer of fear but i am still disappointed because the book ends just like it starts - with no clear definition of who Leela is.
April 11, 2015
I have a great connection to smell and that's why I was keen on this book. But then, the smell goes nowhere. Like Leela who is quite vague about her smell and smells in general, the book also is pretty vague - it does have some evocative passages. I relished the paragraphs that link smell, food, sex and humans but beyond that, the book does not engage the reader. The last passages were abrupt and like Leela, I was impatient and restless - Will she go to England? Will she finally settle down in her own skin (perhaps she does and that implies the ''home'' in the last line)? Will she grow up? Well, I was left disappointed.
August 17, 2012
I felt very unsatisfied by Smell - start was good as I was also wrenched from East Africa after a parental death and went to live with an uncle and aunt in Europe - so could identify well initially with the character. Thereafter the story meandered without direction / sketched over subjects that would have benefitted from deeper treatment whilst overindulging subjects of limited consequence. Radhikaben is talented but needs a very assertive editor to help her develop and keep to a compelling story line and to deploy her literary flair to subject matter that truly merits it.
October 9, 2012
Jha makes up for the rather watery plot with subtle character psychologies and evocative use of language which makes this rather lackluster story spring to life... altogether a remarkable debut novel made rather unforgettable by its atmospheric quality.
January 2, 2010
One of those books that fits in the "I studied abroad for a year and now let me write a crap book set in this locale."
July 12, 2017
Years ago, when I was working at a clothing store, I read as much as I could in order to escape the banality of my own life.
What drew me to this book were the locale (Paris; I had lived in France before), the subject matter (food), and the heroine's nationality (I had once fallen hard for an Indian man). So, I picked it up from the library and stuck my nose in. (Pun intended.)
Thirteen years later, what I remember include Leela keeping mum about her uncle's affair with a woman who visited the store, the sandwich that Leela made with a chef, her affair with the head of the household, her beautiful cousin who lopped off her long hair, the heroine's abuse at the hands of her lover, the smells that she tried to escape, and the truly disappointing ending.
For all the exceptional olfactory and visual descriptions, the story meandered, and it didn't finish strong. I noticed in another review how another reader drew the conclusion that Leela might open her own restaurant. Instead, she remains as pathetic as she was in the beginning. There isn't much girl power in this book.
Yet, read this for the adventure!
What drew me to this book were the locale (Paris; I had lived in France before), the subject matter (food), and the heroine's nationality (I had once fallen hard for an Indian man). So, I picked it up from the library and stuck my nose in. (Pun intended.)
Thirteen years later, what I remember include Leela keeping mum about her uncle's affair with a woman who visited the store, the sandwich that Leela made with a chef, her affair with the head of the household, her beautiful cousin who lopped off her long hair, the heroine's abuse at the hands of her lover, the smells that she tried to escape, and the truly disappointing ending.
For all the exceptional olfactory and visual descriptions, the story meandered, and it didn't finish strong. I noticed in another review how another reader drew the conclusion that Leela might open her own restaurant. Instead, she remains as pathetic as she was in the beginning. There isn't much girl power in this book.
Yet, read this for the adventure!
July 22, 2020
truly a beautiful & captivating read. talks of numerous issues such as internalized racism, xenophobia, trying to find one’s self, tradition, custom & belief, & family relationships. Leela, who is a Gujerati left her home in Kenya to stay w her estranged uncle in Paris after her father died. in a foreign land, her sense of smell helped her find herself through spices & cooking, creating a bond w her distant uncle & aunt along the way while leaving behind customs & beliefs deemed as no longer relevant in the western world. throughout the her journey, her gift of olfactory brought her life spiraling out of control as she became paranoid that the french “smelt” her as different & foreign. this is due to all of the racist remarks & oppression she faced as a brown person. i absolutely love the writing, its utterly beautiful & vividly descriptive. the only problem i faced is the last quarter of the book. things started to get a tad bit awkward & random.
December 30, 2017
E il titolo?
Un romanzo altalenante. Sembra ci siano molte cose in ballo, molte premesse, si creano aspettative. Ma più si prosegue, più sembra di brancolare nel buio. Ogni filo si sfalda, si perde, si dissolve. L'odore appare come una costante che sottende a tutta la storia e le storie che si dipanano, ma a differenza de "Il Profumo" di Suskind, qui non incide in maniera così determinante nella vita della giovane protagonista. Accattivante nella narrazione, si compiace di piacere. Ma tutto qui. La parte più bella è soltanto l'episodio in metropolitana, straniante, surreale, quotidiano. Tutto il resto sfuma via, come un odore...
Un romanzo altalenante. Sembra ci siano molte cose in ballo, molte premesse, si creano aspettative. Ma più si prosegue, più sembra di brancolare nel buio. Ogni filo si sfalda, si perde, si dissolve. L'odore appare come una costante che sottende a tutta la storia e le storie che si dipanano, ma a differenza de "Il Profumo" di Suskind, qui non incide in maniera così determinante nella vita della giovane protagonista. Accattivante nella narrazione, si compiace di piacere. Ma tutto qui. La parte più bella è soltanto l'episodio in metropolitana, straniante, surreale, quotidiano. Tutto il resto sfuma via, come un odore...
February 7, 2018
A terrible book. Period. Jha's protagonist is selfish, arrogant, and always bent on pleasing men. One is supposed to feel sorry for her, but she ends up to be highly annoying, always looking for men to "help" her. The writing also does not stand out. This book is a good reading exercise in learning how to ruin an interesting concept.
July 7, 2022
Que dire de ce roman flamboyant de descriptions olfactives!!! Les hauts er les bas d’une indienne née au Kenya qui tente s’intégrer à la vie parisienne. Parfois un destin plein d’espoir et parfois très sombre.
July 31, 2017
Ударни 2/3 от повествованието, много чувствено, сластно, ароматно. Обичам истории за храна, ухания и сложен житейски път. Централният персонаж Лила някак обаче остана затиснат между планините подправки и мъже.
May 28, 2018
My second favorite book of all time
September 18, 2020
Un libro sconclusionato, a tratti banale. Il personaggio di Leela è insopportabile nella sua inanità.
Mi sembra di aver perso tempo a leggerlo.
Mi sembra di aver perso tempo a leggerlo.
August 18, 2022
Intringuing, evocative and well written. The story of a girl who discovers places and people through their smell.
January 18, 2020
Parte bene con la storia dell'abbandono della protagonista da parte della famiglia e la nuova vita con gli zii, poi diventa un susseguirsi di situazioni-fotocopia, dalla trama scialba e prevedibile; nonostante l'inconsistenza, la lettura è molto scorrevole e il romanzo si legge dall'inizio alla fine, senza mai pensare di interromperne prematuramente la lettura.
In conclusione, consigliato per una lettura leggera senza pretese.
In conclusione, consigliato per una lettura leggera senza pretese.
September 7, 2014
Smell by Radhika Jha is the full body, full mind, full nose experience of a super sniffer. Fiction, yes, but a super sniffer, never the less. I've been waiting a long time to read Smell, and grateful to the Bookmooch person who gave it to me.
Leela Patel is sent from her home in Kenya to live with relatives in France where the scent memories of her Indian upbringing haunt her, and flavor her life. It's Indian spices that are are so present in the early narrative. In this passage, she corrects the seasoning in a pot of chicken curry: "He led me over to the stove and lifted the lid off a large brass pot. My head jerked back in surprise. Inside the pot a bitter war was being fought between the spices and the chicken because no attempt had been made to marry them." It takes garlic and chilies ground together kindly, and yoghurt: "slowly the bitter acrimony in the pot subsided."
Smell defines Leela's life, and makes her fortune as it explains her existence. Every place, every person is described through the sense of smell. "The smell begins in the brain," Leela says, explaining how smell works for her. Her own scent overwhelms at time, a phantom smell that exhibits Leela's insecurities and despair. Leela comes close to losing herself, when she is redeemed by love.
Fascinating!
--Ashland Mystery
Leela Patel is sent from her home in Kenya to live with relatives in France where the scent memories of her Indian upbringing haunt her, and flavor her life. It's Indian spices that are are so present in the early narrative. In this passage, she corrects the seasoning in a pot of chicken curry: "He led me over to the stove and lifted the lid off a large brass pot. My head jerked back in surprise. Inside the pot a bitter war was being fought between the spices and the chicken because no attempt had been made to marry them." It takes garlic and chilies ground together kindly, and yoghurt: "slowly the bitter acrimony in the pot subsided."
Smell defines Leela's life, and makes her fortune as it explains her existence. Every place, every person is described through the sense of smell. "The smell begins in the brain," Leela says, explaining how smell works for her. Her own scent overwhelms at time, a phantom smell that exhibits Leela's insecurities and despair. Leela comes close to losing herself, when she is redeemed by love.
Fascinating!
--Ashland Mystery
January 24, 2010
I bought this book in Paris a few years ago for more Euros than I remembered. I questioned myself for it when I picked it up this week. My questions were silenced by the evocative language on the first page.
Radhika Jha creates powerful images and empathetic characters. Some of her writing is so beautiful and clever it stopped me mid-paragraph, prompting me to pause and reflect on what had come before and what was being set up to follow. There is much to reflect on about identity--place of origin, ethnic, and self-defined.
That said, the central premises of the book--"a beautiful girl's experience in Paris given her profound capability of smell"--are made much of but not necessarily in substantive or 'believable' ways. This was disconnecting to me in some ways, as were the random elements of violence throughout the book and the "neat" way in which relationships and plot points were "wrapped up" in the end.
Overall, I'd recommend it. For the multinational exposure and experience if nothing else. A reasonably quick read.
Radhika Jha creates powerful images and empathetic characters. Some of her writing is so beautiful and clever it stopped me mid-paragraph, prompting me to pause and reflect on what had come before and what was being set up to follow. There is much to reflect on about identity--place of origin, ethnic, and self-defined.
That said, the central premises of the book--"a beautiful girl's experience in Paris given her profound capability of smell"--are made much of but not necessarily in substantive or 'believable' ways. This was disconnecting to me in some ways, as were the random elements of violence throughout the book and the "neat" way in which relationships and plot points were "wrapped up" in the end.
Overall, I'd recommend it. For the multinational exposure and experience if nothing else. A reasonably quick read.
June 3, 2016
Smell is an enjoyable book and a quick read. The plot is fairly simple but using smell instead of the most common visual sensations gives it an overall artistic lure. I found the use of words very fluid, easily captivating. In the beginning, the relations are a bit difficult to remember, who is who to whom, but as the story progresses it makes little difference.
Leela and her life are driven by betrayal by fate and family. Her reaction to this and consequent choices in order to survive are quite understandable and make one sympathize with her. But as the story progresses, one begins to hate Leela for being so weak and at times, selfish, and questions ....
complete review at http://penslips.base.pk/?p=343
Leela and her life are driven by betrayal by fate and family. Her reaction to this and consequent choices in order to survive are quite understandable and make one sympathize with her. But as the story progresses, one begins to hate Leela for being so weak and at times, selfish, and questions ....
complete review at http://penslips.base.pk/?p=343
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