Antonio Mcgowan
Jitterbug Perfume is a novel by American writer Tom Robbins, first published in 1984. The story follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day. The novel includes a cast of eccentric characters, including a philosopher/swindler, a king, a waitress, and a pair of French cousins. The narrative also features beets—the root vegetable—which appear randomly throughout the book. The novel explores themes of scent, floral consciousness, and immortality. Inspired by the novel, some readers have attempted to create their own fragrances.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | Tom Robbins |
| Year of Publication | 1984 |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Genre | Novel, Epic |
| Themes | Immortality, Floral Consciousness, Scent, Humor, Individuality, Love |
| Plot | Two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day |
| Main Characters | Alobar, Kudra, Priscilla, Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy, V'lu, Luc LeFever, Claude LeFever, Madame Devalier |
| Symbolism | Beets, representing the strangeness and humor in the novel |
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What You'll Learn
Jitterbug Perfume's plot
Jitterbug Perfume, written by American author Tom Robbins, was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985. The novel follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day.
In the first storyline, set in Ancient Eurasia, a powerful and chiselled 8th-century king named Alobar narrowly escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects due to their custom of killing their leader at the first sign of ageing. No longer a king, Alobar travels through Eurasia on a newfound quest for the secret to longevity. In Ancient India, he consoles a young girl, Kudra, who is horrified by the sight of a widow attempting to commit suttee, a ritual of self-immolation. Years later, Kudra, now a young woman, arrives at a lamasery where Alobar has taken residence for two decades. Alobar tells Kudra about his encounter with a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors," who are masters of immortality. The two set off to the caves of the Bandaloop to learn immortalist practices. Through the remaining vibrations of the now-empty caves, the lovers begin a daily practice of controlled breathing, regular fasting, frequent sex, and bathing in extremely hot water.
Successful in their practices and never ageing, Alobar and Kudra find themselves constantly on the run, moving around Europe to avoid the threat of violence against them for their heathen practices. After several hundred years, they settle and open a perfume shop in 17th-century Paris. When a group of monks threaten their lives, they try to create a perfume to take "stinky Pan" with them to the New World. However, their time runs out, and they attempt a new form of transcendental meditation, becoming separated into different astral planes. Alobar creates a perfume called K23 using trace amounts of beet pollen extract, hoping to reunite with Kudra in the New World. Unfortunately, an indignant Pan throws the remaining K23 overboard during their journey.
In the second storyline, set in the present day, Priscilla, a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer, attempts to recreate a fragrance from the last remaining drops of a three-hundred-year-old perfume bottle in her possession. She rejects the sexual advances of her co-worker Ricki and begins an affair with an eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs a clinic for immortality research called the Last Laugh Foundation. Priscilla also tries to ignore the mysterious deliveries of beets she keeps receiving at her apartment. In New Orleans, Priscilla's stepmother, Madame Devalier, a once-successful perfumer, is also working to recreate the same fragrance as Priscilla. Madame Devalier's protégé V'lu urges her to formulate a scent that will compete with their historic competition in Paris. They obtain premium Jamaican jasmine from a mysterious man with a helmet of swarming bees, Bingo Pajama.
In Paris, Claude and Marcel LeFever of the LeFever Parfumerie are focused on their new scent and its synthetic base. Claude, the "creative nose" of the company, has been tasked with monitoring Marcel's stability, as his latest ideas on the evolution of a new consciousness have unsettled his uncle and owner of the company, Luc Lefever. It is revealed that Luc has placed Marcel's lover V'lu as a secret agent to send them information about Perfumerie Devalier in New Orleans.
As the past and the present collide, the characters come together and discover an unexpected path to immortality.
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Characters in the novel
Jitterbug Perfume, written by Tom Robbins, features an array of unique characters scattered across different geographical locations and time periods. The novel intertwines two storylines, one set in Ancient Eurasia and the other in the present day, exploring themes of scent, floral consciousness, and immortality. Here is an overview of some of the key characters in the novel:
Alobar
Alobar is a powerful and chiselled 8th-century king who escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects due to their custom of killing the leader at the first sign of aging. No longer a king, he embarks on a quest for immortality, travelling through Eurasia. In Ancient India, he meets a young girl named Kudra, who becomes his beloved. Together, they discover the secret to immortality and live for several hundred years, eventually settling in 17th-century Paris and opening a perfume shop. Alobar is described as a Dark Ages hero and a medieval chieftain king who embodies the shift from community-think to individualism.
Kudra
Kudra is first introduced as a young girl in Ancient India, who is horrified by the sight of a widow committing suttee, a ritual of self-immolation. Years later, she reunites with Alobar at a lamasery and becomes his companion on his quest for immortality. Together, they learn immortalist practices from a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors" and succeed in achieving immortality. Kudra is described as Alobar's beloved, a Hindu widow, and a significant character in the story.
Priscilla
Priscilla is a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer in Seattle. She possesses the last remaining drops of a three-hundred-year-old perfume and is attempting to recreate the fragrance. She begins a relationship with an eccentric Irish philosopher, Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs the Last Laugh Foundation, an immortality research clinic. Priscilla is described as a misfit and adopted daughter of Madame Devalier, also a perfumer.
Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy
Also known as Wiggs Dannyboy, he is an eccentric Irish philosopher and scientist who runs the Last Laugh Foundation, a clinic dedicated to immortality research. He becomes romantically involved with Priscilla and somehow manages to unite the various characters in the novel. He adds a new-age theory to the usual flower-power rhetoric in the story.
Madame Devalier
Madame Devalier is a once-successful perfumer in New Orleans and the stepmother of Priscilla. She is working to recreate the same fragrance as her daughter, with the help of her protégé V'lu. They aim to create a scent that will outshine their competition in Paris. Madame Devalier is described as one of the parfumiers attempting to create an enchanting perfume.
V'lu
V'lu is the lover of Marcel LeFever and the protégé of Madame Devalier. She is sent as a secret agent to gather information about the LeFever Parfumerie in Paris. However, she also urges Madame Devalier to create a competitive scent.
The LeFevers
Claude and Marcel LeFever are cousins and owners of the LeFever Parfumerie in Paris. They are working on a new scent with a synthetic base. Claude is tasked with keeping an eye on Marcel's stability, as his latest ideas have unsettled their uncle and owner of the company, Luc LeFever.
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Themes of scent, floral consciousness and immortality
Tom Robbins' novel Jitterbug Perfume explores the themes of scent, floral consciousness, and immortality through its intricate plot and colourful characters. The story follows two interweaving storylines, one set in Ancient Eurasia and the other in the present day, connected by a mysterious and powerful perfume.
The first storyline centres around Alobar, a king in Ancient Eurasia who escapes regicide and embarks on a quest for immortality. He encounters a group called "The Bandaloop Doctors", masters of immortality, and along with his lover Kudra, discovers the secrets of eternal life through practices like controlled breathing, regular fasting, and bathing in extremely hot water. They open a perfume shop in 17th-century Paris, creating a scent called K23, which plays a pivotal role in the story.
In the present day, Priscilla, an amateur perfumer in Seattle, attempts to recreate a mysterious ancient fragrance from a three-hundred-year-old perfume bottle in her possession. She becomes involved with a eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs an immortality research clinic called the Last Laugh Foundation. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Priscilla's stepmother, Madame Devalier, a once-successful perfumer, is also working to recreate the same fragrance.
The themes of scent and floral consciousness are central to the novel. The creation of perfumes and the power of scent to evoke emotions and memories are explored throughout the story. The characters' attempts to create enchanting perfumes and their connections to floral consciousness, such as Kudra's scents and her role in the story, are key elements. Additionally, the novel delves into the concept of immortality, with Alobar and Kudra's quest for eternal life and their discovery of practices to achieve it. Their journey through time and space, skipping through centuries, adds a magical realism element to the story.
The novel also incorporates humour and bizarre elements, such as the random appearances of beets throughout the narrative and the symbolic presence of the god Pan, representing humanity's shift from the physical and natural towards the intellectual and rational. Jitterbug Perfume offers a unique blend of old-fashioned storytelling charm and Robbins' distinctive style, creating a rich and imaginative exploration of these themes.
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The author, Tom Robbins
Jitterbug Perfume is the fourth novel by American writer Tom Robbins. Published in 1984 by Bantam Books, the novel made it to the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985.
The novel follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day. The story connects duelling perfumers in Seattle, Paris, and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created by two unlikely but defiant lovers from the past who seek immortality. The story is orchestrated by a mysterious Irish philosopher, Dr. Dannyboy Wiggs, who runs a clinic for immortality research called the Last Laugh Foundation.
In the past storyline, a powerful and chiselled 8th-century king named Alobar narrowly escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects due to their custom of killing their leader at the first sign of ageing. After fleeing, Alobar travels through Eurasia on a newfound quest for the secret to longevity. He encounters a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors," who are masters of immortality. Alobar and his lover Kudra learn immortalist practices from them and achieve immortality. They settle in 17th-century Paris and open a perfume shop.
In the present-day storyline, Priscilla, a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer in Seattle, attempts to recreate a fragrance from the last remaining drops of a three-hundred-year-old perfume bottle in her possession. She begins an affair with the eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Priscilla's stepmother, Madame Devalier, a once-successful perfumer, is also working to recreate the same fragrance as Priscilla.
Tom Robbins is known for his unique writing style, blending half-credible, half-cartoonish explorations with figurative language and creative similes. His novels often feature juvenile and insufferable elements alongside profound insights and philosophical themes. Robbins' work has been described as bizarre and zany, with an ability to create wildly creative worlds and characters.
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Reviews of the novel
Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins' fourth novel, was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985. The novel was first published in 1984 and is a blend of genres, including fantasy, humour, and magical realism.
The novel has received mixed reviews. One reviewer describes the novel as a "wild comic rip through eternity and beyond," and a "genre-blending romp of a novel that 'celebrates the joy of individual expression and self-reliance.'" Another reviewer on Goodreads describes the novel as "brilliant," praising Robbins' imaginative analogies, thematic use of beets, and creative use of the sense of smell to propel the novel's theme.
Other reviewers have criticized the novel for its juvenile and insufferable content, including its treatment of women. Kater Cheek writes that the novel is not even erotica because it "didn't turn [her] on," and that the sex scenes "felt like watching a cheap porn between unattractive actors." She also criticizes the novel for its frequent references to women's bodies, stating that the female characters are reduced to "something to have sex with rather than a human being."
Some reviewers have noted the novel's unique blend of humour and philosophy. One reviewer on LitReaderNotes highlights the novel's reminder to "lighten up," and its ability to bring levity to even the heaviest of subjects. They write, "In this novel, no subject is beyond humour's touch." Another reviewer on Goodreads notes that the novel is typical Robbins, with its "flower-power rhetoric" and "cute asides."
Overall, Jitterbug Perfume has sparked a range of reactions from readers, with some praising its imaginative and whimsical storytelling, while others find its content juvenile and offensive.
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Frequently asked questions
Jitterbug Perfume is a novel by American writer Tom Robbins. It was first published in 1984 by Bantam Books.
The novel follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day. It connects the stories of perfumers in Seattle, Paris, and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created in the past. The novel also explores themes of scent, floral consciousness, and immortality.
The novel features a cast of unique characters, including a medieval king named Alobar, his beloved Kudra, a misfit waitress in Seattle named Priscilla, French cousins from a family of industrial perfumers, and two women running a small perfume shop in New Orleans. The story also involves an eccentric Irish philosopher named Dr. Dannyboy Wiggs.
Yes, some readers and fragrance enthusiasts have been inspired to create their own interpretations of the perfume described in the novel. One person on Reddit mentioned attempting to create a fragrance based on the descriptions in the book, and there are also discussions of fragrances with similar notes to those mentioned in the story.
