Katrina Rosales
Jitterbug Perfume, written by Tom Robbins, is an epic novel that spans from ancient Eurasia to the present day. The novel centres around a mysterious blue bottle and the quest for immortality. The first edition of Jitterbug Perfume was published in 1984 by Bantam Books and has since been reprinted by Random House. The novel has inspired a range of creative works, including a song by Michael Hedges titled Jitterboogie, and a composition by Italian pianist and composer Stefano Bollani titled Alobar e Kudra. Additionally, it has influenced the naming of a dance company, a hostel in Kathmandu, and various fragrances and perfumes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | Tom Robbins |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year of Publication | 1984 |
| Setting | Ancient Eurasia, Ancient Bohemia, Ancient India, 17th-century Paris, Seattle, New Orleans |
| Main Characters | Alobar, Kudra, Pan, "The Bandaloop Doctors", a mysterious Irish philosopher |
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What You'll Learn
The story's two interweaving storylines
Jitterbug Perfume, written by American author Tom Robbins, is a novel that follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and the other 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 first storyline is set in Ancient Eurasia and centres around Alobar, a powerful and chiselled 8th-century king who narrowly escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects due to their custom of killing the leader at the first sign of aging. After fleeing and no longer being king, Alobar embarks on a quest for longevity and travels through Eurasia. In Ancient India, he encounters a young girl named Kudra, who is horrified by the sight of a widow attempting to escape the flames of a funeral pyre during the ritual of self-immolation. Years later, Kudra, now a young woman, arrives at a lamasery where Alobar has resided for two decades. The two fall in love and share a mutual fear of death. Alobar tells Kudra about his encounter with a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors," who are masters of immortality. Together, they set off to the caves of the Bandaloop to learn immortalist practices, including controlled breathing, regular fasting, frequent sex, and bathing in extremely hot water.
The second storyline is set in the present day and follows Priscilla, a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer in Seattle. Priscilla is on a quest 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 an eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs the Last Laugh Foundation, a clinic for immortality research. In New Orleans, Priscilla's stepmother, Madame Devalier, is also working to recreate the same fragrance. Meanwhile, in Paris, Claude and Marcel LeFever of the LeFever Parfumerie are focused on creating a new scent with a synthetic base. Through these intertwining storylines, the characters in the present day are connected to Alobar and Kudra from the past, as they all seek the secret to immortality and the creation of unique perfumes.
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The characters' pursuit of immortality
In Jitterbug Perfume, the characters' pursuit of immortality takes them on a journey through Paris, New Orleans, and the Himalayas, where they encounter different cultures and perspectives that shape their understanding of life and death. The quest for immortality is a central theme in the novel, with the characters seeking to uncover the secrets of everlasting life.
Alobar, the main character, escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects in Ancient Eurasia and embarks on a journey to discover the secret to longevity. He finds a partner in Kudra, and together they learn immortalist practices from a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors" in the caves of the Bandaloop. Through controlled breathing, regular fasting, frequent sex, and bathing in extremely hot water, they achieve success in their quest for immortality and never age. However, their heathen practices make them a target, forcing them to constantly move around Europe.
Priscilla, a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer in the present day, is also on a quest to recreate a three-hundred-year-old fragrance from a bottle in her possession. She begins an affair with an eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs a clinic for immortality research called the Last Laugh Foundation. Through her journey, Priscilla confronts the inevitability of death and gains a deeper understanding of the value of time, love, and the interconnectedness of all life.
The quest for immortality in Jitterbug Perfume serves as a vehicle for the characters' spiritual journeys and personal transformations. It prompts them to seek knowledge, confront their mortality, and ultimately discover that the true key to immortality lies not in physical longevity but in the richness of life's experiences and the memories they create.
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The role of the mysterious Irish philosopher
In Tom Robbins' novel Jitterbug Perfume, the mysterious Irish philosopher, Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy, plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the intertwining of the two storylines, one set in Ancient Eurasia and the other in the present day.
In the present day, Priscilla, a part-time waitress and amateur perfumer, embarks on an affair with the eccentric Dr. Dannyboy, who runs a clinic for immortality research called the Last Laugh Foundation. Priscilla possesses a three-hundred-year-old perfume bottle, and she is determined to recreate the fragrance. Meanwhile, in Ancient Eurasia, Alobar, a former king who escaped regicide, travels in search of the secret to longevity. He encounters Kudra, a young woman who shares his quest for immortality, and they both learn immortalist practices from a mysterious group known as "The Bandaloop Doctors."
The role of Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy is significant as he connects the storylines and characters, bridging the gap between the ancient past and the modern world. Through his affair with Priscilla, he becomes linked to her quest for recreating the ancient perfume, which parallels Alobar and Kudra's creation of an incomparable perfume in the past. Dr. Dannyboy's research into immortality echoes the ancient quest for longevity, and his presence in the story adds an element of intrigue and mystery.
Additionally, Dr. Dannyboy's philosophical musings on the cruelty of the aging process and the nature of mortality provide a thought-provoking backdrop to the narrative. His character embodies the novel's exploration of life-everlasting and the pursuit of defying death. Through his interactions with Priscilla and his own philosophical contemplations, Dr. Dannyboy becomes a catalyst for the collision of the past and the present, as the characters collectively discover an unexpected path to immortality.
Overall, the mysterious Irish philosopher, Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy, serves as a pivotal figure who orchestrates the intertwining of storylines and themes in Jitterbug Perfume. His presence adds depth and intrigue to the novel, connecting the ancient and modern worlds through shared quests for immortality and philosophical contemplations on the nature of life and death.
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The significance of the blue bottle
The blue bottle in Jitterbug Perfume is a significant object in the novel. It is described as "very, very old" and is embossed with the image of a goat-horned god. The bottle and its contents are central to the plot, as the liquid it holds is believed to be the secret essence of the universe. The bottle is also said to be leaking, adding a sense of urgency to the story as the characters race to discover its power before it is too late.
The blue bottle is first introduced in the hands of a janitor, one of the novel's main characters. Through his possession of the bottle, the janitor becomes the hero of the story, a classic trope in epic sagas. The bottle and its contents become the driving force of the narrative, propelling the characters on a quest to uncover its secrets and harness its power.
The blue bottle is not just a plot device but also a symbol of the themes explored in the novel. Its connection to the ancient past, embossed with a goat-horned god, suggests a link to paganism and nature-based religions. This symbol may represent the characters' pursuit of immortality and their defiance of death, a central theme in the novel. The liquid inside the bottle, believed to be the essence of the universe, could symbolise the characters' quest for knowledge, enlightenment, or a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Additionally, the blue colour of the bottle may hold significance. Blue is often associated with calmness, serenity, and stability. In the context of the novel, blue could represent the calm before the storm, as the characters embark on a journey that challenges their beliefs and pushes them to their limits. Alternatively, the blue bottle may symbolise the tranquility and peace that comes with accepting one's mortality, even as the characters desperately seek to defy it.
The blue bottle in Jitterbug Perfume serves as a pivotal plot device, a symbol of the novel's themes, and a source of intrigue and fascination for the characters and readers alike. Its presence adds depth and complexity to the story, contributing to the overall richness of Tom Robbins' imaginative narrative.
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The ancient settings of Bohemia and Eurasia
Jitterbug Perfume, written by Tom Robbins, is an epic novel that traverses both ancient and modern settings, with one storyline set in Ancient Eurasia and Bohemia and the other in the present day. The novel begins in the forests of ancient Bohemia and concludes in modern-day Paris. The ancient storyline centres around Alobar, an 8th-century king who escapes regicide and embarks on a quest for longevity. He travels through Eurasia, encountering a young girl, Kudra, who has also defied death by escaping suttee, a ritual of self-immolation. The two fall in love and set off to the caves of the Bandaloop, where they learn immortalist practices, including controlled breathing, regular fasting, frequent sex, and bathing in hot water.
In the novel, Eurasia is depicted as a vast and diverse continent, with Alobar's travels taking him through various lands and cultures. The specific locations he visits are not named, but the novel hints at a journey through different regions, each with its customs, beliefs, and practices. Bohemia, on the other hand, is described as a forested region, where the story begins with Alobar's encounter with the Bandaloop Doctors, a mysterious group with knowledge of immortalist practices.
The ancient settings provide a contrast to the modern-day storyline, which follows a group of perfumers in Seattle, Paris, and New Orleans. The past and the present collide when the characters in the present day discover a connection to Alobar and Kudra's story through a bottle of incomparable perfume, which holds the secret to immortality. The ancient settings of Bohemia and Eurasia thus set the stage for the epic saga of Jitterbug Perfume, weaving together themes of love, death, immortality, and the power of scent across centuries.
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