My Baby Room Sprayed Perfume in His Eyes

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· 681 ratings · 122 reviews

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Mar 25, 2018 Faith rated it really liked it

In the past year I've read a memoir, a novel and two books of short stories written by celebrities and, not to mince words, they were vanity works and they each sucked to varying degrees. Accordingly, I wasn't expecting much from this book but I like the author's work as an actor so I gave it a try and I was very pleasantly surprised.

In this amusing, charming, perceptive and touching coming of age novel, Matthew is telling the story of when he was 16 in approximately 1975 from the perspective o

In this amusing, charming, perceptive and touching coming of age novel, Matthew is telling the story of when he was 16 in approximately 1975 from the perspective of his 19 year old self. His mother has just inherited some money from her father and moves them from Queens, New York to a posh apartment building in Manhattan. Matthew is enrolled in a private school where he falls for Veronica, a classmate/witch/prostitute. He also meets the author's interpretation of Lou Reed who lives in Matthew's building and is a drug addled musician and songwriter who's girlfriend Rachel has an Adam's apple and stubble. Matthew is mesmerized by Lou and wants to please him, even if it involves driving a van across Manhattan with no drivers license or even experience driving. Things do not go well. He is also led into troubling experiences by Veronica. He concludes that Lou and Veronica shared "an acute sensitivity to human fragility", but some intense relationships have an expiration date.

The experiences in this book felt so real that it really could have been a memoir. Sometimes the author did get a little carried away with teenaged hyperbole. "[the pita] was the most logical, delicious, and perfect food one could consume. Each component synchronized and synthesized into a complete, unified, and seamless thingness .... The sandwich was a microcosm of me and Veronica together in the macrocosm of New York City and all the universe beyond." However, for the most part Matthew sounded like a mature, intelligent, articulate and empathetic person. His memories were so specific. "Last week I was sitting by the window and a bus drove by. It's exhaust blended with the smell of the rain on asphalt and I was instantly transported to the very first time I stood outside your building. Waiting outside the door for you to come down after your voice, breathless and hurried, came through the intercom and said: 'One minute'."

The author generally has a light touch and parts of the book made me laugh out loud (on a bus which was embarrassing). I'd like to read more by him.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

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Apr 03, 2018 Erica marked it as couldnt-finish

I have no idea what this is about, I haven't read it.
I only wanted to tell everyone how much I enjoy this cover, from the title to the guy yelling because there's perfume burning his eyes. Everything about this delights me.

I like to imagine it's a story about some jerky creeper who won't stop pestering a person and that person reaches into a purse to pull out a bottle of Red Door and sprays it in the creeper's eyes and gets away safely.

Whatever the contents, though, the cover brings me great joy

Whatever the contents, though, the cover brings me great joy.

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Apr 17, 2018 ErinJ rated it did not like it

I don't have anything nice to say about this book. No. Not true. The cover is great for a coming of age book. And there are some nice descriptive words inside. But the characters felt like they were "supposed to be" well thought out and profound. And they weren't. It felt pretentious and like it wasn't going anywhere. Which it didn't.

Very unimaginative relationships for this kid except the two that weren't even mutual relationships. It's like he was on something when plotting the course of this

Very unimaginative relationships for this kid except the two that weren't even mutual relationships. It's like he was on something when plotting the course of this book.

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Nov 04, 2018 Stacey D. rated it really liked it

Cristofuhh!! I love your writing! Please bring us anotha soon :)

Nov 12, 2017 Dave rated it it was amazing

This is a terrific coming-of-age tale that has echoes of the movie Almost Famous with a young impressionable teenager meeting and becoming sort of pals with a rock star. One of the interesting things about this book is that as you read it you start wondering if it's an autobiography or what it is. But, in the fine print at the front of the book the reader is firmly assured by the publisher that it is indeed a work of fiction despite the fact that a real person -Lou Reed- is reimagined as one of This is a terrific coming-of-age tale that has echoes of the movie Almost Famous with a young impressionable teenager meeting and becoming sort of pals with a rock star. One of the interesting things about this book is that as you read it you start wondering if it's an autobiography or what it is. But, in the fine print at the front of the book the reader is firmly assured by the publisher that it is indeed a work of fiction despite the fact that a real person -Lou Reed- is reimagined as one of the characters. In that sense, it is sort of like Max Collins' Nathan Heller getting planted in history with actual people.

But this book doesn't dwell on historical events. Rather, it is a well-drawn portrait of a young man drawn to a drug-addled rock star in his apartment building who seems to live in his own reality and a gorgeous schoolmate who he falls for and is mesmerized by even as she descends into darkness and takes him along for the ride. The writing immediately grabs you from the first page and gets right into the main character's head and emotions. And, as mentioned, it feels so vivid and realistic, you think it's fact not fiction. A really great job of capturing the awkwardness and unease of teenage years including talking to a girl at school, ordering his first drink in a bar, and dealing with all sorts of shocking things.

Thanks to Akashic Books for providing a copy for review.

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250 pages, but read in an evening. This novel could be considered Young Adult, because the protagonist is 16 years old, coming of age, etc., but the book is apparently aimed at the adult market... this might be because of the darker aspects of the content.

The front cover flap refers to Lou Reed as the person who the text only refers to as Lou ____. Did this actor/author have a personal connection with Lou Reed, or is it all fiction? Who knows. Smoke and mirrors and marketing.

There was one scene

There was one scene in the book, involving a van, that disturbed me greatly because we never do find out how it ended. Later, it clicked — the same thing happened to the boy with Lou; Lou would start stories and get interrupted and then the stories are never completed. The reader feels lost and suspended, just like it felt to hang out with the elusive Lou.

3.5 to 4 stars. There are Buddhist elements which seem anomalous, out of place and out of time, but are explained by the teacher credit in the acknowledgments. Rounded down because—I don't need a reason.

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Mar 13, 2018 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli

Starting out with a last will & testament, abbreviated and how the departure of his father on the tail end of his sophomore year left him ambivalent and his mother self-sedated.

The death of his grandfather made it financially viable for them to move out of Queens and into a posh apartment on East 52nd Street in NYC and his schooling at Hobart.

He takes on a part time job as a delivery boy for a local eatery, from which, inevitably, he takes an order

The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli

Starting out with a last will & testament, abbreviated and how the departure of his father on the tail end of his sophomore year left him ambivalent and his mother self-sedated.

The death of his grandfather made it financially viable for them to move out of Queens and into a posh apartment on East 52nd Street in NYC and his schooling at Hobart.

He takes on a part time job as a delivery boy for a local eatery, from which, inevitably, he takes an order to his own building. Thus becomes his introduction to Lou Reed and Rachel, a duo he had seen stumble through the lobby on several occasions and first thought to be homeless.

Along with hanging with Lou, Matthew has formed a somewhat friendship with Veronica, a self proclaimed witch of extensive lineage and prostitute he goes to school with.

And they alternate. Lou takes him into his manic creativity while Veronica swallows him in the dark art of her psyche. He is just to weak to stand alone, for himself, against them, and the negatives just keep piling up. His mother, eating downers, never seems to notice her son is never there.

When he gets the news, it's almost expected...and you will await it too. Life shatters like a dropped bottle of gin. But the base, the thickest part of the bottle, holds solid.

There is a shared pathos between us all.. the characters within and us, the reader. Imperioli has accomplished more in 253 pages than too many others try in volumes. Destined to be, p'raps already, yes.

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Jul 27, 2019 Lemar rated it it was amazing

This book hits home. The truth hurts. And it heals. Rock n' roll can do that. I have read many books in which an author paints an idyllic picture of a vanished world in which their childhood unfolded. It usually just bugs me. Michael Imperioli takes you into the 1970s NYC. He conjures a time and place. I'm guessing that is rarely accomplished. He and David Foster Wallace write about a moment I can attest to.
Imperioli does it with poetry, Muhammad Ali floating like a butterfly in the ring the de This book hits home. The truth hurts. And it heals. Rock n' roll can do that. I have read many books in which an author paints an idyllic picture of a vanished world in which their childhood unfolded. It usually just bugs me. Michael Imperioli takes you into the 1970s NYC. He conjures a time and place. I'm guessing that is rarely accomplished. He and David Foster Wallace write about a moment I can attest to.
Imperioli does it with poetry, Muhammad Ali floating like a butterfly in the ring the demolishing his opponent, that can still be poetry. It's life. I could hear the soundtrack, my shoes felt the sticky floors of a bar. I'm moved, I'm really fucking happy I picked this up at City Lights, a cool guy at the register smiling when I brought it up, telling me he got to meet him at a bar across Columbus, a little aggravated when he checked to see if there was another one in stock. He'll get one. It's worth it.
"It all comes down to a particular and special quality...I call it an acute sensitivity to human fragility." ...more

Apr 20, 2018 KC rated it really liked it

The Perfume Burned his Eyes is a small book that packs quite a substantial punch. This debut novel from actor, screenwriter, and now author Michael Imperioli, tells the story of Matt, a 17 year old Queens boy living with his widowed mother. Although there is little to what happens within the pages itself, this novel does leave the reader with much to digest giving way to Imperioli's lyrical prose. The Perfume Burned his Eyes is a small book that packs quite a substantial punch. This debut novel from actor, screenwriter, and now author Michael Imperioli, tells the story of Matt, a 17 year old Queens boy living with his widowed mother. Although there is little to what happens within the pages itself, this novel does leave the reader with much to digest giving way to Imperioli's lyrical prose. ...more

Sep 04, 2019 Andie rated it really liked it

Michael Imperioli is not only a good actor, but he can also write. His first effort is a coming of age story of a young man who moves from Queens to Manhattan with his mother after she receives an unexpected inheritance from his grandfather.

His mother is largely an absent character and the young man, Matthew is mostly left to his own devices. He gets a job as a delivery boy for a local cafe and in that capacity makes a delivery to the apartment of Lou Reed who lives in a penthouse in his buildin

Matthew also finds himself falling in love with proto-goth Veronica, one of his schoolmates. Between Lou Reed and Veronica, Matthew finds himself growing up very soon and very fast. until it all comes crashing down around him. This is an entertaining look into New York at a certain time that has now disappeared as well watching an awkward boy become a man.

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You get the idea that Imperioli wants to write in the style of Lou Reed, or how Lou Reed would write poetry. So he writes some poems in beat argot. Then he decides he should wrap a story around these poems, and comes up with this one – about a teen that lives in the same building as Reed and gets hired to help him out on occasion. Imperioli has an ear for dialog. I found the dialog driving this, the most interesting component of the story. Perhaps that is from the author's acting and screenwriti You get the idea that Imperioli wants to write in the style of Lou Reed, or how Lou Reed would write poetry. So he writes some poems in beat argot. Then he decides he should wrap a story around these poems, and comes up with this one – about a teen that lives in the same building as Reed and gets hired to help him out on occasion. Imperioli has an ear for dialog. I found the dialog driving this, the most interesting component of the story. Perhaps that is from the author's acting and screenwriting experience. I found the story somewhat interesting, though I was glad it was not long. This felt excessively New York. Imperioli read the audiobook, and unsurprisingly he handled it well. The key question when you read fiction written by an actor, I believe, is whether you would read another one by him or not. In the case of Imperioli, I would read another one. He can tell an odd story with interesting characters and interaction. ...more

May 25, 2018 J Earl rated it it was amazing

The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli is most noticeably a coming-of-age story and succeeds quite well as such. Yet it is also so much more, or at least can be so much more to many readers. For me, this was also about that time period and about the different masks we all wear for different people or different situations.

I was close to the age of the protagonist at the same time so this speaks clearly to me about growing up at that time. If you were mid-teens in the mid 70s this will l

I was close to the age of the protagonist at the same time so this speaks clearly to me about growing up at that time. If you were mid-teens in the mid 70s this will likely speak similarly to you. While most of us did not experience the same events (I know, that is stating the obvious) we probably experienced or saw friends experience similar events. Loss of a loved one, friendship with an older person, first wonderings about love with someone. And the questions these all generate: why, what does this or that mean, how should I respond? We learn to wear different masks as we navigate these relationships and, maybe more importantly, we begin to understand that the people we know also wear different masks. We become aware of how difficult it can be, regardless of who you are, to be one consistent person in every situation. Is that a positive or a negative? I don't know but I do know that we all do it and the sooner we realize it the sooner we can show empathy for others.

It had been a long time since I had thought about Lou Reed and Rachel and this fictionalized look at that phase of Reed's life was fascinating for me and made me look up more.

I don't really care for the idea of liking or disliking characters as a basis for judging a book since many unlikable characters have made for wonderful reading and likable characters have put me to sleep. I am more interested in whether the characters are believable in relation to their actions. So if something I think of as unlikely to happen in my world makes sense from the perspective of a character then I am happy. Imperioli gives these characters life and enough background to make the story plausible and enjoyable to read.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy coming-of-age stories as well as readers who like immersive period pieces with famous real people as a character in the fictionalized world.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
The Perfume Burned His Eyes is the debut novel by Michael Imperioli. The story is a coming of age story about main character, Matthew a sixteen-year-old teen from Queens in late 70's.
After the death of his father and grandfather, he moves to Manhattan where he befriends Lou Reed who lives with his transgender girlfriend. The sex, drugs and rock and roll, Lou somehow feels the apparent father figure that Matthew so desperately needs/wants. This would not be a coming of age story if there was not
The Perfume Burned His Eyes is the debut novel by Michael Imperioli. The story is a coming of age story about main character, Matthew a sixteen-year-old teen from Queens in late 70's.
After the death of his father and grandfather, he moves to Manhattan where he befriends Lou Reed who lives with his transgender girlfriend. The sex, drugs and rock and roll, Lou somehow feels the apparent father figure that Matthew so desperately needs/wants. This would not be a coming of age story if there was not the mention of a slight romance that comes in the form of Veronica.

The Perfume Burned His Eyes was a pleasure to read and took you on a journey through time as you the reader are being told a story narrated by Matthew from teen to middle-aged man. Kudos to actor turned author Michael Imperioli for this body of work. I rate this 4 and a half stars.

Reviewed by Kisha Green for Literary Jewels
Format: Hardcover
Review Copy Supplied By Publisher

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Aug 23, 2018 Dorie rated it really liked it

The Perfume Burned His Eyes🍒🍒🍒🍒
By Michael Imperioli
2018
Akashic / NYC

***I'm waiting for my man***

The Perfume Burned His Eyes🍒🍒🍒🍒
By Michael Imperioli
2018
Akashic / NYC

***I'm waiting for my man***

Growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens then abruptly moved to a high rise on E. 52nd St would definitely change a person's life, in many ways.
Especially when you become friends with your new neighbor, Lou Reed, living with his cross dressing friend.
Raw, sharp and illuminating coming of age story, that is an emotional and and wild carnival ride. The highs will make you w as not to raise your arms and scream; the lows you will feel in the pit of your stomach.
Michael Imperioli is known previously for his work with Spike Lee's Summer of Sam, and has written episodes for the TV series 'The Sopranos'.
Recommended...its a very short book.

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Apr 05, 2021 Marco Bermudez rated it really liked it

After finishing The Sopranos, I was very interested in reading Michael Imperioli's book after watching episodes that he'd written (The Sopranos in my opinion is one of the best written shows of all time) and learning that he'd co-written movies directed by Spike Lee.

When actors come out with books, there's a good chance that it's better to just steer clear of them but Imperioli surprised me on a lot of levels.

Most impressively, he was able to communicate a painfully human coming of age story tha

When actors come out with books, there's a good chance that it's better to just steer clear of them but Imperioli surprised me on a lot of levels.

Most impressively, he was able to communicate a painfully human coming of age story that I felt deeply and there's only a select few writers with the talent to do so and he's able to do it with his debut novel.

It was a quick and easy read (Imperioli's distinct voice is ingrained in the prose) but it packed a devastating punch.

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Sep 07, 2020 Jonathan rated it it was amazing

I'm not sure what to make of this book, except to say that I loved it, and I hope that Michael Imperioli — yes, that Michael Imperioli — has another book or two left in him. Some books leave you completely satisfied, and some leave you with an itch you can't quite scratch, and those may be the best of all. This is a great coming of age novel, a love letter to Lou Reed, and a reminder of one of life's simultaneous blessings and tragedies: that we often feel nothing so intense as that which we fel I'm not sure what to make of this book, except to say that I loved it, and I hope that Michael Imperioli — yes, that Michael Imperioli — has another book or two left in him. Some books leave you completely satisfied, and some leave you with an itch you can't quite scratch, and those may be the best of all. This is a great coming of age novel, a love letter to Lou Reed, and a reminder of one of life's simultaneous blessings and tragedies: that we often feel nothing so intense as that which we felt when we were 17 years old. ...more

Mar 24, 2018 Emily rated it liked it

Thanks to Library Thing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli is a fast-paced coming of age story that I'm not really sure how to feel about. On one hand, it was entertaining to read and kept my interest but on the other hand, I'm not really sure where it was going. The book starts out with Matthew explaining a recent change to his life: his father and grandfather die, his mother becomes depressed and overly medicated and she also decides Thanks to Library Thing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli is a fast-paced coming of age story that I'm not really sure how to feel about. On one hand, it was entertaining to read and kept my interest but on the other hand, I'm not really sure where it was going. The book starts out with Matthew explaining a recent change to his life: his father and grandfather die, his mother becomes depressed and overly medicated and she also decides to move them from Queens to Manhattan. In turn, he starts school at a posh private school and falls in love with a girl who captivates him with her originality. He also gets a job as a delivery guy that introduces him to Lou Reed, a musician from The Velvet Underground, and exposes him to a whole new world.
While an intriguing read, this book didn't capture me fully and wasn't for me. ...more

This is a short novel written by the actor who played Christopher on The Sopranos. It's about a teenage boy who moves from Queens to Manhattan with his mother, a "single mom" who inherited some money after her father died. Turns out Lou Reed lives in the apartment building they move into, and Lou becomes a mentor to the lad. His mother enrolls him in a private school, where he connects with an offbeat girl. Things happen, some bad. This is a short novel written by the actor who played Christopher on The Sopranos. It's about a teenage boy who moves from Queens to Manhattan with his mother, a "single mom" who inherited some money after her father died. Turns out Lou Reed lives in the apartment building they move into, and Lou becomes a mentor to the lad. His mother enrolls him in a private school, where he connects with an offbeat girl. Things happen, some bad. ...more

Jul 10, 2020 Nicole rated it liked it

This one really surprised me. I wasn't a huge fan of the plot, but I loved the writing style! This one really surprised me. I wasn't a huge fan of the plot, but I loved the writing style! ...more

Actor (The Sopranos, Goodfellas and Hawaii Five-0) and screenwriter Michael Imperiolli has penned a great little novel which is a moving tribute to adolescence, fragility, madness, suicide and the lamented late, great Lou Reed. It packs a lot of emotion and wisdom into 256 pages. I'm even more of a fan than I already was. - BH. Actor (The Sopranos, Goodfellas and Hawaii Five-0) and screenwriter Michael Imperiolli has penned a great little novel which is a moving tribute to adolescence, fragility, madness, suicide and the lamented late, great Lou Reed. It packs a lot of emotion and wisdom into 256 pages. I'm even more of a fan than I already was. - BH. ...more

Apr 15, 2018 Lindaanne rated it really liked it

I've been a fan of Michael Imperioli for many years and enjoyed going to productions at his beautiful Studio Dante in NYC, so was excited about his debut as an author. "The Perfume Burned His Eyes" is unique, beautifully written, gritty and deep. The book portrays the dirt and crime of NYC in the late '70s very well. It's a sensitive portrayal of a naive young man's coming of age while living with his fragile addicted mom and getting involved with mystical hookers and musicians. I would have giv I've been a fan of Michael Imperioli for many years and enjoyed going to productions at his beautiful Studio Dante in NYC, so was excited about his debut as an author. "The Perfume Burned His Eyes" is unique, beautifully written, gritty and deep. The book portrays the dirt and crime of NYC in the late '70s very well. It's a sensitive portrayal of a naive young man's coming of age while living with his fragile addicted mom and getting involved with mystical hookers and musicians. I would have given the book five stars except for the preponderance of material about the musician Lou Reed. I don't have anything against Lou but his role in the book was overplayed for my tastes. The ending was a bit of a stretch as well. Still a great book and look forward to more of Mr. Imperioli's work in the future. ...more

Aug 08, 2018 Sage rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rated two stars because I never found out what happened to the van because honestly I would be so pissed if I was driving in NYC and some kid just abandoned his car in the middle of the street in rush hour. Did he ever get in trouble? Did his mom have to pay for it? What happened to the van? Who moved the van? Who removed the van?

Regardless of the infuriating van, this story was well written but it was missing something from it. The ending was too abrupt. What happened to him? When did he get o

Rated two stars because I never found out what happened to the van because honestly I would be so pissed if I was driving in NYC and some kid just abandoned his car in the middle of the street in rush hour. Did he ever get in trouble? Did his mom have to pay for it? What happened to the van? Who moved the van? Who removed the van?

Regardless of the infuriating van, this story was well written but it was missing something from it. The ending was too abrupt. What happened to him? When did he get out of the mental hospital? Did writing down his summer ever help him? Why was he in California in the epilogue? What was the point of the epilogue? Did his mom ever get better? It just ended. And maybe there is some sort of beauty in the utter meaningless of life within that and perhaps that's what Imperioli was trying to convey that sometimes we just will never find out things and that some things just never matter.

It honestly felt like Imperioli just decided one day he was sick and tired of this writing thing so he said "Alright, I'm done. Let's publish this!" And then moved on with his life, even though he never actually finished his book. There certainly was a nostalgic feel to the writing of this but I'm not convinced. I finished the book and was annoyed by the entire thing. At least it had a lovely cover, so everyone who saw me reading must have thought, "Oh wow, she's reading something really lovely I bet," when really I was annoyed because I can't believe the kid just left the van. I mean, I totally understand panicking and fleeing the scene, but like--dude, you left a VAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET IN MANHATTAN DURING RUSH HOUR.

Ugh. Two stars. Read if you're bored and there's no other book around, but honestly, I don't think it's worth your time.

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Aug 26, 2018 Judy G rated it it was amazing

What a magnificent gem of a book. I picked it up at SF Public Library north beach branch cause there was a comment on the cover by the great Joyce Carol Oates. Anything she likes is for me
I read continually and have never read anything like this book. It was released this year 2018 and it is a man talking about things that happened to him in 1975-77 in New York area when he was about 18yold.
He begins with the death of his abusive father in Los Angeles on the highway. He ends the book 50+ years What a magnificent gem of a book. I picked it up at SF Public Library north beach branch cause there was a comment on the cover by the great Joyce Carol Oates. Anything she likes is for me
I read continually and have never read anything like this book. It was released this year 2018 and it is a man talking about things that happened to him in 1975-77 in New York area when he was about 18yold.
He begins with the death of his abusive father in Los Angeles on the highway. He ends the book 50+ years later driving in Los angeles remembering briefly his father and yet more remembering his friendship with Lou Reed in a NYC apartment where he Matthew lived w his mother. This story takes many turns in a brief period of time beginning with his move w his mother from Jackson Heights to E 52nd street NYC. His mother depressed and addicted to pills inherited money from her father. So they moved and Matt was enrolled in a private high school. This is about what happens to him after that time and trust me it is unpredictable and deeply sad. At the end of the book I was crying.
Its a commentary on the harms that are done to people in the name of righteousness.
The author is a known actor and this is his first writing tho he did write some of the episodes of the Sopranos that he starred in.
this is like a modern current version of the sixties book Catcher in the Rye maybe

Judy

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Jan 15, 2018 Pop Bop rated it it was amazing

"...confident, strong, and fearless. All the things that I was not."

This is a perceptive, well written and engaging coming of age novel, but there are a few things to note right off the bat.

"...confident, strong, and fearless. All the things that I was not."

This is a perceptive, well written and engaging coming of age novel, but there are a few things to note right off the bat.

First off, I apologize for first identifying the author (in my mind) only with his roles in "Goodfellas" and "The Sopranos", and assuming that this was going to be another teen-falls-in-with-local-mobsters Bronx Tale-ish thing. Unfair type casting. Turns out that Imperioli is an accomplished actor, producer, writer, and director, and I should have known better. This may be a very New York City coming of age tale, but it turns on music, heartbreak, tough lessons, first love, family, and the giddy high of art and creation. Not a single mobster in view.

Second, for what it's worth, please don't be scared off by the excessive blurbs fronting this book. Maybe these guys really did have their lives totally illuminated and transformed by reading this book. I just thought it was well-written, generous, perceptive, and occasionally intense and often touching in an honest, clear-eyed and authentic fashion. That was enough for me.

With that said, the book is, as all coming of age books seem to be, a bit romantic and gauzy, with a wry and sadder-but-wiser hero at the center, and a sometimes generous and sometimes heartless, and often sort of random, world around him. Our hero, Matt, is fundamentally sound, and unreliable as a narrator only to the extent that he doesn't always entirely understand what's going on. But who does? Early on he denies being confident or strong or fearless, but we can sense that potential within him and we can trace his path to maturity better than he can. Since his voice is fresh, direct, ironic, and ruefully honest, and since the book has moments of suspense and intensity, we become engaged in his journey.

In addition to the main thread there are lots of rewarding and insightful, and sometimes very funny, set scenes and digressions in the book, (this is 1976-1978), and many nicely crafted throw-away lines. The book is fast paced while still thoughtful, and holds more surprises and twists than I expected. Coming of age is fine, but I want it to be interesting, and Matt's journey, (he covers the previous two years of his life from the vantage point of 18), fits that bill. While there's a definite sadder-but-wiser flavor to the project, and sometimes an unnerving darker undercurrent, Matt has a sense of humor about life and himself, or at least an informed detachment, that keeps the reader invested in his progress.

The upshot was that I very much admired and enjoyed this novel, the characters who populated it, and the insights and emotions they shared. A solid find. (I think the cover photo for this book is a Joseph Sterling photo from the early 60's and that photo subject, with his energy and potential and vigor and mad heedlessness, really seems to capture the essence of the Matt character, or at least what the character hopes to be. This may be the one time you want to judge a book by its cover.)

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

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Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....

Well, I really goofed on this book. I didn't recognize the author's name, and I didn't know who Lou Reed was, one of the main characters. Where have I been? If you don't know either: Michael Imperioli, the author, is an actor, best known as a character on The Sopranos. Lou Reed, was a famous singer from the 70s and 80s, and the title, The Perfume Burned His Eyes, comes from one of his songs.

The story takes place when the narrato

Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....

The story takes place when the narrator, Matthew, is in his teens, and Lou Reed is at a low point in his life and career. Matthew and his mother move from Queens to an upscale apartment and an upscale school in Manhattan. Lou Reed and his girlfriend live in the same building. In the truest sense, Matthew comes of age as he relates to Lou as well as to a lovely girl from his class, Veronica, who claims to be a witch and who turns tricks for spending money. He becomes acutely aware of the way others relate to the world, and he grows in his own strength and his own wisdom. Matthew's view of the world is very much aligned with the city, in all its gritty glory. Finally, the world becomes too much for him and he loses touch with reality for a while. The Booklist reviewer calls him "Holden Caulfield without the cynicism."

Years later, Matthew meets up with Lou Reed again, and as he watches him perform magnificently, he realizes that they both have come far. "It made me see clear the fluid and idiosyncratic possibilities in our lives, or maybe more accurately: the fluidity and idiosyncrasy that is our lives. It made me see that there are escape routes out of hell, and if we are fortunate we can make a clean getaway and survive."

The Perfume Burned His Eyes is told completely from Matthew's perspective. His mother is seldom in the picture, although she does help out when Matthew falls apart. We know Lou Reed only through Matthew's eyes. We also are aware of Matthew's very real anguish about Veronica. Matthew is a moral young man, and he knows that he is treading on dangerous ground as he interacts with her and with Lou Reed.

As I read, I was reminded of another New York coming of age story that I read recently, Neon in Daylight. Inez, one of its main characters is very similar to Veronica. As a matter of fact, sometimes I got the two confused.

Michael Imperioli said in an interview that he wrote the book during a difficult time in his teenage son's life, and he had been spending a lot of time thinking about teenage angst. I could relate to much of it—having gotten three kids through adolescence as a single mother, and now watching teenage grandchildren deal with their own anxieties. I believe that he captured the setting, the times, and the coming of age beautifully. It was a compelling read.

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Mar 26, 2018 Carol rated it really liked it

The reason I picked this book was that I have trouble reading small print and I saw in the description that it is a coming of age both. I love that genre, maybe because my own coming of age was very painful. The print is easy to read and the story flies by.

As a side note, I checked with LibraryThing's device to see if I would like this book. The verdict was probably I would not. Now that I have read this book, I can say that I enjoy a lot of it but there were also some parts that almost made me physically ill. This book is written like a memoir but is not one, it sprang from Michael Imperioli's imagination and his familarity with Lou Reed's music. This author is also an actor but I have never seen him act and although Lou Reed's name was familiar with his music. Yet I want to read more from this author.

Matthew's parents split up and his mother became addicted to barbituates. Matthew took his mother's advice and found a job delivering food. On one of the deliveries, he delivers some food to Lou Reed who actually lives in the same apartment building. He also meets Lou Reed's companion, Rachel. It is easy to see that Rachel is a man. Matthew also falls for a girl in school and later is both attracted and violently repelled by her. He also reluctantly accepts the task of driving a van clear across town even though he has never driven and has no driver's licence. His found method of driving was identical to my mother's even though she had driver's lessons.

The author excels in writing scenes that make you roar with laughter and then a split second later, feel plunged into fear or extreme sadness. The only reason that I deducted a star was that there were also parts that repulsed me a great deal.

I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.

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Jul 11, 2021 Mark Mellon rated it really liked it

Michael Imperioli is a well known actor, having appeared in films and shows like Goodfellas, The Sopranos, and Law And Order, to name just stuff I've seen. He also turns out to be a gifted writer as shown by this well done first novel. A coming of age story, Perfume is told from Matthew's perspective, a teenager pulled out of Forest Heights by unfortunate events to live in Manhattan with his mother where he attends an elite high school. Naive, but equipped with common sense and humor, Matthew le Michael Imperioli is a well known actor, having appeared in films and shows like Goodfellas, The Sopranos, and Law And Order, to name just stuff I've seen. He also turns out to be a gifted writer as shown by this well done first novel. A coming of age story, Perfume is told from Matthew's perspective, a teenager pulled out of Forest Heights by unfortunate events to live in Manhattan with his mother where he attends an elite high school. Naive, but equipped with common sense and humor, Matthew learns to navigate New York's mean streets. He befriends Veronica, the hippest chick in his class, a brilliant manic depressive who slowly draws Matthew into her damaged, self hating world.

Matthew also gets acquainted with fellow building dweller and probably the biggest weirdo in NYC at the time, Lou Reed, the original rock'n'roll animal himself. A genuine if bizarre and completely unconventional friendship develops between the two. Imperioli's portrait of Reed is pitch perfect. He captures various aspects of Reed's extremely complex personality vividly and succinctly, the drugged up mania, bouts of lyric poetry written on bathroom walls, his unpredictable, amazingly vicious cruelty paired with sensitivity to the point where emotion was simply agony to him. It's all there to include Reed's relationship with Rachel, the Puerto Rican transsexual who was one of his greatest loves, depicted accurately, but tolerantly.

Without giving the denouement away, I will say this short novel comes to a dramatically satisfactory conclusion, although quite tragic. As I said before, Perfume is a coming of age story, but it's also a nuanced portrait of someone who, while he may not have been the biggest star rock'n'roll ever had, still counts as one of its most important and fascinating figures.

I recommend this to fans of NYC rock'n'roll, Lou Reed, and anyone who likes a good, short read.

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Jan 05, 2022 Grace rated it liked it

This book was a quick and enticing read, having been highly recommended by a worker at a local book shop. However, I can see why he was a big fan and I was not.
I am a music lover and I love Lou Reed/the Velvet Underground and was excited to see what a fictionalized Reed would bring to the table. The main character Matthew is highly perceptive and sensitive and carries the novel beautifully. Essentially, there are about two main incidences in the novel that have shaped this boys teenage years whi This book was a quick and enticing read, having been highly recommended by a worker at a local book shop. However, I can see why he was a big fan and I was not.
I am a music lover and I love Lou Reed/the Velvet Underground and was excited to see what a fictionalized Reed would bring to the table. The main character Matthew is highly perceptive and sensitive and carries the novel beautifully. Essentially, there are about two main incidences in the novel that have shaped this boys teenage years which seems relatable and true to the teenage experience, but I could not care less about what happens with his relationships with Lou and the elusive Veronica due to how one dimensional the characters are. Lou gets a bit more page time but if not for Veronica being such an abusive mess, she would definitely be a manic pixie dream girl archetype. All we know about her is her beauty and her line of work, and a couple other random details about things she likes. As a woman, just reading that a girl is "intoxicating" doesn't actually give readers the strong impression that male authors go for and I wish they would learn that. It therefore makes no sense to me why Matthew would risk it all for either of these people, other than the admission that he is really easily influenced. I might have loved this if he cared to give Veronica a couple more traits. At the end of it all it just felt like every character was unintentionally a huge asshole (except Reed's portrayal which was probably intentional) with no redeeming qualities.
Not to mention that his mother all but disappears after being described as a sad junkie and reappears a couple times as a very caring, doting mother. What??? ...more

Apr 15, 2019 Ike rated it liked it

This was one of those random books I picked up without looking at the synopsis (which I'm glad I didn't). Initially, I thought this was a memoir. It reads like one with the narrator reflecting on his childhood and an epilogue/letter at the end. However, it is a work of fiction. A re-imagination, of sorts, particularly with the character of Lou Reed and his girlfriend, Rachel. It's a coming of age novel about a teenager named Matthew living in New York City in the 1970's. It follows his interacti This was one of those random books I picked up without looking at the synopsis (which I'm glad I didn't). Initially, I thought this was a memoir. It reads like one with the narrator reflecting on his childhood and an epilogue/letter at the end. However, it is a work of fiction. A re-imagination, of sorts, particularly with the character of Lou Reed and his girlfriend, Rachel. It's a coming of age novel about a teenager named Matthew living in New York City in the 1970's. It follows his interactions with the Lou character (who lives in the same building as him), and with a young witch-practicing prostitute from school. Matthew is your atypical passive character who ends up in the most random situations with a few eccentric characters but manages to make it out on the other side unscathed. Albeit, imbued with a greater sense of wisdom and empathy. It's a slim, straightforward novel and doesn't try to occupy itself with too many characters or subplots. Just don't expect a fully-realized plot! I thought the ending was a bit too melodramatic and cliched. And aside from a few enjoyable moments, the "Lou Reed" character just wasn't interesting nor original, and heavily drawn with the romantic eye of a "tortured artist" that doesn't offer much else. Overall, I liked it. It didn't meander or become overwrought, which often becomes the case for books like these. And after reading fantasy for two years, this was a nice change. I'll be looking forward to what the author writes in the future. ...more

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My Baby Room Sprayed Perfume in His Eyes

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