12 Scratch & Sniff Versions Of Famous Novels
Sometimes I have stupid ideas, like the time I tried to hit a pitching wedge shot over my parents’ house and put a golf ball through the kitchen window.
I was much younger then. But, even in my old age, I still have stupid ideas. Take today’s post, for instance.
What if some of the most famous novels of all-time, some of which could even be considered “classics,” were transformed into scratch and sniff books—those colorful, fragrant works of artistic genius?
So I dug deep into the weird recesses of my mind and came up with some examples of novels that could work well as scratch and sniffs. Get your noses ready.
Animal Farm: This one seems self-explanatory. It’s a farm. With animals. Look I know Orwell meant Animal Farm to be an indictment of corrupt government, but the scratch and sniff version of the novel would be about one thing: poop.
Infinite Jest: Think of a boys locker room at a tennis academy. Musty, stale air with a vague scent of sewage. You could scratch the “skin” of one of the tennis players and be treated to the aroma of lemon pledge!
Blood Meridian: Savage, barbaric men kill puppies and scalp Indians while roaming through the desert. I’m thinking The Judge might smell like a combination of body odor, dried blood, and canned beans. Scratch if you dare.
Revolutionary Road: With the Revolutionary Road Scratch & Sniff Novel, you can scratch Frank Wheeler’s face and you’ll be treated to the powerful fragrance of self-hate, narcissism, and despair!
Wide Sargasso Sea: If you’ve ever been to the Caribbean, you know the smell of that crisp, clean ocean air. Scratch the ocean and imagine yourself bathing in crystal clear water while a voodoo doctor plots your death in a nearby hut.
Rabbit, Run: Rabbit Angstrom is an awful human being, as depicted in this first novel in John Updike’s Rabbit trilogy. I imagine Rabbit would smell like a combination of Old Spice, old basketball socks, and cheap beer.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Oh, this could be brilliant. Scratch the wardrobe to reveal a soft scent of cedar. Inside Narnia, you’ll smell fluffy snow and the flowery, shampooed hair of the “daughter of Eve.”
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: No comment.
Deliverance: Does “redneck” have a smell? As for that one scene—you know the one—I won’t even go there. I wouldn’t want to scratch or smell that.
The Lord Of The Rings: Scratch Mordor and smell hot lava and fiery flames. Scratch Frodo’s feet and smell the pungent odor of hairy hobbit feet. Scratch Gollum and smell old, worn flesh and bad breath. I think a scratch and sniff version of The Lord of The Rings could ignite your senses like never before.
The Old Man and the Sea: This one seems obvious. It’s an old man. And it’s the sea. Both have distinct smells. But I think this scratch and sniff book could have a few hidden treasures, like a pair of Hemingway’s boxers (scratch them!) floating in the sea.
Lord of the Flies: Ever smelled a decapitated pig’s head? Here’s your chance! I’m not sure what the scratch and sniff version of this book would smell like, but I bet it wouldn’t be delicious applewood bacon.
This post could very well be one big, fat flop, but humor me for a few minutes.
What are some other novels that could work well as a scratch and sniff book?
Reblogged this on The Horrifically Horrifying Horror Blog and commented:
Ingenious! Scratch & sniff books!
Mind you, what would zombie books smell like? ;D
Ha. A coworker said I should have included 50 Shades of Grey in the list. Now that’s just nasty.
Not a novel, but TE Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom could work. Smell a camel! Smell camel poop! Smell gunpowder! Smell the rotting flesh of those left to roast in the desert air!
I like the way you think! I think we’re on to something here.
I think the one book i would really like to scratch and sniff is Charlie in the Chocolate factory. Not a classic but would work wonderfully
Excellent choice.
It’s like smellovision from whatever it was on – where the tv releases smells that match whatever you’re watching!
Clearly Are you there God would smell like Teen Spirit. Clearly.
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas would probably be illegal if it were a scratch n sniff…
Nirvana. Nice reference.
Death Comes for the Archbishop – Smell the creosote in the desert. Or maybe the cook fires. Or the adobe drying. Or the crusty old mule and the woolen blankets.
I have to remind myself, whenever I read any 19th C. novel (Zola, Dickens, Austin, etc.), that no, it would not be nice to live then. I appreciate modern personal hygiene (soap, washing machines) and city sanitation systems more after David Copperfield.
On that note, I’m thinking any Shakespearean work transformed into scratch and sniff would smell pretty horrendous.
Love this one!
Let’s see if I can rattle off some:
The Jungle which would just smell of disgusting.
The Great Gatsby with scratch and sniff flavors of gin.
Catch 22 would be gunpowder and bandages.
Didn’t think about The Jungle. Good one!
Would the chapters all have their own smells, or can stories be summed up with a small accumulation of smells?
Interesting….an accumulation of smells resulting in a cohesive story might be above my skill level.
Thanks for sparing us “Are you there God, it’s me Margaret?”
How about Sangria and cow dung for “The Sun Also Rises”?
Good one.
And thought of Margaret as a scratch and sniff is beyond words.
Great concept! You know you can now get the classics in board book format – so why not this too?
I didn’t even know that. What books?
Pride and Prejudice is one. I think they are targetted at show-offy parents who like to boast that little Scarlett has read the classics and she is only 3.
We have a bunch of these for my toddler son because I think they’re hilarious. Weirdly, they are among his favourite books! I do worry that someday he will be might disappointed to discover that the real Romeo & Juliet doesn’t end with ten kisses.
Here you go:
http://childrensbooks-goodbadugly.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/baby-lit-board-books.html
hahaha awesome! also, i’m so glad i’m not the only one who remembers little bunny follows his nose. the jam smell and the christmas cookies smells were the best.
i love this idea! i think scratch n sniff fifty shades of grey would probably smell like desperation.
I can’t even imagine.
I love this! Especially Wide Sargasso Sea! I’d love to see scratch and sniff cook books!
Cookbooks! Now we’re talking.
Lol – “It’s me God, Margaret”. Your response cracked me up. And agreed, “Fifty Shades of Gray” doesn’t really need a scratch and sniff. LOL
How about Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast? Booze, crisp papers covered with typewritten stories, wet paint and F. Scott Fitzgerald – I want to smell all of those!