Jitterbug Perfume

Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins' second novel, published in 1984. Themes include eternal life and the sense of smell. Beets and the god Pan figure prominently. The novel is set in 8th century Bohemia, where King Alobar's quest for everlasting life begins, to India where he meets Kudra. Having learned various mystical secrets, the two lovers travel the world for centuries visiting Paris, New Orleans and Seattle, among others. Other strands of the narrative take palce in the present day, and concern other quests, including another for eternal life and one for the perfect perfume.

Major characters:

• Alobar, a king from some small country in Bohemia. He inadvertently learns the secrets of immortality, which he teaches to
• Kudra, a woman he meets while wandering east to India. They become lovers, but are accidentally separated when Kudra enters a different astral plane.
• Pan (the god)
• Priscilla, the genius waitress, who is trying to synthesize a perfume, the dregs of which she has discovered in a bottle.