You pick up a new book, turn it over, open a few pages and bring it close to your nose. Before reading the first line, you take a moment to smell it. Some people do this with almost every book they buy, while others particularly enjoy the familiar scent of old, yellowing pages.It may look like an unusual reading habit, but the experience brings together two things that have a strong connection in psychology: smell and memory. A book’s scent can also become part of the experience of starting something new, creating a small moment of anticipation before the reading begins.
Why can the smell of a book bring back memories?
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Smell has a close relationship with autobiographical memory; memories of events and experiences from our own lives. A particular scent can remind someone of a childhood home, a familiar person, a holiday or a place they have not visited in years.Psychologists often refer to this as the ‘Proust phenomenon,’ named after French writer Marcel Proust, who described how the taste and smell of a madeleine cake brought back memories of his childhood.A 2026 systematic review titled ‘Is the Proust phenomenon fact or fiction?’ examined 18 experimental and quasi-experimental studies on memories triggered by smells. The researchers found that, compared with other types of cues such as images, sounds and words, smells had a small but significant advantage in bringing back memories with greater emotional intensity, pleasantness and a stronger feeling of being transported back in time. However, the advantage was not found across every memory characteristic, including vividness and specificity.This helps explain why the smell of a book may remind someone of a school library, a parent’s bookshelf, a childhood reading habit or the first novel they loved. The scent does not have to contain the memory itself. It may simply act as a cue that brings an associated experience to mind.
What makes old books smell the way they do?
There is also a chemical reason why old books have a distinctive smell. As paper ages, its components break down and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. These compounds contribute to the familiar smell of older pages.A 2009 study titled ‘Material degradomics: On the smell of old books’ examined the chemical compounds released by historic paper. Researchers identified several products of paper degradation, including acetic acid and furfural, that contribute to its characteristic smell.A more recent study compared the compounds released by old and new books. It found differences in the chemical profiles of the two groups, showing that the smell of a book changes with the materials used and the ageing process. This means that the scent people associate with old books is not simply an imagined quality. It comes from compounds released as paper and other materials change over time.
Is smelling a book also about the anticipation of reading it?
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The habit may also be connected to the anticipation that comes before an experience. Opening a book, noticing its pages and taking in its smell can become part of a personal reading ritual. The person is not just preparing to read; they are enjoying the moments leading up to it.Research has shown that anticipation can influence how people perceive smells. In a 2020 study, researchers found that anticipating an odour improved people’s ability to detect and perceive it. The study examined the brain activity involved in preparing for a smell, rather than the experience of smelling books.This does not prove that people who smell books are deliberately extending the pleasure of reading. But it offers a useful explanation for why the moments before an experience can matter too. The familiar scent, the feel of the pages and the expectation of discovering a story may combine to make opening a book feel satisfying.
Does smelling books reveal something about a person’s personality?
Not necessarily. Enjoying the smell of books does not establish that someone has a particular personality trait, is more nostalgic or has a stronger memory than other people.For some, it may be a sensory preference. For others, the scent may be linked to positive memories or simply be part of a familiar reading routine. The interesting part is that reading does not always begin with the first sentence. Sometimes, the experience starts when a person picks up a book, opens its pages and pauses to take in its smell.