Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in Reading with Style

Oct 27, 2011 Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB rated it it was amazing

I approached this book with some trepidation. A German novel, in which the tale takes place in 18th Century France, translated into English, and with very little dialogue...not nearly similar to books I usually read. Thank goodness I gave Perfume a chance. This is a story that is so original in its plot and presentation, its tone and pace so deceivingly relaxed, the reader is literally left breathless at the end, as if the parts built quietly to a whole and without warning - walloped the reader I approached this book with some trepidation. A German novel, in which the tale takes place in 18th Century France, translated into English, and with very little dialogue...not nearly similar to books I usually read. Thank goodness I gave Perfume a chance. This is a story that is so original in its plot and presentation, its tone and pace so deceivingly relaxed, the reader is literally left breathless at the end, as if the parts built quietly to a whole and without warning - walloped the reader over the head!

Grenouille is a character unlike any I have read. Born to a mother who discarded him (while gutting fish- literally), he is so unremarkable in appearance and personality, that the fact that he is a sociopathic murderer makes him that much more horrific a monster.

Grenouille is blessed (cursed?) with a sense of smell that is so very acute that he can smell and differentiate all odors from miles around, from fellow humans to grass to even rocks! The only odor he cannot smell is his own..which is the keystone for the entire book. Suskind expertly describes the art of the perfumer in the 18th Century, and as Grenouille strives to learn everything about the process of extracting scents, it is with a sense of dread that the reader slowly discovers the true reason for his obsession. I will go no further on this issue as it would require the use of possible spoilers- needless to say, you will be horrified.

As we follow Grenouille through his various stages of life, we encounter several 18th Century characters along the way, all vital to the ultimate climax of the story. The translation is superb, the language is truly brilliant, with some sentences approaching art.
This is a very difficult novel to review, in that it centers on a character so removed from humanity except in form. It is remarkable how Suskind can combine a man utterly ordinary from the outside, and the 18th Century practice of Perfumers, and create one of the most potent horror stories I have ever read. I shall leave it at that. ...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Jayme(theghostreader) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books-read, raw-books

This book was odd. The history on perfume was interesting. How perfume was made and why it was used and popular was interesting. You meet Jean Baptiste as an infant and I felt sorry for the main character. Being tossed from wet nurse to orphanage to apprentice and then just dumped and thrown out into the world. However after that I stopped feeling sorry for him . I felt he went a little crazy. Why would he want to live in a cave for seven years was odd to me. I get that he is a hermit but that j ...more

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