Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in Pick-a-Shelf

Mar 24, 2010 [ JT ] rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-inventory, 2012

I'm not entirely sure what I think of this book.

I think I like the storytelling, but not the actual story itself, if that makes sense.

The way Süskind has written this novel, his descriptions of scents and scentmaking, is absolutely superb. I learned a bit about perfumes, and enjoyed the richness of the descriptions.

The story itself was mostly just... odd. I don't really know how else to describe it. Maybe my discomfort with the story comes from not being able to relate to Grenouille in any way. ...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Sam rated it liked it

Shelves: crime, gothic, proper-books, psychology

I loved the premise and idea of this book and given the many great reviews it has received I was really looking forward to getting stuck into the story. But sadly I was left cold. Although Suskind has a knack for bringing sights, sounds and of course smells to life, I found that none of the characters really stood out for me, I didn't feel anything for them which in turn meant I didn't feel much for the story itself, which did spoil it a little for me. The story itself was superb, it is well tho ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Marie (UK) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reading-challenge

this is a very unique read. An odourless man with an uncanny ability for identifying aromas and creating perfumes of the highest calibre. But also a macabre tale of how he attains his base products. Beautifully written an MC who is almost "characterless" in some ways, a shocking story which shocks by the fact that i never saw it coming! I find it hard to fully describe this book however it is a truly inventive read

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