Nov 2012 - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer: End of Book Discussion (Contains Spoilers)

[Kara]

Congratulations on finishing November's group read!

This would qualify for the following challenges, so don't forget to count it:
Around the World (Germany)
New to You (probably as this is his)
November History Challenge (#s 1, 6, and 8)

[Toni]

Finished the book this afternoon. Wasn't really sure how it was going to end. Felt like there was kind of a double ending...when Grenouille escapes his execution and leaves town and then again when he does finally meet his demise - a suicide of sorts. Found the story fascinating although gruesome in a lot of ways. Glad I read it.

I think the key to why the author chose the sense of smell is found in chapter 32 where he says, "For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they could not escape scent. For scent was the brother to breath. Together with breath it entered human beings, who could not defend themselves against it, not if they wanted to live. And scent entered into their very core, went directly to their hearts, and decided for good and all between affection and contempt, disgust and lust, love and hate. He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men.".

[Kelsi]

Toni wrote: "Finished the book this afternoon. Wasn't really sure how it was going to end. Felt like there was kind of a double ending...when Grenouille escapes his execution and leaves town and then again wh..."

That's a great quote, and one that stood out to me in the book.

I will admit, I did not love this book. For me it was okay, but it did not manage to hold my attention as well. I was a little creeped out and I think that did it for me. I'm glad I read it, because it knocks out another book on Boxall's 1001. Perhaps for me the most interesting aspect of the book was the way in which the murders are thought up and described.