Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Perfume

by Patrick Suskind

Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets as a child, but grows up to discover he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human’s. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in Paris. Yet there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And to get it he must kill. And kill. And kill …

Reviewed by celinenyx on

4 of 5 stars

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One of the strangest stories I've ever read. When I noticed the movie (which was even stranger) was based on a book I almost ran to the local liberary to get it. Glad I didn't, as liberaries tend to be closed at night.
Anyway, this story is about a pathetic deformed boy/man, who has an absolute sense of smell. He can smell a stone from a mile away. In the book, you follow his adventures as he tries to make the ultimate perfume.
You have to have a certain type of dark humour to like this book. If you read the first two or three pages and still don't like it, stop reading. It won't get any better than that. If it makes you giggle or smile, continue and enjoy.

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  • 10 April, 2010: Reviewed