Reviews with content warning for Violence - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

134 reviews

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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Just found this very dull. And I have 0 desire to carry on reading.

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ninocapipoca's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow. What the fuck did I just read. It’s disturbing on so many levels, but in a self-aware way. It makes you think a fair bit about how humans interact & develop relationships and the human psyche in general. The ending left me with my chin on the floor at how gruesome it was. The main character is despicable, by no means lovable and does not draw sympathy from the reader, which I think is the point. I also found it quite well written. Would recommend, but only if you’re ready for a story in which there is truly no hope, no happy ending, just a narcissistic desire taken to the extreme.

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ire_chi's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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niamhmorrison's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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noura's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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jo35_21's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"Perfume" follows a serial killer who develops an obsession with scents. Upon discovering that he himself has no natural odor, he creates perfumes using grotesque ingredients including deceased animal remains, rotting food, and horrifically, body parts from murdered young girls. These concoctions grant him an almost supernatural ability to manipulate others, perhaps due to his own lack of scent.

The story powerfully illustrates humanity's capacity for darkness, with the protagonist himself acknowledging his monstrous nature. In many ways, he embodies evil itself. The writing is simultaneously beautiful and horrifying, leaving me muttering "WTF" every few pages. It's possibly the most beautifully written yet disturbing book I've ever read.

While I was drawn into the story, I had some major issues with it. The way young victims are described is very uncomfortable and unnecessary. It's also frustrating that the killer only gets caught after killing someone from a wealthy family - what about all the other victims? Lastly, I really disliked the character Richis, who treats his daughter in very disturbing ways throughout the book.

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