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ayeshacincina's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“He possessed the power. He held it in his hand. A power stronger than the power of money or the power of terror or the power of death: the invincible power to command the love of mankind. There was only one thing that power could not do: it could not make him able to smell himself.”
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind is a bewitchingly haunting tale of isolation, obsession, desire and death. It follows the bizarre life of Jean-Baptise Grenouille, an abomination of a man born with an extraordinary gift for scenting the world around him, far beyond the propensity of any other human.
Abandoned in the streets of Paris at birth, Grenouille grows up to discover his exceptional sense of smell, becoming obsessed with creating a scent—a perfect concoction of love and power.
"That cry, emitted upon careful consideration, one might almost say upon mature consideration, was the newborn's decision against love and nevertheless for life."
Living solely in his world of scent, Grenouille is utterly detached from reality, devoid of any morals, emotions or any sense of objectivity that makes one a prosaic part of society. The isolation from reality leads him down this dark path of obsession, perfection and no conception of consequences. Actions, words, views, emotions - he is indifferent to everything that isn't scent, and so the immorality of murder is just as vague as his desire and apprehension of the external world.
"But the tick, stubborn, sullen and loathsome, huddles there and lives and waits. Waits for that most improbable of chances that will bring blood, in animal form, directly beneath its tree."
Grenouille - the tick, as he is constantly referred to in the story - was such a stubborn, loathsome and concealed creature who awaited his entire life to scent blood - his goal, his pursuit of creating a perfect concoction. As the tick finds its prey, it feeds on it, to the point of killing the animal. Likewise, every person that Grenuoille fed on throughout his life eventually met with the same miserable fate of being perished. But Grenouille, the tick is determined and is driven and stopped by nothing but his remarkable talent and sheer will. He finds the most powerful scent, the scent of innocence, purity, beauty, budding sensuality - all of it combined to make his greatest, the most powerful perfume of love, power and desire.
“He realized that all his life he had been a nobody to everyone. What he now felt was the fear of his oblivion. It was as though he did not exist.”
Perfume is not just a gory tale of obsession and desire, but at its core, it is a rich, evocative story that delves into the complexities of human identity and the human condition, as well as the extremes of human desire. Grenouille, devoid of any scent of his own, is just as invisible to the world as he is to himself. His quest to create a perfect scent that would help him obtain the power of controlling the love of mankind, the power of being seen, desired, respected, and loved, was essentially his pursuit of gaining a scent, a personal scent—the very identity that he lacked. His indifference to the world was a reflection of his indifference to himself. The metamorphosis of Grenouille, from the tick to being Grenouille the Great, the god himself, was next to futile if the god was still obliterated of his own self.
Essentially, it's a brilliant novel that pulls the readers into the realms of surrealism and the absurd. Grenouille is not one to sympathize with, yet Patrick’s rich prose and the unique, complex premises of the story plunge the readers into questioning their own sense of morality, as we find a ghostly thread of empathy attached to our anti-hero, despite the depravity of his acts.
However, as eerily beautiful and haunting as the story is, the pacing of the narrative can feel uneven at times. There are moments when scenes seem overly dragged, lingering too long on certain details, while other events seem too rushed, glossing over crucial details like mere fillers. Perfume could've easily been a 5-star read had it not been for the imbalance in pacing that seemed to detract from the intensity of key scenes. Overall, Perfume remains a unique, dark, unsettling, yet beguiling tale that will continue to haunt you long after you've finished the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
Just found this very dull. And I have 0 desire to carry on reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Domestic abuse
ninocapipoca's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault and Torture
ryleee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Excrement, Medical content, Pregnancy, and War
mangonana's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Incest, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
b0udica's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Classism
grinsekotze's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Abandonment
babewithbrains's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
modernprometheus's review against another edition
dark
medium-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
2.75
I was really looking forward to reading this, but unfortunately I found most of the book to be really boring and I accidentally skimmed over some parts. I enjoy reading about unlikeable people, but this main character was so boring and one note that I truly couldn't care less.
The ending was really fun, so there's that.
The ending was really fun, so there's that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Abandonment
reminiscences's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism