Product Description

Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets of Paris 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 all the city. 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…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76293 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
Patrick Süskind was born near Munich, in 1949. He studied medieval and modern history at the University of Munich. His first play, The Double Bass, was written in 1980 and became an international success. His first novel, Perfume became an internationally acclaimed bestseller. He is also the author of The Pigeon and Mr. Summer's Story, and a coauthor of the enormously successful German television series Kir Royal. Patrick Süskind lives and writes in Munich.

Customer Reviews

A fantastic romp through an odorous landscape
I came to this book expecting to find crime novel, or a thriller, about a serial killer. Instead I found a beautifully written and deeply researched novel about a young Frenchman with an unusual sense of smell and a unique gift for the art of the perfumier. In fact, the murders of young girls, so emphasised in the film, take second place to the marvellous descriptions of how perfume is made, and the way in which Grenouille gradually infiltrates the profession, becoming a master perfumier due to his prodigious gifts.

The story starts in 18th century Paris, and Suskind treats us to a vivid word picture of the terrible conditions its poorer residents had to live in, and the vast range of vile aromas surrounding them (and emanating from them!). We read of Grenouille rise from foundling to journeyman, and his obsession with creating the ultimate perfume - the very essence of a young virgin (OK, so there are murders in this book after all).

Grenouille eventually has to flee south, and resides for a period in a cave in the volcanic region of the Auvergne, eventually emerging to resume his career in the centre of the perfume trade in the South of France. Here he makes a huge impact on the people he lives among due to his fantastic gifts, and towards the end of the novel, he commits further murders in pursuit of "essence of virgin". The novel takes a final departure from reality at this stage, as the townsfolk who have assembled to see the perpertrator executed (in a vilely imaginative way), are overcome with a perfume which drives them into a long-lasting sensual orgy.

This is a book for those who can revel in word-pictures and can let their imagination take-off under the spell of this excellent author. They will find they can hardly put the book down, while those of a more literal and logical turn of mind may find it just too unbelievable and perhaps a little too wordy.

an imaginative scent of horror
A book that brings Paris in the 18th century alive. The main character Grenouille's early childhood of deprivation and his youth invoke the empathy of the reader. I followed his tale with a sense of comedy that seemed to dwell in the undertones of the book.
The resulting saga of murder, when if happens seems unreal. I could almost sympathise with his plight, but then that is the genius of this book. The ensuing horror is only made worse by my guilt at my original compassion .
A rare book, brilliantly told, that is beguiling and yet utterly horrific.

BIzarre and compelling
A compelling study of obsession, this is beautifully and evocatively written. The author has an outstanding talent for describing odours and how they affect Jean-Baptiste Grenouille - and how his lack of a personal odour affects those he meets.
A truly horrifying story which will remain with you long after you finish the book.