Genre: Historical fantasy fiction, Magical Realism
Key Stage: KS5+ contains mature often unsettling content including murder, suicidal ideation and scenes of a graphic nature.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (1985)
Reviewer: Rithika, Year 12
Brief Synopsis: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a novel written by Patrick Suskind and set in 18th century France. It is about a man named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille who has an extraordinary sense of smell. He becomes obsessed with capturing and preserving the scent of “beautiful” young women, which takes him on a dark and twisted journey leading him to commit a series of murder.
What I enjoyed: Some people may not like this, but I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the scents and how it as if you can smell it yourself. The exploration of Grenouille’s obsession and his complex character captivated me to carry on reading as you get curious to why he is like this. The book was interesting from the first page which is rare for me as the dark twisted plot kept me hooked, making it a memorable and unique experience. I also enjoyed the immersive atmosphere which shifts in a smooth way, and it also had a detailed description of the period, including the streets of Paris and Versailles. In addition, it engages multiple senses and sparks deep reflections of his lack of control which is evident throughout the book. I liked how it had distinct aspects of how crazy you tend to get when you like or desire something and the way you satisfy your needs which in this case it is murder. Overall, my favourite thing about the book is how descriptive the smells are and how it affects Grenouille.
What I did not like about the book is how repetitive the killings are and the middle part did not interest me as much as the beginning did. In my opinion, it felt like the story does not have a real purpose or end. I did not understand the meaning of the book. Another thing is that you must like that type of genre to be interested in it and not disgusted by the descriptiveness.