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eastmanfade's review against another edition
3.0
Read this one for Mr. Cobain. I’m definitely smelling what he’s stepping in, but would I bend down real low and smell it again? Probably not.
taylorjai's review against another edition
Really dull, for a small book it was very long and boring
uberwench's review against another edition
5.0
Ten stars. Stop whatever you’re reading and read this.
empresscirque's review against another edition
5.0
TL;DR Review: A disturbing and poetic look into human depravity. There are no heroes within this story and Jean-Baptiste’s obsession is what drives everything. Unlike other characters, he is honest with his own obsession, while other characters (most notably Antoine Richis) hide them. This book is about many things: humanity, obsession, love, and most of all desire.
Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Death, Animal Death, Gore, Abuse (Physical and Emotional), Body Horror, Kidnapping, Sexual Content, Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Misogyny, Racial Slurs, Antisemitism, Torture, Suicide, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Stalking, Ableism, Incest (Not Acted Upon).
”There was only one thing the perfume could not do. It could not turn him into a person who could love and be loved like everyone else. So, to hell with it he thought. To hell with the world. With the perfume. With himself.”
Full Review - Contains Spoilers:
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is a man focused on only one thing: obtaining the perfect scent. Above all, he understands that humans can seemingly block away all their senses, but the sense of smell is nearly impossible for us to ignore. Born without a smell of his own, Jean-Baptiste moves around unnoticed and unloved, quickly becoming familiar with humanities cruelty and longing that other people should love him.
It becomes a journey of obsession, exploring the depravity of humanity and how far one is willing to go to get exactly what they want. Jean-Baptiste is willing to cross every line, without regard for others. In a way, his distance from others is brought on by the fact that something is missing - others seem wary of him almost inherently. In turn, he almost seems to curse those who dare to get close.
What makes it even worse, is I found myself caring for him - my own empathy betraying me as I viewed him through his own twisted worldview and read the abuse he endured at the hands of those who were meant to protect him. One the one hand, Jean-Baptiste was a child without a chance in the world, but on the other hand he is a monster who takes the lives of anything he deems beautiful. There’s a sense of frustration with each failure and success he achieves, leaving a shameful knot in your stomach as he gets closer to his goal.
Süskind does something rarely seen: he makes the murderer into an artist. Jean-Baptiste does not murder due to hatred, or some preverse sexual desire, rather he views his murders from a distance and with a deep love. Each victim is another delicate ingredient to him and while they are not valued for their life, they are valued deeply by him for what they provide.
There aren’t any heroes in this story and, in fact, I found the characters within the story to be as cruel and selfish as Jean-Baptiste, if not more so at times. While death follows him like a curse, damning those he leaves behind, it seems he also only attracts those to him with ill intentions of their own. In this world, humanity is depraved and selfish, valuing little beyond beauty.
I think the strongest sense of this comes when we learn of Antoine Richis’s preverse and incestious thoughts towards his own daughter. They run on and on, full of shame, yet never relenting. In this world, beauty is innocence and virginal - something to be coveted in the most disturbing ways. In this world, young women are not people, but rather objects for others to own - Jean-Baptiste is aware of this, while others pretend they are not.
By the end, we are just how horrifying this desire can become and Jean-Baptiste goes from wanting the love and affection of humanity, to understanding and finding comfort in his disgust and hatred. The perfect scent turns a crowd of onlookers into animals, driven by a desire for only their own pleasure. The implications of what comes are not pleasant and in an outlandish way, it makes perfect sense in this terrible world. Beauty and innocence is consumed, leaving nothing by blood and terror in its wake. In a way, he achieves a goal he did not know he had, forcing others to destroy something they so love, even if they do not realize it in the moment.
It ends the only way it possibly could and as uncomfortable as it leaves me, I envy that only Süskind will ever truly have all the answers of just what would happen next.
Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Death, Animal Death, Gore, Abuse (Physical and Emotional), Body Horror, Kidnapping, Sexual Content, Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Misogyny, Racial Slurs, Antisemitism, Torture, Suicide, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Stalking, Ableism, Incest (Not Acted Upon).
”There was only one thing the perfume could not do. It could not turn him into a person who could love and be loved like everyone else. So, to hell with it he thought. To hell with the world. With the perfume. With himself.”
Full Review - Contains Spoilers:
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is a man focused on only one thing: obtaining the perfect scent. Above all, he understands that humans can seemingly block away all their senses, but the sense of smell is nearly impossible for us to ignore. Born without a smell of his own, Jean-Baptiste moves around unnoticed and unloved, quickly becoming familiar with humanities cruelty and longing that other people should love him.
It becomes a journey of obsession, exploring the depravity of humanity and how far one is willing to go to get exactly what they want. Jean-Baptiste is willing to cross every line, without regard for others. In a way, his distance from others is brought on by the fact that something is missing - others seem wary of him almost inherently. In turn, he almost seems to curse those who dare to get close.
What makes it even worse, is I found myself caring for him - my own empathy betraying me as I viewed him through his own twisted worldview and read the abuse he endured at the hands of those who were meant to protect him. One the one hand, Jean-Baptiste was a child without a chance in the world, but on the other hand he is a monster who takes the lives of anything he deems beautiful. There’s a sense of frustration with each failure and success he achieves, leaving a shameful knot in your stomach as he gets closer to his goal.
Süskind does something rarely seen: he makes the murderer into an artist. Jean-Baptiste does not murder due to hatred, or some preverse sexual desire, rather he views his murders from a distance and with a deep love. Each victim is another delicate ingredient to him and while they are not valued for their life, they are valued deeply by him for what they provide.
There aren’t any heroes in this story and, in fact, I found the characters within the story to be as cruel and selfish as Jean-Baptiste, if not more so at times. While death follows him like a curse, damning those he leaves behind, it seems he also only attracts those to him with ill intentions of their own. In this world, humanity is depraved and selfish, valuing little beyond beauty.
I think the strongest sense of this comes when we learn of Antoine Richis’s preverse and incestious thoughts towards his own daughter. They run on and on, full of shame, yet never relenting. In this world, beauty is innocence and virginal - something to be coveted in the most disturbing ways. In this world, young women are not people, but rather objects for others to own - Jean-Baptiste is aware of this, while others pretend they are not.
By the end, we are just how horrifying this desire can become and Jean-Baptiste goes from wanting the love and affection of humanity, to understanding and finding comfort in his disgust and hatred. The perfect scent turns a crowd of onlookers into animals, driven by a desire for only their own pleasure. The implications of what comes are not pleasant and in an outlandish way, it makes perfect sense in this terrible world. Beauty and innocence is consumed, leaving nothing by blood and terror in its wake. In a way, he achieves a goal he did not know he had, forcing others to destroy something they so love, even if they do not realize it in the moment.
It ends the only way it possibly could and as uncomfortable as it leaves me, I envy that only Süskind will ever truly have all the answers of just what would happen next.
themarinabox's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Definitely a unique and disturbing story. When I first finished it, I wasn't sure if I like it or not. I was completely stunned by the ending.
The book started strong, it will hook you right from the first page and it jumped start your sense of smell immediately. Clearly beautifully written and incredible atmospheric. I mean, as I was reading, I could almost smell the scents that he described. This horror story isn't like any other and the more you read the more you'll uncover the dark layers.
The main character, the murderer, Jean Baptiste Grenouille, is cleverly created. His obsession with scents and achieving the perfect one made him terrifying.
That said, there's a part in the middle of the book which I felt was quite draggy and the story picked up its pace again towards the end. Ahhhh the last part and the ending! I still don't know how I feel about it.
But all in all, this more than just a book, for sure. This is a work of art.
The book started strong, it will hook you right from the first page and it jumped start your sense of smell immediately. Clearly beautifully written and incredible atmospheric. I mean, as I was reading, I could almost smell the scents that he described. This horror story isn't like any other and the more you read the more you'll uncover the dark layers.
The main character, the murderer, Jean Baptiste Grenouille, is cleverly created. His obsession with scents and achieving the perfect one made him terrifying.
That said, there's a part in the middle of the book which I felt was quite draggy and the story picked up its pace again towards the end. Ahhhh the last part and the ending! I still don't know how I feel about it.
But all in all, this more than just a book, for sure. This is a work of art.