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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • With a new introduction by Catherine Lacey • Set in eighteenth-century France, the classic novel that provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man’s indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder. In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille’s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the “ultimate perfume”—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity. Translated from the German by John E. Woods. Read more
Publisher : Vintage
Publication date : February 13, 2001
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 255 pages
ISBN-10 : 0375725849
ISBN-13 : 45
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.15 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #5,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #40 in Historical Mystery #44 in Ghost Mysteries #112 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
First and foremost, German author Patrick Suskind's novel, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," is a celebration of the written word, and an affirmation of good popular literature. Suskind's beautifully crafted narrative excites the imagination and expands the reader's senses - especially that least appreciated of faculties, the olfactory. John E. Woods should be lauded for bringing the richness and texture of the author's language to his English translation. "Perfume" is much more than a murder mystery or suspense thriller. It is an extraordinary tale that defies genre classification. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was born in the most squalid, stinking marketplace of 18th-century Paris, perhaps even the most putrid place in all France, on July 17, 1738. And, as the author explains, the stench of 18th-century Paris is one that modern man cannot begin to fathom - manure, moldering wood, rat droppings, human excretions both common and exotic, caustic lyes and sulfur from the tanneries, congealed blood from the slaughterhouses, the great unwashed masses, spoiled and rotting food, etc., etc.. His mother, who suffered from "gout, syphilis and a touch of consumption," was otherwise healthy. She was not concerned when her labor began. She had delivered four other babies beneath her fish booth, all illegitimate, and disposed of all four, along with the bloody refuse of fish and entrails at the end of the market day. Amoral, she had no idea she was doing wrong, nor did she particularly care. Jean-Baptiste was fortunate. He cried lustily at birth, thus calling sufficient attention to himself, that his mother was forced to acknowledge him. The baby boy was allowed to live. Taken in by the church, he was placed in the care of a wet nurse. In the novel's wonderful first paragraph, Suskind introduces John-Baptiste. "In eighteenth-century France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages. His name was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and if his name - in contrast to the names of other gifted abominations, de Sade's, for instance, or Saint-Just's, Fouche's, Bonaparte's, etc. - has been forgotten today, it is not because Grenouille fell short of those more famous blackguards when it came to arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, to wickedness, because his gifts and his sole ambition were restricted to a domain that leaves no traces in history: to the fleeting realm of scent." Grenouille had no scent of his own - absolutely no odor. This was a terrible handicap which caused all to shun him from infancy, without understanding why they avoided him. However, in a bizarre attempt to balance this aberration, nature provided Jean-Baptiste with the most acute sense of smell of any human that ever lived. At an early age, he was able to clearly distinguish differences in people with his eyes closed. He knew the different scents of wood, which he had to chop everyday, and even which of a variety of cows provided the milk he drank each morning. He spent his every waking hour identifying, ordering and classifying scent. This extraordinary olfactory gift, and his passion to pursue, capture and distill all scents, were to be the cause of his unforeseeable elevation in society, which rarely recognized one of his lowly class, and also, his ultimate downfall. Mr. Suskind chronicles here Grenouille's life - from his stint at the home of Madame Gaillard, who took in orphans like Jean-Baptiste, to his arduous apprenticeship with the tanner Grimal, his work with the famous perfumer Baldini, where he became a journeyman perfumer, and his wanderings throughout all Paris to learn the city's every smell. He aspired to become the omnipotent god of scent. He knew that the person "who ruled scent also ruled the hearts of men," for "scent was the brother of breath." Then came the day he discovered the single most exquisite scent of all, which he became obsessed to possess for his own. Grenouille had never known love or the slightest affection, not even a tender touch. No one educated him about right and wrong, and he had no inherent ability to distinguish between good and evil. From the earliest age, he did what was necessaey to survive. He was truly a man with no conscience - totally narcissistic. Morality played no part in his life - the pursuit of scent was all that gave him joy. It is to Patrick Suskind's credit that I felt such empathy for this creature. I don't excuse his behavior, but given his background and life, how else could he have been expected to turn out? "Perfume's" various settings are illustrated, and the characters depicted, as Jean-Baptiste would perceive them, through smell. The descriptions are so vivid, and the use of language so bountiful, that I found myself reading passages aloud at times, just to savor the words. The historic detail is meticulous and fascinating, as is the process of perfume making, much of which is described here. This is a compelling tale, that is surreal, almost otherworldly. It is also a chilling portrait of a psychopath with a mission. The conclusion is brilliant, unexpected and riveting. A marvelous read! JANA
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Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2005 by Jana L.Perskie
Good, and really creepy! The story is about a man born with no smell to him, and the amazing ability to smell things from far away and to decipher smells as well. He can tell people apart by their smell, he can smell when their emotions change, he can smell stones and glass and things no human can sense. Periodically he runs into a girl with a fantastic and desirable smell—and he HAS to kill her in order to capture that scent. The crimes themselves weren't more horrible than average (probably less so, compared to most modern crime novels), but the killer himself was REALLY creepy. He was unlikable throughout the whole book, and not only does the reader dislike him, but really no other character in the book likes him at all. Even when he was a baby his wetnurses hated him. The other thing that was really good was all the stuff about perfumes. It was really interesting to learn all about the various ways to extract the scents of different kinds of flowers, trees, or animal products. And the parts about creating new perfumes by combining these scents in various ways was also fascinating. What wasn't great was that the ending was strange and rather unsatisfying. Aside from that, the book was haunting and powerfully written, with a well created murderer that was repellent on every level!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2017 by Blondish and Bookish
Format: Kindle
This was an amazing book. Plain and simple. The story flows like a Victor Hugo novel and it grabs you through the storytelling. But it dives into the thinking and the mindset of Jean-Baptisete Grenouille like the way Nabakov dives into the mind of Humbert in Lolita. It takes place in France pre-revolution and you feel you are in the period. Suskind puts you in the mindset of all the characters both rationally and emotionally. I loved how it uplifted and even exaggerated the sense of smell and smelling. The book has a total infatuation with smell, but it makes sense. It’s a sense we really never think about and Suskind was able to make it the star of the book. Most books describe beauty as a key characteristic. In other words, the eyes are the main sensor. But here, beauty is almost not even mentioned. In fact, the persons described were plain and some not even attractive. But smell defined the person. Even though the murders are gruesome, they are weirdly connected with Grenouille. I will not ruin the ending, but it was extremely original. I would have never guessed such as finale. This is a very colorful book and not for the light-hearted. But it is well written for a translated book. The characters and events in the story are so distinct, that I promise it will stay implanted in your memory, indefinitely.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024 by MPE
Format: Kindle
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who is well read. This book did nothing for me for 3/4 of it. There was a lot of nothing but fun, antiquated language. I understand that it was set up and process, but the editing of it was also heavy handed and obvious. True most of the 3/4 could have been handled more economically but with much more finesse. However, the final 1/4 of the book was a good read with the final line being quite excellent. It would have had much more power had we known as much about the crowd to which it referred as we had the first crowd in Grasse. This, again, I think was the problem with the editing and not so much the writing. It's not enough for a character to be "weird" or outcast and for bizarre events to happen. The story also has to work. For me, the unevenness of its telling and the editing ultimately didn't work for me.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015 by Hilltop
Format: Kindle
THIS BOOK!! 🌟 How can I assign any labels to such a one-of-a-kind read? Reading ‘Perfume’ by Patrick Süskind was such a magical experience that no single label can capture its essence. The story follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a boy born in 18th-century France with a magical gift: an extraordinarily heightened sense of smell. From his difficult birth in the squalor of Paris to his rise and fall as a perfumer, Grenouille’s life is marked by his uncanny ability to discern and create scents. What seems like a miraculous talent quickly reveals itself to be more of a curse. Isolated and misunderstood, Grenouille’s obsession with capturing the perfect scent leads him down a dark and twisted path. His journey delves deep into themes of identity, obsession, and the human condition, making this book an immersive exploration of the senses and the psyche. Grenouille’s character is crafted to evoke a strong sense of disgust in the reader. His cold, calculating nature and his lack of empathy makes him a character that is easy to despise. However, despite his insufferable traits, I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of sorrow and sadness for him. His actions, though horrific, seem detached, as if driven by an internal compulsion rather than a conscious desire for evil. This detachment evokes a tragic dimension to his character, highlighting the loneliness and the profound disconnection from humanity that define his existence. His inability to relate to others and his obsessive pursuit of creating the perfect scent underscore a deep, intrinsic void, making his story as pitiable as it is repellent. I know that I’ll be thinking of this book forever, which is why it’s a 5 🌟 read for me. Süskind’s writing is nothing short of genius. His talent for describing scents is so vivid and evocative that it feels as though you can actually smell them through the pages. Every fragrance, from the most sublime to the most repulsive, is brought to life with astonishing detail. Best. Book. Ever. Can’t wait to rewatch the film!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2024 by petuniaandbooks on instagram
Format: Paperback
I ordered this because I heard it was one of my favorite band leaders books from the nineties. He unfortunately passed in Seattle but I’m intrigued with him so I wanted to read it. It’s very mundane in its presentation, which in a weird way adds to the horror of it. So bizarre. You want to stop reading, but it keeps pulling you back in. Methodical is the best word I can think of to describe this character and book.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026 by Kathy R
Format: Audiobook
My wife likes the book, that's all I need to know
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2026 by Michael S Katz
Format: Audiobook
I watched this since it was referenced in the Netflix series Perfume from 2018 which is also an excellent viewing series. In this film, a child born with an extraordinarily heightened sense of smell learns to slowly focus and train this unusual gift in 1800s Paris. After discovering the intoxicating scent of a young girl as a young man, he sets out to capture the essence of this wonder through a dark path. After apprenticing himself to a perfumer, he begins to capture the essence of a series of girls, whom he first murders. A gruesome tale with twists and turns and an odd ending. The characters include some well known actors (Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman), and the sets were complex. A bizarre story in itself, this is a particularly interesting story to someone with a trained sense of smell and with training in chemistry and the science of olfaction and perfume. The sensations available to someone with a disciplined and trained sense of spell were clearly known to the author of the work, and the chemistry of scent extraction was probably also familiar to the author and engaging for this viewer. Both provide a much richer story experience if you possess them. Loved this movie for its odd premise, the mystery, its quirkiness, and the joint sharing of knowledge in chemistry and the science of olfaction that the author and director surely had. Those less so able or inclined may not appreciate it as much, but it is still an award-winning film.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023 by Don