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In the slums of 18th-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. Read more
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Top Amazon Reviews
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
Format: Kindle
A well paced and engrossing tale. I loved how the characterization and dynamic of the members unfolded. Ties well together at the end, and you almost have sympathy to Grenouille for all the murders he did, he never found his own scent.
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024 by tenebraerick
I absolutely love this book. It is better than the movie, but the movie is also wonderful. It weaves together art, beauty, science, and murder. The blending of the outcast, serial killer story and how he sees the world and senses things differently is a unique experience for the reader. Who would’ve thought reading a book would be a full sensory experience? I was so inspired after reading this book that I myself learned how to make perfume.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2025 by Dwan
Format: Hardcover
the novel itself is great, so I bought it as a gift. But I don't understand why the book is in such poor condition. Most of the pages are not trimmed or have uneven edges. Three stars for the poor quality of the book
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2025 by Olga Olga
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