Product Description

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel 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 frest-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 brillance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

Translated from the German by John E. Woods.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3359 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-13
• Released on: 2001-02-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

From Library Journal
Penguin's unabridged production of this international best seller is a thoroughly captivating production. Suskind's demented protagonist, Jean-Baptist Grenouille, is a "gifted abomination" whose highly developed sense of smell could easily make him the greatest perfumer of all time. Given the general stench of 18th-century cities, good perfumers were held in high regard. However, Grenouille the misfit, scorned by society throughout his life, hasn't the heart to create pretty perfumes for society's elite. When he finally does earn the adoration of the masses through his twisted genius, he decides that he would much prefer to "exterminate all these stupid, stinking people from the earth." Reader Sean Barrett does not overdramatize the often sensational events here but instead relates them with a measured, detached air that perfectly captures Suskind's cool tone. Also, his reserved narrative style allows listeners to appreciate Suskind's expert use of language (passages from this novel can be found in dictionaries of similes). This extraordinary production is highly recommended for all serious fiction collections.?Beth Farrell, Portage Cty. Dist. Lib., Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
In leisurely, aristocratic measures soaked with irony, PERFUME unfolds the gruesome, picaresque allegory of an olfactory genius-monster--a murderous perfumer of decadent eighteenth-century France. Sean Barrett gives a masterfully effete reading, with flawless articulations of character and wicked, understated nuances. He wisely plays the humor not at all, instead accentuating a kind of connoisseur's study of the Grand Guignol. Eschewing overtly Gallic inflections, he puts pre-Revolutionary France in his voice merely through lightness of touch. A feast for lovers of voluptuous language, sly wit and epicurean mayhem. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE's Earphones Award. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
?Superb storytelling all the way?the climax is a savage shocker.??The Cleveland Plain Dealer -- Review

Customer Reviews

Thank you may I have another?
A masterpeice of literature, a page turner with epic themes and characters. Literary In-N-Out Burger, treat yourself to an engrossing narrative with an intriguing anti-hero and a whimsical plot full of satisfying surprises and climaxes. If only all authors could put together novels like this!

Morbid boring and graphic
I read this book and didn't care for it at all. Certain parts of the book were depressing and morbid. All it talked about the scent of perfume and murders. The story was really weird and did not care for it at all. The writing was a bit confusing and boring. I'm just glad I bought the 1986 trade paperback edition at a supermarket used book drive for charity. I forced myself to finish this.

Strange
this book was very engrossing and a fairly fast read. I actually threw it away when I was finished with it, which I can't remember ever doing with a book. I either keep my books or give them away. I found this book to be quite disturbing, and one that stuck with me in a most unpleasant way. The book gets 3 stars because of the writing style, but I could not bring myself to pass it on to another reader.