Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

"He could have found peace and happiness in his predestination, but he didn't want to." In three parts, we are told the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with an incredibly sensitive and keen sense of smell but no odor of his own. At birth, he is rejected by his mother and is outcast for his lack of body odor. He becomes interested in the art of perfume making and aprentices with a master perfumier before he is killed in an explosion. Armed with his knowledge of scent creation and his natural ability, he becomes obsessed with creating the perfect human scent. His obsession with beauty and perfection, and his unhappiness with life drive him to dubious ends. "The only pleasure that lasts is gain." This is probably one of the most bizarre stories I have read in recent times. It's full of melancholy, isolation, obsession, and madness. I still haven't figured out how I feel about it.

A chilling and yet fanciful depiction of a serial killer's crime spree in 18th century France.

I wanted to read this modern classic for a long time and managed to do so this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish - it is clever, innovative, lyrically descriptive, beautifully written and possesses that mastery of the written word that I often have cravings for. I also really enjoy a flawed protagonist that is incredibly self-aware - one that is not loveable in a cuddle sense but one that moves you in a profound way - by their tenacity and obsessiveness, artistry and craft - although macabre and insidious - and yet there is a purity - this search for the "ideal" longing for "perfection" and "beauty" - one cannot help but be completely consumed and enraptured by Jean Baptiste Grenouillle and his personal olfactory quest... I knew I would enjoy this read and I was absolutely smitten from start to finish...pure pleasure

To be honest I did not finish the book. I am a fast reader and usually race through a book. But I just kept putting this one The writing was overly detailed and contained so much unnecessary information that I kept losing interest in why I was even reading the book. The main character was so unpleasant that I finally decided I didn’t want to read any more and I put the book away. Cannot understand how this is a bestseller.

each page is utter beauty. Each paragraph is written in a poem that you can read as a story. i've learned new words every single page. This will always be my all time favorite book. The plot and ending are something i could never imagine.