Perfume

My absolute favorite read of 2024 would have to be “Perfume” by Patrick Süskind. I can’t state enough how innovative and original this novel felt, from every perspective. The story follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with a remarkable sense of smell, who grows obsessed with capturing “the perfect fragrance”. Jean-Baptiste aims to acquire this perfect scent by way of murder, especially the murder of young women. I found Süskind’s portrayal of his protagonist both chilling and fascinating, somewhere between morbid and grotesque.

Despite the story’s dark premise, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the writing. Süskind’s writing style… show more.

A gruesome story of murder and desire that also happens to have the most vivid olfactory descriptions of any genre.

Suskind’s preternatural ability to summon odor from the page makes you feel as if you are there beside him, walking through the flowered hillsides of Provence, or in the back room of a perfume shop on the Pont au Change. His twisted use of classic perfume techniques is as accurate as it is chilling.

You've probably heard about it, but maybe you never read it. I think you should.

The story plays out in 18th-century France, where an unloved orphan is born with an exceptional sense of smell. He becomes a perfumer constantly searching for scent above all other scents, which he finds in young girls who are still virgins.

But to get the scent out, he needs to kill them. I read it in one sitting, and apart from the character arcs, the well-told story, and the suspense, this novel made me understand that a good idea can be both crazy and unbelievable… show more.

As a fan of historical novels, I love when past worlds open up through colourful and evocative descriptions.

Although a work of fiction, not a historical text, reading Perfume helped me think differently about arguably the most ephemeral and complex sense – smell.

Set in the sensorially rich world of eighteenth-century France, the story follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with a sense of smell so extraordinary he can differentiate between a range of odours far greater than anyone else.

Whilst at times a gift, his ability leads him into the realms of obsession and murder in an attempt to… show more.

It comes out of a Germanic tradition, including Hoffmann’s dark, supernatural tales, but Perfume seemed wonderfully original, freshly foul, and captivatingly disgusting. It’s a book that makes its own universe and sets its own rules. It’ll ask you to lend your sympathy to a demented serial killer. And you may well consent.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born amongst the discarded fish guts, in the gutter in an Eighteenth century, Parisian market. In a world that stinks, he lacks a body odour himself, but grows up obsessed with the aroma of things becoming a genius perfumier. But his obsession carries terrible costs… show more.

I must admit that I, and probably many other Nirvana fans, only read this book initially because Kurt Cobain supposedly cited it as his favorite book and the Nirvana song “Scentless Apprentice” was inspired by it. The main draw of the book is in the title; this is the story of a murderer, one who was born without a scent but possesses a strong sense of smell. It is this strong sensitivity to smell and an obsession with scent that drive the main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, to commit murders. I think most readers will sympathize and possibly cheer for the… show more.

This novel opened my eyes to the potential scope of historical fiction. The story of an orphan with an extraordinary sense of smell who becomes a perfumer, and then a murderer, could only have been set in the past, where the smell of everything was all-pervading, especially in the bustling centre of Paris. An utterly seductive and unique page-turner.

I think that reading this book is, in itself, a deal with a devil. In this case, a particular devil: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man obsessed with capturing the perfect scent. I read this in the midst of my research for The Blood Confession, and reading the cold calculation of a man murdering virgin girls in order to sap the scent from their bodies certainly informed the thoughts of my own murderer. The affection he has for his work, juxtaposed with his callous disregard for human life, is deeply chilling.

Perfume is a story of bloodlust for scent. It is written with phenomenal pacing, shocking twists, and precise yet intense language that clutches you from the start. I am a murder mystery super fan and what could be better than a book about murder and smell! What is further amazing is the research that Patrick Suskind clearly did for this book. Indeed, I wrote to Suskind asking how he learned what he did about scent, but he did not respond-- I’ve since heard that he is a recluse. No matter-- Suskind has an uncanny intuition for the secrets and powers… show more.