Perfume by Patrick Suskind

I've finished reading this book after I was given it as a christmas present by someone special yesterday. I quite liked it and I would advise anyone who likes a good read to check it out.

Plot-wise the story is that of a freak of nature, Grenouille, who is gifted with the greatest sense of smell of all time but cursed with no human body odour of his own. The subtitle of the book is the story of a murderer and indeed he does kill. We follow his life from his squalid birth full-circle to his equally unpleasant death. We also learn a lot about the pleasures of scent and the manufacture of perfume in eighteenth century France.

Stylistically the book is a joy. Even though this book is translated (from German) the words leap and fly from the page, wafting your senses and letting us imagine the world of the inhuman Grenouille. It is a quick, easy and satisfying read.

I felt sorry for Grenouille because he is not human. He has no understanding of emotion or other people. He is a genius of scent and nothing else is real for him. People are just tools and objects. He kills, but without emotion or malice. He just does not understand that what he does is wrong. He is a monster. We should hate him.

Yet it is difficult to hate such a pathetic creature. The author paints a vivid picture of his alien life that is led only by his nose (the way many men think only with their dicks). People either actively hate him and try to harm him or ignore him as if he were little more than a snail. He does great things but no-one ever truly appreciates what he does. Imagine shakespeare explaining Hamlet to a monkey. He is not human so it is difficult to apply conventional morality to him.

The girl that gave me this book was surprised when I said that I felt sorry for Grenouille despite his horrific crimes but I do. I guess pity is a luxury afforded us by the author of this interesting work of fiction.

The only note in the book that I felt was not in perfect pitch was Part 4, the epilogue. It felt like an afterthought, an imposition of justice on an unfair world. It didn't add much.

Read the book! If you have already done so tell me what you think about it!

Funky

p.s. I've been told that there is a problem with posting comments on this blog sometimes. Don't know why but I will try and fix it.