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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.

The story is well paced and doesn't feel difficult to read at all. There's a fair amount of detail about the manufacture of perfumes, but it's interesting and not dry or dull in the slightest.

The main character is weird, obsessive, compelling and absolutely unique (as is the premise and plot of the story).

The ending is unexpected as well. It's not exactly a "feel-good" read, but it does feel very different to other books. Intriguing.

Highly recommended.

Given to Munstersmum