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| Perfume: The Story of a Murderer | 
 enlarge | Author: Patrick Suskind
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £1.60
You Save: £6.39 (80%)
New (25) from £2.87
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 2653
Media: Paperback
Edition: Film tie-in edition
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0141029048
EAN: 9780141029047
ASIN: 0141029048
Publication Date: November 30, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: *UK based seller* Acceptable reading copy. Creasing to spine, closed tear across top of spine. Light wear to cover/cover corners. Text clean & tight, lightly tanned. No inscriptions. Different cover pic. Despatched same or next day.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Partial Beauty. (SPOILERS) July 6, 2008
It is rare for me to say I preferred the film to a book.
However, in the case of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, I clearly admit to preferring the movie adaptation. In the film we follow a young man brought up in terrible conditions, with an acute sense of smell which he puts to bad use in his attempt to create the most beautiful perfume: purely made of human innocence. After murdering 25 beautiful virgins, and capturing the adoration of a town's poplice through the most beautiful scent, he experiences the revelation of how wrong he has been. That love is the highest power. Hence, in repentence, he pours the rest of his perfume over his body and lets some townspeople ravage him to death.
Unfortunately, in the book the protoganist is cold-hearted and entirely unlikeable. You do not feel for his situation whatsoever, and truely begin to despise him. Furthermore, there is no revelation for him. He kills himself in exactly the same way but merely because he has created the best perfume in the world and he no longer has a purpose in life. No remorse, no regret. An utter bastard.
That aside, however, Suskind has written a beautiful detailed narrative, rich with thought and eloquence and capturing the world of scent in perfection. (although occasionally he does wither on too long about a character's thoughts and feelings).
A good read, but I'd say watch the film instead.
 Beautifully written April 20, 2008
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. It looses nothing in the translation...
One of my favorite books April 7, 2008
This book is truly unique. It was hard to get into but once you get used to the style of writing you cannot put it down. What is so different about this book is not so much the story telling for me. The main enjoyment was that it really did making me think of my sense of smell. I have never read another book like it. The description constantly draw you to think about what it smells like and well one of a kind of a book. Must buy!
Random but unique tale March 14, 2008
A totally obscure topic; bizarre, but absorbing.
The story follows a nobody, with a remarkable sense of smell, who is prepared to do whatever it takes to become somebody.
Baffled as to the point of the tale in the grand scheme of things! Still, a light-hearted, fun read, despite its macabre themes of pungent pongs, and frivolous killings!
Grubby and unique December 16, 2007
This certainly isn't a novel for everyone - it has some slow (but always beautifully written) bits. However, the writing is incredibly evocative, from utter filth to shining elegance. I read it many years ago and recently reread it and I *still* found it spellbinding. It's a unique novel that will linger in memory long after you put it down.
This is a novel of scents - beautiful and disgusting, innocent and rotten. While most novels focus on what is seen, heard, touched or even eaten, this one highlights the neglected sense of smell and the result is viscerally powerful. Give it a go and don't be surprised if you start noticing fragrances all around you, once you're done.
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