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| Perfume (Read Red) | 
 enlarge | Author: Patrick Suskind
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.60
You Save: £7.39 (92%)
New (1) from £4.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 47781
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.4 x 1
ISBN: 0141023597
EAN: 9780141023595
ASIN: 0141023597
Publication Date: January 26, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Exquisitely Descriptive January 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a striking, dazzling read, following the life story of an exceptionally talented, yet somewhat twisted French perfumier named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.
Grenouille is described most unnervingly, right from the outset. A child without scent, growing into an adult without scent. But, irony of ironies: he is exceptionally gifted when it comes to detecting and memorising smells. And so begins his life journey from the filthy streets of Paris, to the mountains of France, to the town of Grenoble. Along the way, he nurses an extremely unhealthy fixation with the scent of young virgins, and this culminates in him murdering a whole bevvy of hymenally challenged young Frenchwomen in order to create the most beautiful, enticing and erotic fragrance known to mankind. The results are memorable, to say the least, and the ending to this novel is horrific.
It is, however, a thoroughly descriptive, detailed, rich and captivating novel, from a considerably talented author.
 Olfactory overload March 14, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this book before I knew they were making the film. My interpretation of the main character, Grenouille, was a sort of emotionless Ichabod Crane from the Sleepy Hollow story. I think the book may have lost something in translation and would have liked to read it in its original German.
I am under no illusion that we, as readers, are not supposed to empathise fully with Grenouille, although I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry after his rough start in life.
The final scene, although thoroughly gruesome, is somewhat a fitting end to the book, and it is apparent that Grenouille would agree.
A truely great book January 14, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
When this book arrived on a saturday morning I decided to sit down and read maybe the first chapter. This I did but then continued and read the book in one session. It is engaging the the highest degree and is based on a fantastic plot. I urge anyone to read this book, the imagery is dream like. Just dn;t start reading it on a day when you have other plans.
Gripping, Chilling and Fantastic! December 1, 2006
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book was brilliant! Gothic and erotic, and filled with intrigue from the first page.
The book follows a tick of a human through the olfactory sensations of France through paths of depravation, isolation, fame and murder. The angle of creating descriptions using the sense of smell as opposed to the sense of sight makes the book unique yet still understood by all.
Excellent descriptions throughout the novel, combined with an intriguing story in which you can never tell which direction Suskind will take, make this novel a must read for anyone who likes a book that's just a bit different!
Read it before the film comes out!
A stinking good read September 2, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
When you read this - you want to give it to your friend. When they read it, they want to pass it on. It is by word of mouth I got this, and it was so gripping.
We enter the putrid fetid streets of Paris described with such earthy deliberation - the genius Grenouile is born. How rare - a book all about man's least appreciated and talked about sense - dissected to perfection.
The author seems to have a penchant for young red headed beauties - and it is so improbable, that they could smell the best, but what if the best smell was created? What subtleties lie in smells that we cannot ever articulate as we think it's all because of what we see and hear that we strongly like or dislike palpable stimuli?
Absolutely wonderful stuff and I'm afraid I found myself identifying with the protagonists shy tendencies and his dislike of humanity and its self importance - much as in the last chapter of Gulliver's travels where horses are seen to be superior to us.
Suskind is a shy brilliant writer and this book is now being filmed for a motion picture.
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