Perfume by Patrick Suskind

I think the story in Perfume is ingenious and beautiful. It's a fantastic book with an interesting message: You can't be loved if you don't love yourself. And Grenouille proves this extremely well: he uses the most horrible methods to make people love him - he distills the scent of pure beauty and love. He creates the perfect perfume, and people do love him, but he understands that it's not him in particular they love, it's the perfume. A great allegory.
And it's also a joy to read the book because of the beautiful and detailed portrayals.
I recommend it to everyone.

I beleive that Perfume is better qualified as a "bildungsroman" or as historical fiction rather than fantasy as it draws upon many truths and tells a disturbing yet none the less a beautiful story that is completely within the historical context. The story is wonderful and exhillirating although the details of certain odours can become overwhelming at times. Overall a fascinating and splendid read.

Patrick Suskind's deliciously aromatic novel Perfume is as inventive and surprising as a novel can aspire to be. It is the story of a malformed tick of a man named Jean-Baptist Grenouille. He is a scentless prodigy of smell whose sole goal is to create the most sought after scent of all - the scent of love.

This horrifically delightful novel illustrates Suskind's virtuosic ability to create a world where scent is the highest principle. The only problem is that the only person who recognizes this is the despicable protagonist who, himslf, has no understanding of principles. As a matter of fact, he does not understand anything without a scent.

This lack of understanding leads him on a chase through the stinking alleys of Paris to the perfumatory Mecca, Grasse. There he commits abominable acts that not only prove his lack of humanity, but also reveal a stunning truth about the nature of humans.

Suskind sends his readers on a brilliantly sensous joy-ride through the nose of a sociopath. His crafty genius seductively leads us to a most shocking climax. A climax that will question the true nature of humanity, and illustrate the consequences of such a nature. It's a magnificent read.