Perfume by Patrick Suskind

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Submitted by Samantha Tracey
(May 03, 2001)

While I am unsure as to whether 'Perfume' qualifies as a fantasy novel it must be said that it is an absolutely brilliant story, able to capture the reader from the word go, as well as being quite unlike any story I have ever read before. It tells of a young man with the extraordinary ability of being able to smell. If you are intrigued or at least wondering why such a stupid ability, read on. His sense of smell is developed far beyond that of a normal human being; he is able to identify and catalogue all of the smells he has ever come across in his entire life. At any one time, he is able to then recall any one smell and mix it with another to create a new smell, much like a perfumer would do - mix and match to create new aromas and smells. The novel tells of his search for that one sublime smell that has eluded him all of his life. The novel by Patrick Suskind is exquisitely written, the pace and sense of drama is developed perfectly. It is completely unpredictable, but in such a way that leaves the reader in awe. It's originality is the key to it's unpredictability, hence the brilliance and wonder of the novel. Perfume cannot simply be categorised as fantasy. It has elements of mystery, drama, suspense, romance, morality and many more, but the element of fantasy is particularly attractive. Perfume, the story of a murderer, is a tribute to the mind and imagination of Patrick Suskind, who so wonderfully combined all of the elements needed to sustain a great story.