I was first introduced to “Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer” in 2008, by a film titled by the same name. Although I was intrigued by the story, I didn’t think much of it. It is a good movie, Trust me. I was too young to understand the depth of it. Anyways, my quest to find a perfect Psychological thriller began in 2020, And Perfume happened to be the first Psychological thriller I read. Was it fate? It must be. I fell in love with everything the book has to offer. From writing style to characters, I was captivated by every word and all the imagery it entailed. So, without wasting any more time. Here is the summary and my 5 convincing reasons to read “Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer”.
Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
In 18th-Century France, A boy named Jean Baptiste Grenouille was born with an extraordinary sense of smell. Orphaned from a young age, Grenouille faces hardships and navigates through life with his only gift, ” an incredible olfactory sense”. Shunned by society, Grenouille finds solace in roaming the narrow, downtrodden streets of Paris. However, his life takes a much darker turn when he discovers the mesmerizing scent of a young woman in those very streets. A born genius with a talent to disintegrate all the scents of the world. Grenouille embarks on a journey to capture the very scent, which bewitched him completely. This results in a string of murders of young girls in remote towns. Spreading hysteria among the townspeople.
Although, there are many reasons to read this masterpiece. I’ve described my 5 legit reasons below:
1. A Story Of Scents
It would not be wrong to say that this book was written from an olfactory point of view. It is really easy to lose yourself in it. The protagonist of the story, navigates his whole life through his nose. Anything with an unconventional smell confuses him, much like listening to a foreign language and not understanding a word. As the story progresses, Grenouille makes sense of his world, by disintegrating and understanding every scent he encounters. The grotesque smell of streets, the pleasing smell of flowers and herbs, the smell of the sea; carried by a soft breeze, and The distinct smell of human flesh, glass, metals, trees, stones and everything living or dead enchants and completes him.
All until he encounters the aroma of fragility, youth and beauty possessed by a young girl he met in the streets. Now, the dilemma kicks in and it overshadows the wholeness of his being. Grenouille now must acquire it at all cost. As you can see, there is a central idea of scents underlying every aspect of the story. From start to finish you too will read this book not from your eyes, but your nose.
2. A Story Of Obsession
An obsessive element is a key aspect of a good psychological thriller. It helps us with indulging into and understanding the mind of the character. Perfume covers this facet well. His whole life, Grenouille is shunned by society. To him, his worth was as much as the next man deemed him to be. That was until he realized his difference and how absolute he was in his ability. Discovering that he could make any scent he wanted, Grenouille embarked on a journey to create a perfect perfume. For all he cared, Grenouille could bask himself to death in the blissfulness of his creation. His obsession with achieving perfection takes him down a dark path. Although once a meek boy, Grenouille now turns into a vicious killer to achieve his goal. The obsessive nature of the story makes it worth a read.
3. A Story Of A Moral Dilemma
It has been said many a time that Perfume is not everyone’s cup of tea. And there is some truth to this claim. If you think about it, the plot is downright insane. I mean, we follow a journey of a mad genius, creating perfume by killing beautiful young women. But, as a reader, you can’t help feeling sorry for him. Yes, even as a cold-blooded killer, one understands his reasoning. He is difficult to hate. The writing style is simply so engaging, that one is compelled to feel that way. Suskind plays with the emotions of his readers. And this is where a moral dilemma creeps in. “I shouldn’t feel sorry for him”, “Why do I find it pleasing that he gets away with murder?” The moral dilemma keeps you engaged throughout the book.
4. A Story Of An Inhuman:
Jean Baptiste Grenouille is a shadowed being, even from the day he was born. This story explores the societal structure through a sensory experience. It states that we as a human identify and interact with each other through scents. The misery of Grenouille lies in the fact that, even though he was born with an other-worldly gift, he possesses no bodily scent at all. Which makes his presence almost unnoticeable to people around him. From the start, Grenouille lives a life void of love and compassion. He is treated much like a creature. A freak of sorts. The uneasiness people feel from him stems from their inability to smell him.
The first time he experienced being a human was when he used his extraordinary abilities to craft a human-scented potion. And with every scent he created and wore, He was perceived differently. This book is an interesting commentary on human behaviours. It deeply touches on the subject of how everyone born differently is treated like a lesser human by society.
5. A Story With Perfect Conclusion:
Behold! the ending of Perfume is as appalling and genius as the story itself. Once Grenouille realized his abilities. He became indifferent to the indifference he faced. All he cared about was scents, the grotesque ones, the blissful ones, those with peculiar characteristics, and those sensed by all. Most importantly, the one that mystified and enchanted him the most. He would gladly be intoxicated and bewitched by it. And this very scent becomes the reason for his murderous rage. The revelation that he can sense but never preserve it drives him insane.
The second time Grenouille is faced with the same dilemma is when he created his perfect perfume. He felt hollow as soon as he achieved his goal. For the first time, he felt stark naked infront of the whole world. The realization that he is different struck him like a jolt. This revelation was enough for him to end his meaningless life. Pouring the perfect scent all over him, Grenouille let a crowd tear him piece by piece and devour him whole. A perfect ending for a creature like him. It was redemptive, Grenouille paid the price. Yet, it took nothing away from his psychology and ambitions.
Conclusion:
Perfume: The story of a murderer is literary fiction published in 1985. The book is acclaimed to be a masterpiece, and it touches on deep aspects of human psychology. A protagonist is a young man obsessed with creating the most intoxicating perfume in the world. His inhumanity, insanity, obsession, and possession of an acute sensitivity to smell anything lead him down a twisted and dark path. Personally, it is one of the best books in its genre. It is addictive, and once you start reading it. Chances are you will find it difficult to put it away.
Now that I have concluded my reasons for loving this book. I would love to hear your opinion on it. Comment down in the section below and let me know your thoughts. Cheers!!
