description: An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift-an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.Translated from the German by John E. Woods.
language: English
title: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
titlecomplete: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
characters: Madame Arnulfi, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, Marquis de Taillade-Espinasse, Jeanne Bussie, Antoine Richis, The Plum Girl, Chénier, Grimal, Dominique Druot, Father Terrier, Giuseppe Baldini, Laure Richis, Madame Gaillard
genres: Crime, Historical, Novels, Horror, Classics, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fiction, German Literature, Mystery
ratings_count: 444786
places: Auvergne Region, Grasse, Montpellier, Paris, French Riviera, France
awards: awardedAt: 536486400000
name: World Fantasy Award
category: Best Novel, awardedAt: 536486400000
name: PEN Translation Prize
category: John E. Woods
publisher: Alfred A. Knopf