دوستان میخوایم راجع به «عطر» از «پاتریک زوسکید» داستانی که مثل به طبل ، تووخالیه ، حرف بزنیم.
از معرفی کننده های کتاب خواستم که اثری رو با تم دو تا از بهترین کتاب هایی که خوندم «تونل» از ساباتو و «کلکسیونر» از فالز عزیز بهم معرفی کنن و اینگونه بود که با عطری آشنا شدم که یکسال و خورده‌ای گوشه کتابخونه من خاک خورده بود ، البته تا پریشب...!
داستان از زبان نویسنده معاصر آلمانی روایت میشه که هدفش خلق جامعه فرانسه در 200سال قبل از وقت خودشه. خب...همینجا یه ادعا بزرگ داریم.خلق فضایی در باب گذشته نیازمند پژوهش و استفاده از زبان قدیمه تا فضای قدیم برای من مخاطب ملموس تر باشه.لذا اینکه «زوسکید» اصلا هدفش پرداختن به فضای گذشته نیست.بدون هیچ جزئیاتی و استفاده از اصطلاحات قدیمی صرفا داره داستانی رو روایت میکنه که باز داستان ادعاش قد کوهه و چیزی که ما میبینیم در حد کاه.
داستان درباره زندگی یه قاتله. اول این رو بگم کتاب در قرن 20 نوشته شده پس طبیعتا انتظار داریم خرافه حداقل نداشته باشیم.اما خرافه داریم.از وقتی که بچه بدنیا میاد حس شوم بودن داره...شوخیه؟
بعد نویسنده هدفش اینه که بزرگ شدن بچه رو سخت جلوه بده ولی در کمال تعجب میبینیم الگو برداری شده از آلیور تویست دیکنزه و اصلا هم بچه شر بنظر نمیرسه.
نه اختلالات روانی ، نه مسئله‌ای ، نه درگیری هیچ چیزی وجود نداره که ما قاتل رو با انگیزه درست و حسابی ببینیم.صفر. بعد به قتل اول نگاه کنید: صرفا قاتل برای اینکه از بوی دختر خوشش اومده اون رو میکشه و لباس هاش رو در میاره و اون رو بو میکنه.
قتل هم ، نویسنده خیلی سریع ازش رد میشه. جوری که هیچ حسی رو در ما برانگیخته نمیکنه. این انگیزه قتل رو میذارم به عهده شما که بگین چقدر با عقل جور درمیاد؟
به یاد بیارید ، «نقاش» رو در «تونل» چقدر این درگیر ذهنی که برای قاتل درست میشه اون رو به جنونی برای کشتن معشوقش میکشونه. من به اون میگم انگیزه قتل اما به این ، نمیدونم چی بگم.
شخصیت ها ، استروتیپیک و درگیرشده در کلیشه‌اند.به حدی که شخصیت که سهله ، تیپ هم نمیشن.در حد اسم باقی میمونن.

سر مجموع نه تنها از خوانش ، که از خرید «عطر» از «زوسکید» هم پشیمونم و بنظرم اثری بی ارزش و غیر انسانیه.

Bizarre and unusual tale set in eighteenth century France. Grenouille is born without an odour and becomes obsessed with odours. He gradually moves through the novel learning all there is to know about perfume and scent and how to make, extract and distill it. Unfortunatley Grenouille is completely amoral with no feeling for anyone else. The story becomes increasingly bizarre and the ending is strange; difficult to stomach you might say!
It is a well written, beautifully crafted with rich language and an empty heart. Take it out of its historical context and stick it in a modern city and what do you have. Scent obsessed loner murders 26 young girls for their hair and scent; we do not know their names (apart from one), they are merely victims; all very young. None of the victims are male and there are no significant female characters in the book (Ok. I know teenage boys don't smell that sweet! But I did wonder at Grenouille choosing young girls as he didn't seem to find any odour offensive). A heart warming story of a serial killer, who objectifies women. American Psycho anyone!!
As you may have guessed I didn't find the story all that convincing and as for the orgy at the end, I think the author ran out of ideas; or possibly forgot himself and thought he was writing for Playboy. Nevertheless, it passed a wet afternoon and there were a few laugh out loud moments (not entirely sure they were meant to be funny though!)

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

The first thing I want to say is that, even though I didn't really enjoy it, I do fully recommend you read this book. It has a wonderful concept and will make you think so much about a lot of things-life, people, senses, smells, the way you see the world-that I think the enjoyment of the story is a little unimportant.

This is the story of a late-Seventeenth-Century French man who is born with an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell, but does not smell of anything himself. This unusual concept means the whole story is wrapped tightly around the theme of smell: all about it, smelling it, knowing it, seeing it, wanting it and remembering it.

I did want to enjoy this book and I thought the beginning was quite wonderful. It really set up the themes of the book, and the plot, and the character, to such an extent I went through it with hope. Sadly, it falls away quite dramatically. It was unapologetically brutal and harsh; brash, brazen, quick, dark. The ending in particular I found exceedingly pointless, though I think that the ending itself was appropriate not only for the character but also, metaphorically, for the book, too. It was a disappointing ending, but I thought it very fitting that it were as abrupt as it was.

The concept of a man seeing the world and everything within it as smells is wonderful but I don't think it was executed to its full potential. In fact, I think it was so mis-used that it left the work a bit hollow at the end. Grenouille doesn't think like other people and as a result he is a social outcast, which both hinders and emphasises his talent for smelling. He sees everything as smells and, through him, we do, too. But I think there were many times when we didn't get the full sense of what he was smelling: I wasn't convinced of some of the smells-the description of a place-it wasn't evocative to me. Perhaps because I don't have as powerful nose as others, or perhaps because I'm a visual person, but there were times when it didn't read as wonderful descriptions of people and places in the medium of smell, but instead was just an obvious statement of what had already been described before. Unfortunately, Grenouille and other characters are neither likeable nor particular fleshed out. Even though I believe the 2D nature of the characters was done on purpose to illustrate Grenouille's own view of human beings, the fact that the book was in 3rd Person narrative meant it was felt wholly.

What I didn't like was the idea that virginity is something so utterly important that it has a special kind of scent. This is such a man idea of what virginity is-and weird from a character that has no concept of religion and god-that, whilst the idea of sexual desires and senses is intriguing, it holds no bearing on virginity and the act of losing it. It has nothing to do with puberty, with the beginning of the menstrual cycle or the end of it. It is simply a bit of skin that, quite often, isn't even there. Whilst I understand the concept of the need for virginal scent in this character, the whole idea really infuriated me, particularly considering this was written in the 80s and not, in fact, in the 18th century: you can have ideas of what virginity is in the 18th century but you cannot alter the proven fact: the scent of it. That made no sense. It probably shouldn't have annoyed me so much, but it did, and the book lost a lotof it's meaning. The obvious sexual themes of the book-wherein Grenouille uses smells as a proxy for sex, intimacy and other such things-were rendered completely meaningless by this, despite their intrigue.

The other things, the art of perfume making, the way Paris smelt back then, the way a man can lose himself in a hole completely, all felt a little lacklustre and simply ways to make the story get to where it was heading, as opposed to being part of a journey. It is a wonderful concept and I really enjoyed that part of it, but otherwise it was just another bloody book.


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This book starts out interesting, I will give it that much. It is a story of a reclusive man, who, born without a personal odour, becomes obsessed with creating the perfect human scent. The description is interesting, and while Suskind paints a perfect picture of the scene, the idea itself is void of true substance of meaning, and tires quickly. The only thing to be valued in this book is Suskind's style of writing. The underpinning values or morals in this book is simply non existent, there is no need to probe into it, as its concepts lay obviously on the surface, with no real meaning to deduce from the work. As a read for entertainment, it may be worth it. It seems to be a fairly empty novel; which is supported by a brief synopsis. - Man kills 25 virgins, wraps them in lard to collect their scent, creates a perfume, wears the perfume on the day of his exucution, and since the scent is so "divine" it catalyses love and captures the town, weaving a spell over all its people. An orgy follows, and then Grenoiulle decides he wants to die and covers himself with the perfume, walks into a derelick park and allows himself to be eaten by those who want a piece of him due to his amazing scent. All in all, the crazy perfumer gets eaten by cannibals. Wow! - Shitty read if you ask me

Una de mis novelas favoritas de todos los tiempos... tiene su pelicula, pero no termina de hacerle justicia.

Situada en Francia, en el siglo XVIII, donde el autor describe el ambiente como apestoso, caótico y nauseabundo. Por lo qué en medio de todo esto conoceremos a nuestro protagonista: Grenouille, que nada más nacer es abandonado en un mercado por su propia madre. A pesar de ello él pronto descubre que es especial, tiene la capacidad de oler todos los olores del mundo, y a la vez él mismo no huele nada, por lo que es capaz de pasar desapercibido. Algo que lo llevará a obsesionarse por crear el perfume perfecto, lo que incluirá, por desgracia, la esencia de las más bellas mujeres.

Está novela es de esas que tiene bien merecida su fama, la leí cuando adolescente y no podía despegarme de ella, las descripciones de los personajes, lugares, situaciones ¡y olores! son magníficos. El protagonista, Grenouille, es de esos personajes tan bien construidos, que amas y odias a la misma vez. Su habilidad con los olores resulta fascinante, pero su retorcida forma de ver el mundo es repugnante. Grenouille es el ejemplo perfecto de un psicópata sin remedio, cargado de un profundo resentimiento y odio hacia la humanidad. A lo largo de la trama veremos como éste personaje escala desde lo más bajo, gracias a su habilidad, que lo llevara a creerse dueño del mundo, sin pensar que su mismo virtuosismo será también el causante de su perdición.

Novela que a mi criterio tiene un ritmo perfecto, aunque he escuchado que a algunos se le ha hecho algo pesado el exceso de descripciones. Grenouille va armando su propio mundo en base a olores y el autor se toma su tiempo para transmitirnoslo, lo que en mi caso agradecí enormemente ya que logró acercarme mucho más al personaje y comprender su tan peculiar (¡repugnante!) psicología.

¡Obra maestra a mí criterio!
¡Muy recomendada!

I don't even know what to say about this book...it was...strange but also incredibly thought provoking! I feel weird saying I enjoyed it, but I did!

"For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they couldn't escape scent."

The story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who was born without his own scent but with a heightened sense of smell. Set in Paris in the late 1700s, Perfume tells the tale of his search for the perfect scent.

Perfume has to be one of the most unique stories I've encountered, at times it is as equally beautiful as it is grim and disturbing. The story focuses on the life of Grenouille, right from his birth up until his later adult years. It's absolutely captivating and unique in that Suskind uses scent and smells as a way to explore so many different themes, such as power, obsession and the strong desire to obtain perfection. The character development of Grenouille is incredibly well-written, you can't help but feel sorry for him as he becomes quite a loner in his quest (he literally fucking lives under a mountain for a number of years, for gods sake!!). But then... he's also kinda creepy at times too.

Don't go into this book expecting a fast-paced murder-mystery thriller - oh no, this book is so much more subtle in its execution. The story travels along at a relatively slow pace, but you will NEED to know what happens next as events unfold. Perfume reads like a classic, but without being incredibly verbose or dense. The writing is simply beautiful, one of those books where you feel like you want to constantly highlight every section.

The scientist in me was geeking out majorly over the different processes described in the production of perfumes, such as distillation etc. I am also a huge fan of perfumes in general, so I did find it really interesting to learn more about the process. How do you capture a scent? How do you bottle that scent? Those parts were really enjoyable to read.

That ending though... WHAT THE HECK WAS I READING? It was fucking off the wall! It felt like it came out of nowhere and initially I wasn't really on board... but when I thought about it and certain explanations were given I wasn't only on board, I was steering the goddamn ship! That ending is pretty crazy but makes perfect sense within the story.

Overall I highly recommend Perfume, particularly if you are looking for something a little different, a little dark, and a completely unique reading experience.

4 stars.

Este libro es una experiencia sensorial olfativa, el libro no se lee sino se huele, se aspira y se exhala

Es un clásico situando en Francia del siglo XVIII descrita como un lugar desagradable, apestoso, caótico, nauseabundo y en medio de todo nace esto Grenouille, nuestro protagonista, en un mercado lleno de pescado y fruta podrida es abandonado por su madre al nacer y tiene que aprender a sobrevivir a muchas pruebas a lo largo de la historia

Lo interesante de este personaje es que tiene la capacidad de oler TODO, el aire, el vidrio, el mar, las flores, TODO, completamente todo pero él mismo no tiene olor alguno. No huele a absolutamente nada.

Debo decir que esta es una historia que no se concentra en el desarrollo de personajes, sino, en la historia misma y como dije, más que nada en darnos una experiencia sensorial como pocos libros pueden hacer. Sin embargo, Grenouille, es un personaje que no se olvida, es un genio calculador que puede lograr mediante la creación de perfumes hechos con los más extraños ingredientes, engañar a cualquier persona y someterla como el quiera.

Es un personaje narciso, malvado, lleno de odio por la humanidad y su único interés en la vida es crear el perfume perfecto.

Esta es la historia de uno de los hombres más geniales y abominables de los que he tenido la suerte de leer, un libro oscuro y retorcido como ninguno y con uno de los mejores finales de la historia.

Θα το χαρακτήριζα σκοτεινό παραμύθι. Ο συγγραφέας καταπιάνεται με μια ωραιότατη και πρωτότυπη ιδέα, την οποία αναπτύσσει αριστουργηματικά. Ο βασικός χαρακτήρας πραγματικά "ζωντανεύει" στη φαντασία σου και η πλοκή,μαζί με το ιστορικό πλαίσιο που περιβάλλει την όλη ιστορία του βιβλίου, σε κάνουν να μην χάσεις το ενδιαφέρον σου ούτε σε μια σελίδα. αγνόησε το γεγονός ότι έχεις δεί την ταινία,σχετίζεται ελάχιστα με το βιβλίο.

This is as intriguing as the movie. It gave me chills. The character was so real, so villainous and engaging. I kept reading.

n  "Quien dominaba los olores, dominaba el corazón de los hombres"n

Este es uno de esos libros que inicialmente cautivan por el tema central, el autor nos aleja del mundo tangible y nos adentra en el efímero mundo de los olores, uno que es el alma de la historia y el amor verdadero de nuestro protagonista.

Jean Batiste Grenouille, es un hombre que tiene el superpoder de percibir los olores de la manera más profunda e intensa imaginable pero, que con ello, tiene la desventaja de ser visto como un paría a causa de la falta de olor propio que lo identifique como un ente real y viviente, es prácticamente un fantasma en el mundo de los vivos y una maldición para quienes lo acogen. Durante toda la narración, estaremos rodeados de los pensamientos y percepciones de Grenouille pero, no es hasta más o menos la mitad del libro que nos adentramos en su máxima obsesión: el deseo de capturar la esencia más hermosa que conocida, para lograrlo, emprende la misión de convertirse en el mejor perfumista que ha existido y, entre viajes, soledad y arduo trabajo, se adentra en la tierra del amor a las fragancias.

Si bien toda la historia me fascin,o debo decir que mi mayor problema es que el autor esta empecinado en que creamos que Grenouille es un monstruo, pero al final yo no lo creí. Es un psicótico, maniático y megalomano pero no llega a ser lo suficientemente despreciable, o a realizar acciones en extremo abominables, para merecer ese título. Sus acciones son erróneas pero no maliciosas, no las realiza con el fin de dañar sino con el fin de crear, lo cual no las hace aceptables sólo lo aleja de la percepción que Süskind esperaba que nos creáramos de él. Al introducirte tan a fondo a la mente de Jean Batiste, el autor logra que entiendas por que lo hace, si bien no lo justificas si dejas de verlo como la abominación.

Mi parte favorita no tiene discusión: el final, si bien también puedo destacar la comparación con la garrapata, es tan fantasioso, tan puro en cierto sentido y tan definitivo que la última línea en parte te hace sonreír, en parte te hace remorderte desde lo más profundo, pero el punto es que no te deja indiferente. En ambos pasajes queda perfectamente demostrado el buen trabajo puesto en las descripciones y lo detalladas que estas podían ser, pero igualmente queda explicito que esa misma característica que hace que este libro no sea para todos, dado que a mucha gente pueden causarle asco y/o repulsión.

Al final, la historia es única en su enfoque y buena en su ejecución, tiene altos y bajos (como momentos largos que se sienten solo como paja) pero que te dejan en la parte más exitosa de la narración.

n  "Fue un monstruo desde el mismo principio. Eligió la vida por pura obstinación y por pura maldad"n

Por primera vez en su vida, Grenouille se dio cuenta de que no tenía un olor propio. Se dio cuenta de que siempre había sido nadie para todos. Lo que ahora sentía, era el temer su propio olvido. Era como si no existiera.

Patrick Süskind nos relata un asesino serial que mataba solamente a mujeres para apresar su olor y crear el perfume perfecto, debido a que él carecía de uno. Esto tiene una connotación fuerte y profunda. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille estaba en la búsqueda del reconocimiento, del amor, la atávica necesidad de ser amado.

El autor nos presenta a un hombre que careció de amor desde el nacimiento, lo que hace cuestionarnos si la lucha moral pierde por norma.