Perfume: Perfume by Patrick Suskind
Perfume: Perfume
by Patrick Suskind
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8161739/
I finally got around to reading this book while I was taking care of my ill cat and I needed to sit in isolation with him for several hours a day :-) I must have been so distracted because I absolutely missed the first murder. I knew it had happened because I'd seen the movie. But when the book mentioned the first murder having happened I went "What? When? How did I miss that?!" and I had to go back and read whole passages over again. I don't blame the book for this, however. I guess I don't really blame my cat for distracting me either, though :-) I probably just read too quickly; I can see why this would work so well as an audio book.
I was curious to find out how a book could possibly do justice to the subject matter. The language is gorgeous and the descriptions are vivid. But it falls short for me. Yes, I adored Grenouille's expressions and development, watching as he goes from nothing to the height of capturing the very essence of perfection. And I actually liked that we get some perspectives from other characters--the woman charged with finding the baby a home, a man he apprenticed under, the father of the young girl Grenouille coveted--because it made the world feel even more full and real. But did the book make me smell the amazing smells the way I had hoped it would? No, it didn't. I could imagine that the character(s) were smelling them, and I appreciated the descriptions of scents. But I couldn't SMELL the smells the way I could SEE the images in my head. The movie had the same fault, so I had higher hopes for the writing here.
I still really enjoyed the read--if "enjoyed" is truly the correct word for a book that made me a little ill, creeped me out, and gave me the shivers multiple times. It definitely drew me in and painted an amazing picture of a main character you can't help but like, even if you disagree with almost everything he says and does. It's fascinating to have a character so well justified that everything makes sense and that you feel strong sympathy for, even if you are appalled by his actions. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to write a character so convincingly, but it's something I'll definitely aspire to.