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stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
But I think my favourite part is that it reads like a text from the 18th century. I've read a lot of Victorian literature for both school and for fun, so I'm very familiar with the writing style of the time. I had to double check that this book was actually written in the 1980s - you could've fooled me.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest and War
bgick's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racism, Xenophobia, and Cannibalism
amemir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
viscountess_black's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
amyjmcd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Xenophobia
Minor: Animal death, Death, and Pregnancy
withlivjones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The description throughout the novel is almost nauseatingly vivid, with each character we come across thoroughly examined not only in terms of their scent but also in terms of their character, with their flaws brought to the foreground. Every character and setting is primarily described olfactorily as this is the way Grenouille perceives the world, and by focusing on smell over the other more common senses, it is as if one were to look at the world through an entirely different lens. Süskind even laments about the difficulty of describing scents in words, which is comically meta.
In particular, I love the use of foreshadowing laced throughout the novel, and spotting the clues pointing towards certain characters’ demises make this book a great reread. Furthermore, the biblical imagery is also a fantastic addition to the vivid descriptions throughout, and this is especially clear during Grenouille’s dream sequence - one of the most entertaining parts of the novel for me.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to everyone due to some of the topics it deals with being sensitive and/or pretty gross, and I find that much like Marmite people either love it or hate it. But if you’re looking for a book that will stay with you for years and you’re okay with the content warnings, I’d give it a go.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Incest, Misogyny, Torture, Xenophobia, Excrement, Antisemitism, and War
mimsyweretheborogoves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Violence and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Xenophobia
purecomedy's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, and Excrement
Minor: Xenophobia