liv_jones'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: Death, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Gore, Suicide, Pedophilia, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Minor: Incest, Torture, Excrement, Misogyny, War, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
torilara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Pedophilia, Cannibalism, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Excrement, War, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
ivyeori's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking and Cannibalism
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Pedophilia
maxire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gore and Death
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
achanceofbella's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent and Child abuse
Moderate: Murder
ricochets'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
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Abortion, War, Child abuse, and Death of parent
jaiari12's review
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
Graphic: Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement and Misogyny
bugcollector's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Spoiler
I don't think i get it.
wanted to borrow it when i was a kid bc of nirvana, but didn't bc the cover had a naked ladyyy on it so when i heard about it again i figured that i might as well.
maybe the old translation to hebrew is at fault too, but the book was so slow paced and the smells gimic gets overused, over detailed, just over.
i mean we knew he was going to murder the gal from the begining nothing too shocking about any of it, so i guess you do get the premise , but it went on forever.
it also took me too long to finish it and i had to extand my lending time from the library.
i think I'm in my girly mc era and this boring male wasn't giving what needed to be gave :/
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Violence
emmaslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Gore, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Violence