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nils_0'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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: War
linnea1801'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? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
phantomgecko'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
3.0
Interesting story but slow. The extended daydreaming sequences could have been entirely removed and made it better imo.
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Abortion
emmacartlidge'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
4.5
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Pedophilia, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
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
aelinstark'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
0.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, and Blood
xjuliaaaaaax'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
3.0
Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is not remedy for it.
Unlike Lolita, you’re not tricked into sympathizing with Grenouille and the author never tries to justify grenouille’s acts. We follow Grenouille from his undesired birth throughout his life. People hate him and he hates people. His world is full of scents that no one else can perceive and he is alone in this world. When he captures the most sublime scent he’s ever smelled, he obsesses over capturing and preserving it.
While not much happens in the book, I enjoyed the journey and the writing. Süskind’s descriptions are primarily olfactory, and he goes into detail on the aromas, scents, and stenches in each scene. He also dives into the processes of perfume making. I enjoyed both these aspects, though others may find them repetitive or tedious. I recommend only reading this if you’re in the mood for something atmospheric, mostly made of vibes, and meandering. The ending was very unexpected to me, but not unsatisfying.
I also saw others point out how Süskind described women. Yeah there are some questionable descriptions. Particularly egregious was describing breasts as, “pert as hard-boiled eggs.” However we don’t talk about women often so it’s not super annoying, and I read it as how the characters conceptualize women more than how Süskind views them if that makes sense? I’ve definitely read other things though where descriptions of women completely ruin a reading experience so thought it worth mentioning.
Overall, not something revolutionary or something I’ll likely reread, but I enjoyed it.
Graphic: Suicide
sofipitch'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? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Excrement
Minor: Racial slurs and Antisemitism
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: Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Abortion, Death of parent, and War
katharinaaa'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
3.75
Graphic: Pedophilia and Murder
Minor: Incest and Suicide