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Ted's Reviews > Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
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I'd like to make something very clear with my review of this book. I normally don't go overboard with the whole "the movie vs. the book" argument because I'm not interested in making people's decisions for them, even though I'm strongly opinionated about the subject. But this is a case where I have to speak out. Süskind has created here a work of literary art in prose, and I take that seriously. I admire lots of books but I wouldn't say this about any old novel. The movie "Perfume" makes an utter mockery of this artwork, its incredible language (even in translation) and its profoundly disturbing character. The movie is to this book what a smudge of dirt is to a brilliant, glowing star. The movie not only fails to capture the depth and profundity of the prose but also of its unique darkness and unsettling moral bleakness. "Perfume"'s central character (in many ways, its only character) is far beyond some simplistic "good" or "evil." Rather, he is utterly disconnected from humanity. He lacks a fundamental concept of agency in other people, who are essentially conveyors or producers of smells and nothing more. He kills, not with any idea of transgression, but simply as he would break an object in order to smell it. In this he is far more terrifying than any serial killer or other contrived "evil" character, and the story of his incredible and absurd life leaves one with a deep darkness that takes a long time to dissipate after the novel is closed and shelved or passed on.
The movie, as I saw it, conveyed none of this existentially disturbing character, but merely his salient features; i.e., his uncanny ability to smell and dissect smells, and even then can't possibly describe what he senses with the book's vividness and detail. In short, viewers are left with a paltry, thin gruel that denigrates and shames the original book and its author.
The movie, as I saw it, conveyed none of this existentially disturbing character, but merely his salient features; i.e., his uncanny ability to smell and dissect smells, and even then can't possibly describe what he senses with the book's vividness and detail. In short, viewers are left with a paltry, thin gruel that denigrates and shames the original book and its author.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2007
–
Finished Reading
May 31, 2007
– Shelved as:
recommended
May 31, 2007
– Shelved
May 29, 2008
– Shelved as:
modernfiction
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Thank you for your passion around this masterpiece. I was so frustrated with the visually stunning sequences of the movie which led to nothing. Where was that edge of black humor which drapes the novel into a delicious horror story? The director was clueless. A great book and luckily the movie made a very small splash.
I agree with you the story is utterly brilliant. Your appreciation is genuinely expressed. Unlike you however, I wasn't left with a sense of darkness or bleakness at all. On the contrary, I found the story uplifting, the way one might find a horror movie uplifting. The text never pities Grenouille and we are never meant to either. The constant pendulum of describing Grenouille as a victim and then antagonist, bordering on villian, serves as a mechanism to keep the reader in a state of ethical uncertainty. And then, just when we believe we know how to feel about the whole story suskind makes a mockery of our ethical boundaries and we are finally left with the absurd(a beautiful, elegant, almost poetic absurdity.) In such situations there is nothing left to do but laugh. Molto Bene!
I simply want to clarify my meaning of "black humor". The circumstances and people which surround Grenouille are the source of my smirks. Everyone who befriends him, takes advantage, connects in some way, falls into some ridiculous tragedy. Granted, they can be heart wrenching, and yet our anti-hero has already left the scene forever oblivious to the residual havoc he has played upon his unintentional victims. The man is poison! I loved the anticipation of what strange circumstances awaited his comrades. It actually is part of Suskind's genius, because if he had simply told a story of the crimes, I would have deemed the book unreadable.
Glen my comment was more geared toward the original poster. I think you feel similar to the way I do about this book. Much respect:)*note...I think TedB0t's review was wonderful as well. Thanks tedb0t!
Well said, and I agree with you 99%...but...do you remember that moment in the movie where Grenouille is chasing down Laura, and asks the man on the road which way she went? The man tells him it was to the East, and Grenouille pauses, stock still like a deer or a rabbit, smelling something on the wind and BOLTS in the opposite direction? SHIVERS! Okay, I'm done geeking out now. I agree that the movie disappoints in comparison with the book, but I was able to enjoy the movie somewhat on its own terms.
I started to read the novel because of the movie. Your review here makes me expect a much better version than that smelly stinky weird one that the movie seems to show ;) Thank you
I liked the movie. There is always, always going to be some disconnect between books and their film counterparts. I thought Whishaw's portrayal was more than black-and-white good or evil. I thought it was pretty ambiguous that he was outside of humanity and morals. He didn't feel guilty, but he didn't really enjoy it either.
I will not see the movie so not to spoil the idea I have about this book in my head.
I confess I have not read the book, although I would like to -- because of the movie. The movie was one of the most intriguing, unforgettable and visually rich movies I have ever seen. Perhaps it is best to see the movie first? I can only say that if the book far surpasses the movie, then it must be a wonderful book, and typically, I prefer to read the book first.
I also find reading books first will let me appreciate the movie more and be dissapointed less because I can fill in the missing bits from the book :)
I saw the movie a bunch of years ago, and just now got around to reading it. In hindsight, I agree that it was anemic, and yet...Ben Whishaw did a pretty good job of being creepy. The book really filled in the gaps, as usual.
I liked both the book and the movie; conveying smells when the things aren't really there is an impossible task anyways.
Hi. I came to this book after seeing the movie and I am sure I am not the first to do so. While filming "sensations" is near on impossible because cinema is a purely visual medium, some credit must be given to the film. The atmosphere and the grime is captured well and the music is magnificent. While the film takes some licence with the novel to make it more visually entertaining , the major criticism I have with the film is with the casting director. Dustin Hoffman is superb as Baldini but Ben Whishaw is just good looking for the hunchbacked ugly Grenouille. The fact that Grenouille was ugly was a vital part as to why he was so unloved and why he embraced hatred because that is all he knew. Whishaw, while being a fine actor, is just damned too charismatic to play Grenouille.
I really liked the film. Maybe it is not always important for a film to be an accurate portrayal, albeit an audio visual portrayal, of the book. I am reading the book because a friend of mine, who works for Chanel incidentally, told me she had read the book but not seen the film. She hated the book! Oops!
I could not disagree more with your assertion that this book is well written. The language is also repetitive
I hate myself for having watched the adaptation...
I love your review. I am an avid book to movie lover and pride myself on being able to compartmentalize details from books and movies and to appreciate them as their own separate art forms. I saw the movie first, learning about it from a German foreign exchange student. After finding out this book was a part of their high school curriculum and that it would be deemed inappropriate for a U.S. classroom, I immediately was intrigued. After watching the film, which horrified me to the point of wanting more, I knew I had to read the book. I have just finished the book and agree that the literary genius of Patrick Suskind is not captured enough in the movie. After only watching the movie, I could not phathom how it could be taught in a school. After reading the book, I can see and smell the genius. The book did drag on in some parts because I had seen the movie, but that did not deter me from finishing the book. I love it when you can feel sorry for someone who should be completely despised!
I read this book years ago. Like so long ago I barely remember much about it.
I read it in high school because of the Nirvana song that is based on the events in the novel, Scentless Apprentice.
You are the second friend that has read this book recently, that means I must read it again soon.
But when?!