Perfume The Story Of A Murderer Chapter Summaries
Introduction
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a novel by Patrick Süskind, first published in 1985. The novel tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an 18th-century Frenchman who is born without body odor and has a highly developed sense of smell. The novel is divided into 51 chapters and each chapter is a snapshot of Grenouille's life.
Chapter 1: Paris, 17 July 1738
The novel begins with the birth of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille on the streets of Paris. His mother gives birth to him on the fish market and abandons him. The chapter ends with the discovery of the baby by passersby.
Chapter 2: The Stench of Paris
This chapter describes the living conditions in Paris during the 18th century. The author paints a vivid picture of the filth, poverty, and disease that were rampant in the city. Grenouille grows up in this environment and becomes acutely aware of smells.
Chapter 3: The First Scent
In this chapter, Grenouille discovers his ability to smell and becomes fascinated by it. He discovers that he can identify the scents of different objects and people. This discovery leads him to become obsessed with capturing and preserving scents.
Chapter 4: The New Life
Grenouille is taken to an orphanage where he is mistreated by the other children and the caretakers. He becomes fixated on the idea of leaving the orphanage and discovering new scents.
Chapter 5: The Terrible Gift
Grenouille is apprenticed to a tanner, where he learns how to extract scents from animal hides. He discovers that he has a unique talent for creating scents and begins to experiment with different ingredients.
Chapter 6: The Girl
Grenouille becomes obsessed with a young girl's scent and follows her around the city. He becomes enraged when he realizes that he cannot capture her scent and decides to murder her.
Chapter 7: The Method
Grenouille devises a plan to murder the girl and extract her scent. He succeeds in killing her and preserving her scent. This experience leads him to become a serial killer and to search for the ultimate scent.
Chapter 8: The Second Scent
Grenouille moves to Grasse, a town famous for its perfumes. He creates a scent that is so powerful that it makes people love him. He becomes wealthy and famous but realizes that his scent is not the ultimate scent.
Chapter 9: The Third Scent
Grenouille becomes obsessed with creating a scent that is so powerful that it will make people worship him. He begins to experiment with different ingredients and eventually creates the ultimate scent.
Chapter 10: The Fourth Scent
Grenouille realizes that he cannot enjoy his ultimate scent because he has no one to share it with. He decides to commit suicide by pouring the scent all over himself and allowing himself to be torn apart by a mob of people.
Conclusion
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a captivating novel that explores the themes of obsession, power, and identity. The story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is both disturbing and fascinating, and Süskind's writing style is both poetic and chilling. The novel has been adapted into a movie and a play, but the book remains a classic of contemporary literature.