Perfume The Story Of A Murderer Summary
Introduction
Perfume The Story Of A Murderer is a novel written by Patrick Süskind, published in 1985. It is a story of a man named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with no body odor in 18th century France. Grenouille has a unique ability to identify scents and has a passion for creating the perfect perfume. However, this passion leads him to commit a series of gruesome murders in order to obtain the perfect scent.
Plot Summary
The novel opens with the birth of Grenouille in the fish market of Paris in 1738. His mother, who was a fishmonger, gave birth to him on the spot and abandoned him. Grenouille was later found by a group of women who took him to a church. As he grows up, Grenouille discovers that he has no body odor but has an extraordinary sense of smell.
Grenouille becomes an apprentice to a perfumer, Giuseppe Baldini, and learns the art of perfume making. However, he is not satisfied with the perfumes he creates and is determined to make the perfect perfume. He discovers that the perfect scent can only be created by extracting the essence of beautiful young women.
Grenouille starts to stalk and murder young women, extracting their essence and creating the perfect perfume. He becomes obsessed with a young girl named Laura, whose scent he finds irresistible. He murders her and extracts her scent, creating the ultimate perfume.
The police investigate the murders and eventually capture Grenouille. However, he uses his knowledge of scent to manipulate them and escapes. Grenouille eventually becomes so obsessed with his own scent that he pours the entire bottle of perfume on himself, causing a crowd of people to become so overwhelmed by his scent that they trample him to death.
Main Characters
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille: The protagonist of the story, Grenouille is a man with no body odor but an extraordinary sense of smell. He becomes obsessed with creating the perfect perfume, leading him to commit a series of murders.
Giuseppe Baldini: A perfumer who becomes Grenouille's mentor and teaches him the art of perfume making.
Madame Gaillard: The woman who takes Grenouille in as a child and sells him to Baldini as an apprentice.
Antoine Richis: The father of Laura, one of Grenouille's victims. He becomes obsessed with finding her killer.
Themes
The novel explores several themes including:
Obsession: Grenouille's obsession with creating the perfect perfume leads him to commit murder.
Isolation: Grenouille is a social outcast due to his lack of body odor, leading him to feel isolated and alone.
Power: Grenouille's ability to manipulate people through scent gives him a sense of power and control.
Adaptations
The novel has been adapted into a film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, directed by Tom Tykwer and released in 2006. The film stars Ben Whishaw as Grenouille and features a score by composer Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil, and Johnny Klimek.
Conclusion
Perfume The Story Of A Murderer is a novel that explores the themes of obsession, isolation, and power. It tells the story of a man who becomes obsessed with creating the perfect perfume, leading him to commit a series of gruesome murders. The novel has been adapted into a film and remains a popular read for those interested in exploring the darker side of humanity.