O Perfume: História de um Assassino

Grenouille, an orphan born in a filthy corner of Paris in 1738, discovers that his sense of smell is almost supernatural, while his own body gives off no scent at all. After training under the perfumer Baldini and learning the techniques of distillation, he moves to Grasse, where he becomes fixated on a way of preserving the scent of living beings. His method leads him to a series of killings, and the town panics. Süskind creates a fable about genius, loneliness, and the lack of human feeling.

If you enjoy unsettling historical thrillers that are told with detail and irony, this holds attention from start to finish. It will also change how you notice smells for a while.

Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?