A modern fable of a boy with an incredible sense of smell but no scent of his own. “Perfume” follows Grenouille (Frog) from his abandonment at birth through his childhood in ~foster care, adolescence as a tanning then perfume apprentice, time in isolation, and finally early adulthood learning enfleurage to make his ultimate perfume.
A main theme through this novel is how the often imperceptible sense of one’s smell contributes to their identity and perception by others. Since Grenouille gives off no scent, he is not perceived and found to be unsettling when people see him. Upon realizing this, Grenouille sets out to create the ultimate scent so others will perceive him as beautiful.
Writing in third-person omniscient, Süskind provides a sense of gravity and timelessness to the work without much personal introspection from Grenouille. He certainly isn’t an antihero that generates empathy. It’s an uncomfortable and unsettling read but also feels timeless. As a bonus, Süskind provides lots of interesting details about perfumery through Grenouille’s training.
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