Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY

[@Northychen]

I made the odd discovery that after finishing that book I would actually smell things better. Probably because now I pay more attention to it.

[@RB939393]

I lie in the soil and fertilize mushrooms

[@willong6541]

Leaking out gas fumes made into perfume

[@mergieismoronic]

+Wil Long You can't fire me 'cause I quit

[@charliediaz9724]

Mergie S Throw me in a fire and I won’t throw a fit

[@santa3468]

Like most babies smell at birth

[@ianwalters11]

His smell smelled like no other. He was born a Scentless Apprentice!

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

This was shot last month - review starts at 3:10

[@ihavealotofsubscribersbeca7593]

Better Than Food: Book Reviews Witch do you like more; Coffee, or tea?

[@ruddyguzzman]

Thanks....I was like....Florida? Hurricanes??? Ugh...

[@Meilat1890]

Just finished the book today. I felt a myriad of emotions with this book. Had to put it down a few times to compute what I just read and digest the layers of emotions and symbolism. Especially, Chapter 49 and forward. I have to say it’s my favourite book thus far.

[@mckamy4711]

This book made me smell everything more, I have always liked candles/Incense/perfumes but now I want to know all of the ingredients, what they smell like and where they come from

[@madsdesouza2683]

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS FOR SO LONG YAS

[@josejalaeno73]

Fun fact, Grenouille is also the French word for “Frog”

[@nora-hs4fi]

Omg thank you

[@kmcq692]

Yeah. Grenouille is an object without soul, vacant, true negation. He knows his existence can only be, literally BE, if he devours the beauty of life within others, the ones with soul.

[@Flyzoola]

I first read this book in 11th grade like, 19 years ago, for English class as the book we would read on our own time. My teacher hadn't read the book, but when he would "quiz" me on it, he would constantly tell me "Ah, the protagonis is named Grenoullie? Grenouille is french for frog" I never forgot that lol

[@dh7314]

5:37

[@chanjiachi]

I read this book a couple of months ago, after you did a review of "The Pigeon". Thks for introducing Patrick Suskind. Love his work.

[@bearnerdette6077]

I think the book has an unreliable narrator. We are meant to believe that Grenouille does not love nor care about anything but his perfume. But I think that's why he tries to create the scent, and also why he dies the way he does - in a last effort to be loved. I think the novel leaves no doubt that he cannot be accepted or loved by his surroundings. Thus he is made the monster rather than being born as one... Yes, he is a murderer. But he never was given the chance to live a normal life in the first place. Even as a baby he was singled out as being unnormal... the narrator makes us believe that Grenouille is a monster from the start. Unreliable narration... that's how I see the novel.

[@happymaskedguy1943]

I do agree in many ways.

[@yourbiggestfan345]

This theme of man/society made monster reminded me of Frankenstein as well in many ways

[@annelawrence9127]

your channel enhances my life - you have no idea - thank you

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

Anne Lawrence My pleasure, thank you for stopping by.

[@BetweenLinesAndLife]

I watched a little bit of it on Patreon, but never got to finish it properly. Everyone always talks about Perfume. And with everything everyone talks about I am always a bit skeptical. But with your approval, it's a go!

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

I felt the same way. It was a mentor who finally sent it and said 'SEND IT BACK AFTER YOU'RE DONE'. That is a very good strategy to get someone to read a book...

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

Did not know "Scentless Apprentice" was influenced by a book.

[@sub-genreoffical5905]

I knew already!

[@carloparaiso5553]

What a nirvana song?

[@c2e.7877]

Kurt Cobain's favourite book. He said in an interview he relates to Jean Baptiste in the way of being disgusted by humans.

[@gotnuggets99]

it makes the song so much better knowing the backstory, kurt combines the beautiful and the haunting just like suskind. a perfect nirvana song and a perfect “nirvana” book

[@onfaerystories]

The day you'll start learning French, you'll be surprised by the pronunciation of ''grenouille''. ;) So, I'm sooo excited by this review! I've been following you since the very beginning and I was waiting for this video! Perfume is one of my favourite books. In my opinion, Grenouille is probably a psychopath... His lack of empathy is disturbing. He wants recognition more than love since he doesn't really know what love is. He's never experienced it. And I don't remember him feeling sad by his perfume's effect on people. He achieved what he felt he had to achieve, and now he can die fully accomplished. Grenouille isn't a normal human being. His vision of life and purpose are very different from our own understanding.He was obsessed, and now that he has done what he had to do in his own eyes, he doesn't have a reason to live anymore. Being eaten alive is, in his distorted mind, a glorious end. I was always amazed by the last lines of the book. I cannot find them, but I remember them in French. It was along the lines of ''They looked at eachother and started smiling, for they had done for the fist time in their life something out of love.'' That's Grenouille's twisted view of love, even if it means being craved for. Literally. What a great book. I was laughing so much when the orgy happened. I didn't expect that at all.

[@chrishamilton2559]

Jessica Laporte Jean Baptiste was autistic. Not psychopathic

[@chrishamilton2559]

Jessica Laporte he choose to die as he did as an act of contrition

[@onfaerystories]

@Dream Dream Serene I read this book thrice. Every single human beings he interacts with ARE selfish, but everything he does is never out of love or compassion for anyone. He's a victim, but he's toxic as well, not caring about anyone but the success of his enterprise. For what? To show how superior he is. And then he's disappointed because it's all an illusion. He wanted it to be genuine. But it's not, so it's pointless. I did feel empathy towards him especially in the beginning of the book, but his heart is so very cold all the way through, and he's never blaming it on people rejecting him. He killed these young girls he never met before without an ounce of remorse. I think you should read the book again, carefully. The narrator doesn't hide from us that Grenouille's a vicious man, and that it was there all along even when we're not in his head - and when you get to read his thoughts, he's not the victim, he just hates people because they're not as enlighted as he is. Never because they exploited him. It's in that sense that he's not a "normal human being". I don't think anyone should read him as such.

[@milfredcummings717]

@@onfaerystories Instead of reading The Parfume three times, you should have read Le Roi des aulnes (The Erl-King) and Vendredi ou la Vie sauvage (Friday and Robinson) by Michel Tournier and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Then you would understand The Parfume much better.

[@milfredcummings717]

@@chrishamilton2559 Lack of emotional expression is one of the characteristics of autism. But in general, I totally agree with you.

[@kmcq692]

I have a sudden theory that Suskind, Tykwer, and The Wachowskis read that biography of Bataille in the late 80s. Maybe it’s just because that was the era I personally devoured this book. And all sorts of other art. You know, just being young and alive. Feels a particular way. We loved this book.

[@tinafromadelaide2073]

I loved this book, and also The Pigeon (the latter maybe even more so). I think it definitely has a deeper meaning; Süskind is possibly commenting on or criticising the philosophy of sensualism. The whole book seems to have so much symbolism/depth...i think it would take a few reads to get the most of it! But its meaning is debated...

[@tinafromadelaide2073]

Also, i can't believe I never realised about Scentless Apprentice.

[@lordmaximus5]

Just started reading this book last week, what a pleasant surprise

[@fiat_maria]

Ah yes this is one of my favourite reads. Thank you for the review:) I enjoyed it very much. The epistemic question regarding self identity, therefore purpose in life, really stuck with me after I finished Perfume. If you have the time, I'd love it if you could do a review for The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. :) Thanks again.

[@paulomiguel6484]

Also in 'Grenouille' don't mind the lls it's just pronounced grenouye

[@tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds]

I love that book! And, by the way, your pronunciation of "Süskind" was really good 👍

[@kismetau]

I also loved this book. For anyone interested there is a German crime series on Netflix that is inspired by the book but set in modern times.

[@guilhermehuyer]

That is a very interesting adaptation of the story, with huge loads of creative liberty, but still great. Actually, what I enjoyed the most about the mini series was precisely the way it expanded the themes of the original book. In a way, the series work as a spin off of the book, and not necessarily as a page to page adaptation.

[@LewisOsborne]

Great review of my fave book! Grenouille is pronounced Gren-Wee

[@karkasnatschka5779]

grenwee? ...no, mate, i speak french and it is pronounced 'ɡrenuj'

[@bluerayblair522]

Cid MHG it’s pronounced this way as in “Grenwee” or “Grenouye”, pretty sure all Ls in his name aren’t pronounced. At least this is how it’s pronounced in the audiobook

[@josejalaeno73]

@@karkasnatschka5779 Grenuj? I’m not French (well at least I wasn’t born in France or speak fluent French, tho my family lineage is primarily French, my last name is literally the French word for a granier) but I always pronounced the MC’s name as Gren-oo-wee (very light emphasis in the “oo” part, almost as if it’s not even there.) Even just putting Grenouille into google translate, it also pronounces it as “gren-oo-wee”

[@IshkaGaming]

Just finished this five mins ago! Had no idea about the Nirvana link and they are one of my favourite bands.

[@oldmoviemusic]

Has anyone here ever seen that old Chanel ad based off of this book? It's really well done - it's premise is basically that for every No. of Chanel perfume there was a murdered woman, and that No.5 was formulated as the result of that process. Look it up.

[@kmcq692]

Whoa.

[@onfaerystories]

Oh, I was wondering if you've read The Notebook by Ágota Kristóf? It's the first novel of an amazing French trilogy. The books are short and can be read very quickly. The second one is The Proof and the third one is The Third Lie. You won't regret it. ;) These books are very close on my list of favourites to Perfume.

[@DonJuanDecepticon]

There definitely is a recurring theme of loosing everything before you die in the story.

[@anav6669]

I'm happy you're doing this book. I loved it.

[@ShannonsChannel]

I didn't realize this was a book but I watched a foreign series on Netflix called Perfume and enjoyed it very much. From what I remember of it, it is similar to what you've described here, and yet different. I love how you think and analyse.

[@couldhavebeenbetterreviews9202]

The Florida Keyes got hit bad, but the HEMMINGWAY CATS are OKAY! 😊👌

[@L3n1n99]

My favourite book... never read something so outrageous yet relatable!

[@sarahloffler1872]

Could it be perhaps argued that there is a correlation between the perversity of grenouille and the perversity of god where both act upon a primordial urge to be adored/acknowledged and through their invisible/unknown/undiscoverable actions, they wreak havoc upon the unsuspecting bystanders/victims?

[@stellaisteeth]

I'd take it further. Grenouille is like an interpretation of what god could be, if god were the extension of the holistic image of humanity. Regard the idea that humans are a lesser representation of god, and yet it was humans who created that interpretation. Grenouille is an extension of humanity, and yet is also a token of what humanity 'means' as akin to god.

[@chrishamilton2559]

sloffler woogiewoogie the ridiculous pomposity on display coupled with a total lack of comprehension has compelled me to comment here; Jean Baptiste is purely human. He is possessed of a remarkable skill that he cannot comprehend that no one else around him has. As a human being who has struggled for simple survival and is dismissed routinely as a deficient person, he is driven to attain greatness, knowing that he has the capability to achieve it. His greatest deficiency is his inability to communicate his divine ability or his intention, forcing him to resort to imposing his will upon the objects of his affection. Ambition and ability tempered by hubris. Jean Baptiste's most debilitating shortcoming? Autism

[@travissearles23]

Morgan Janine I am "God" as youll watch me rise from the bushes in 1 minute! After that you have 5 sec to leave or i release the gas!

[@travissearles23]

@billgates @warrenbuffet ive got the cure for parkinsons, cancer and autism! I need 400 trillion or i release the water!😆

[@travissearles23]

@billgates which you shall donate to a childrens charity by an anonomous person or being!

[@krisguerini]

Curious to know your interpretation of the ending

[@deelak2329]

Dude, yes. My favourite Album: In Utero.

[@james-nw9up]

I remember Irma.. it was so fun. Floridian here

[@ziggomatic5772]

Is that a copy of fanged noumena on your side table?

[@alannothnagle]

Great review, thanks! I read "Perfume" many years back, and my problem with it was that, while I thought the story was compelling, the ending was rubbish and, I thought, sort of an act of desperation on the part of the author. The fact is that people respond very differently to fragrances. As we all know, some people turn us on in a big way - by scent, even if we don't realize it at first - and others simply don't, no matter how good-looking and charismatic they might otherwise be. This isn't exactly rocket science! There are other factors involved too. Some years ago, I thought the scent of my Great Love was the best smell in the world. After the relationship hit the rocks and turned severely toxic, however, she smelled downright poisonous to me. Also, as a straight guy, I find some women olfactorily attractive, whereas all men frankly stink as far as I'm concerned. The same applies to commercial scents, which can smell wonderful or disgusting. A GF of mine from some time back used to stink of chlorine, as if she had doused herself in scouring powder. That was always a bit of a challenge in love-making! I later realized it was probably some sort of expensive scent that just didn't work for me. I've also heard that those fancy pheromone fragrances people buy can smell either like sex or like slightly rancid meat to the opposite gender. My point is that no one scent, or even mix of scents, is going to provoke a vast orgy, let alone get the protagonist eaten alive in a graveyard. So the book did not convince me that a universal scent was possible, and thus the conclusion, while it makes a sort of literary sense, demanded more suspension of disbelief that I was willing to give.

[@timkjazz]

Loved Perfume and The Pigeon, both superb books and even enjoyed the film of Perfume.

[@kmcq692]

Me too. I think the film was underrated. What an achievement.

[@timkjazz]

Agreed, thought the film was tremendous, was the only one in the theater when I saw it, lol.@@kmcq692

[@user-mf1rz9mn3l]

Can you do Gravity's rainbow? Thank you so much for doing these, I really enjoy them!

[@jamesbaxterfromax]

I think I got a bit fooled cause I found the characters to be very one note or cartoonish around the protagonist but in my head it has become an amazing book

[@okirrama3587]

The book is soo good Kurt Cobain even made a song about it

[@grantwallace1882]

I sought out your review because I wanted to hear your thoughts on one of my favourite books.

[@guilhermehuyer]

My favorite book. Loved the review. And the movie was the most perfect an adaptation could get, in my opinion.

[@alimomeni4777]

What an insane review! Good job! The only thing you didn't mention is that he didn't want to be a killer... he tried to pay a prostitute to do it without killing. I feel like that's important.

[@dacoolestzzz]

I am 13, I got the book cause I saw an interview that Kurt Cobain recommended it. I really enjoy it so far.

[@milfredcummings717]

Yeah, same thing. Now you have to read these three: Michel Tournier - Le Roi des Aulnes; Venerdi ou la vie Sauvage and Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Thank me later! : )

[@serkseees]

Im a fan of both the book and kurt cobain.

[@Octa95]

I really love your channel! Have you read The Croning by Laird Barron? It's an horror novel, but I think you'll like it. And, since is October...

[@MrBesign]

One of my favourites. In my top 5 for sure.

[@paulomiguel6484]

Nice reviews, can we maybe have a Pynchon's 'gravity's rainbow' on the near future?

[@magnusruben9646]

Does anyone know if monsieur still provides critique on writing? And how I can enlist monsieur's help?

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

Hi there, thanks for your interest. You can shoot me an email at [e-mail]

[@magnusruben9646]

@@BetterThanFoodBookReviews quick on the draw! I appreciate that. Will return fire soon!

[@TheDndemon]

Just finished this book today! Great book! Cliff, have you seen the movie and is it worth checking out?

[@issamhamad4448]

I have a novel I’d like you to review. It’s called The Birdshack Redemption, and it is a retelling of The Shawshank Redemption, the novella by Steven King. But, I can’t afford to pay ‘a dollar per page!’

[@johnochiltree1170]

Oh shoot! Are you doing a review of Nick Lands’s Fanged Noumena?

[@watcher8582]

So, do you believe that morals are non-subjective? If you think some are, do you think there are exceptions?

[@triple_gem_shining]

We love Kurt

[@Skiz0id]

Love this book

[@TheDndemon]

Just upgraded my Patreon now. Want to try some coffee!!

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

You've been entered amigo

[@NatureTrips]

I didnt know about the Nirvana song \o/

[@tracyratelle1357]

I just bought this book resently, and always wanted to buy this. Its a pretty strange book so far

[@joaquincontreras3699]

Please can you review some John Cheever? “The stories of” or “Falconer”

[@xBEERmonsterx]

Just read the book. Crazy how the male figures that helped him, along the way, all die. Punished by god?

[@Gustang653]

they all someway or another tried to benifit from him then discard him they got cursed by the god of smells

[@AmericanSpyFox]

people ask for patreon when they spend most of their time editing and researching videos because it becomes their job. seems like all you do is read a book you would have read anyway and then speak to a camera for a few minutes. i didn't know people were this ignorant with their money. maybe i should ask for patreon members too.

[@muaths8066]

well your review quality sure came a long way from 2017 :)

[@sneedle252]

Review Lust, Caution (pls). Also congrats for surviving.

[@Daniel-do2yj]

Please Henry Miller! please! :)

[@dylanjames1048]

Are you Dylan Carlson?

[@OpenMind7024]

Ever thought about reviewing some Nietzsche?

[@EWOKakaDOOM]

I spy a Fanged Noumena paperback.

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

Correct.

[@ladynottingham89]

I remember watching this movie back in the day and really rooting for the guy to catch the girl and make the perfume. Something's wrong with me.

[@starduck8014]

There is something very Grenouille about Jeffrey Dahmer

[@chrishamilton2559]

Jean Baptiste was autistic. Has no one realized this?

[@keithhunt5328]

Book about misanthropy

[@dreadknightftw7217]

Review a book called Locust its available on amazon

[@johnnyglades5342]

stop with those scams

[@glenneil3569]

Kurt Cobain

[@chrishamilton2559]

All of the analysis of this piece of work has gotten it wrong. All of it

[@jimmierustler781]

chris hamilton Well, what is the correct analysis?

[@kmcq692]

I wonder. I think it’s an allegory about profound greed.

[@sidclark1953]

First half of that book was amazing, the second half was a big disappointment.