Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
by Patrick Suskind, J.E. Woods | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0140120831 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 0140120831 Global Overview for this book
Registered by cats-eye of Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on 3/25/2006
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Saturday, March 25, 2006
Synopsis (Amazon.co.uk):
Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets as a child, but grows up to discover, he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human's. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in Paris. Yet there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And to get it, he must kill. And kill. And kill.
Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets as a child, but grows up to discover, he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human's. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in Paris. Yet there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And to get it, he must kill. And kill. And kill.
Journal Entry 2 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Friday, January 11, 2008
This has been bumped to the top of Mt TBR as it will be read and then used to jump-start a stalled ring started by chas04 :)
Journal Entry 3 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Saturday, February 9, 2008
I'm sorry I let this one sit on my shelf for so long! I really enjoyed the fairytale-esque style of this book, and thought Suskind has a brilliantly succinct writing style that doesn't ever get overly flowery or wasteful in description, yet still manages to set a fabulously atmospheric story. I will certainly be on the lookout for more things by this author, and it's a pleasure to get it moving to see what other BC'ers think of it!
Posting today - thought I'd already sent this, but realised I hadn't! Sorry!! (28-02-08)
Posting today - thought I'd already sent this, but realised I hadn't! Sorry!! (28-02-08)
Journal Entry 4 by chas04 from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Thank you very much for sending this. It will be used to restart a stalled bookray.
Journal Entry 5 by chas04 from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I have had a huge response for this bookray so I hope you enjoy reading it. The rules are like most other rays:
1) Journal the book when it arrives, when you have read it and when you send it on to the next person.
2) Please try and read it within 4 weeks.
Here is the list;
- cinnycat, New York, USA - US only
- humberts-doll, Missouri, USA - US only
- raynequeen, Texas, USA - INT
- sistert, Maryland, USA - INT
- jax987654321, London - INT
- synical, Malaysia - INT
- criminologeek, Malaysia - INT
- bechan, New Zealand - INT
- colllapse, Australia (Europe from May onwards) - INT
- snufkin81, South Africa
Long live this frankly HUGE bookray, lets get it started!
All the above copied from the original, as the original was stalled, I shall get it moving again.
1) Journal the book when it arrives, when you have read it and when you send it on to the next person.
2) Please try and read it within 4 weeks.
Here is the list;
- cinnycat, New York, USA - US only
- humberts-doll, Missouri, USA - US only
- raynequeen, Texas, USA - INT
- sistert, Maryland, USA - INT
- jax987654321, London - INT
- synical, Malaysia - INT
- criminologeek, Malaysia - INT
- bechan, New Zealand - INT
- colllapse, Australia (Europe from May onwards) - INT
- snufkin81, South Africa
Long live this frankly HUGE bookray, lets get it started!
All the above copied from the original, as the original was stalled, I shall get it moving again.
Journal Entry 6 by chas04 from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sending to the lovely cinnycat in New York, USA. Enjoy the book and keep the ray moving!
Journal Entry 7 by BookBirds from Somewhere in the USA, -- Wild Released somewhere in USA -- USA on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I got this in the mail today (another ring/ray got here too! egads, why do they always get here at the same time?!?!) I'll be getting to this after I read the last 40 pages in my current book. thanks so much for sending it, chas04 and thanks for the replacement copy cats-eye!
Journal Entry 8 by BookBirds from Somewhere in the USA, -- Wild Released somewhere in USA -- USA on Thursday, April 24, 2008
I wasn't that impressed with this. With all the horrible stories about what people do in the newspaper every day I didn't really need to read a book based solely on a character's pure contempt for human beings. I guess I thought there would be more to it or something.
Journal Entry 9 by BookBirds at Controlled releases in Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (5/7/2008 UTC) at Controlled releases in Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Sent today!
Sent today!
Arrived safely yesterday. It will be interesting to see how this compares to the movie version. Generally, the book is always better.
This book wasn't as dark as I'd expected, which is not to say it's a "light" read in the truest sense of the term. It actually touches on the magical-realism genre, which I usually find somewhat off-putting. But I really enjoyed learning more about the fragrance-making process, and the author explored some interesting ideas about the power of scent. However, I think it could have been a bit more powerful had Grenouille been a first-person narrator and if the reader had not be told but given the chance to realize just what a troubled, manipulative person he is. He might have made a great unreliable narrator who the reader is never quite sure is telling the truth or slanting things in his favor. I also found it hard to believe that he was stupid, considering how manipulative he was. The book wasn't as gruesome as the movie, and in some ways missed opportunities to build suspense and emotional envolvement. But I wonder if I would've felt that way had I not watched the movie first.
Sent off on 5-24-08.
Sent off on 5-24-08.
Received today, thanks. I'll start reading soon.
I found this book strangely appealing- that is, the story was very strange and disturbing, and yet I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing this as a bookring.
Mailed today to sistert!
Can't believe I never journaled that this one had arrived. Sorry folks!
Finished it a few weeks ago then rented the movie to see how they pulled it off. All in all, both left me flat at the end. I got totally pulled into the story until the big moment... and then I felt like it was simply a dream sequence kind of ending. So far fetched and far removed from the intensity of the main story.
Oh well.
Contacting jax987654321 now.
Finished it a few weeks ago then rented the movie to see how they pulled it off. All in all, both left me flat at the end. I got totally pulled into the story until the big moment... and then I felt like it was simply a dream sequence kind of ending. So far fetched and far removed from the intensity of the main story.
Oh well.
Contacting jax987654321 now.
Journal Entry 16 by sistert at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, February 21, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (2/23/2009 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Planned to move it on quickly. Got caught up in school work. Then thought I lost the book. Then I found the book! Then I got caught up in externship work. Will finally be getting this on to jax987654321 though!
Planned to move it on quickly. Got caught up in school work. Then thought I lost the book. Then I found the book! Then I got caught up in externship work. Will finally be getting this on to jax987654321 though!
Journal Entry 17 by 
jax987654321
from Wembley, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, March 12, 2009
jax987654321 from Wembley, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, March 12, 2009
will read this asap. This was sent to my old address, it wasn't redirected because it didn't have my real name on it! I was meeting with my previous flatmate today, so she brought it in, having read it herself in the meantime.
Journal Entry 18 by jax987654321 from Wembley, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, April 3, 2009
jax987654321 from Wembley, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, April 3, 2009
I read this as it is on the BBCtop100 and for once I agree with the rating. This is not a predictable book, with no predictable ending. I really enjoyed it and would read something by this author again. Thankyou for organsing this! Will be on its way asap.
Have contacted the next 2 people on the list, both of whom have asked to be skipped. Am waiting for the 3rd one to reply
Have contacted the next 2 people on the list, both of whom have asked to be skipped. Am waiting for the 3rd one to reply
Journal Entry 19 by jax987654321 at Ealing, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, July 11, 2009
jax987654321 at Ealing, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, July 11, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (7/11/2009 UTC) at Ealing, Greater London United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Posted today to go to its last part of the book ray..
Posted today to go to its last part of the book ray..
Journal Entry 20 by snufkin81 from Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Sunday, September 27, 2009
Arrived safely in South Africa. Thanks, jax987654321 and chas04! I have quite a few books ahead of this one, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.
I'm so sorry for keeping this so long!
I have finally read it and, while I thought the writing was beautiful, I was really put off by the subject matter.
I will release it soon.
I have finally read it and, while I thought the writing was beautiful, I was really put off by the subject matter.
I will release it soon.
Journal Entry 22 by snufkin81 at UCT: Kramer Building, Middle Campus in Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Released 1 yr ago (1/24/2023 UTC) at UCT: Kramer Building, Middle Campus in Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Left on the Free Books shelf on Level 2.
