The Book Club members last met on Thursday 10th January to discuss Patrick Suskind’s 1985 novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. German writer Suskind worked as a scriptwriter for several television series in Germany in the 1980’s. He is also a playwright and essayist but is best known for his internationally acclaimed bestselling novel Perfume. Tom Tykwer directed a movie version of the novel which was released in 2006 even though experimental director Stanley Kubrick once claimed the novel was unfilmable. The novel has inspired songwriters including Kurt Cobain who wrote Scentless Apprentice after reading Perfume, a book which was among his favourites.

The novel follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille who was abandoned at birth and eventually rejected by all subsequent carers. Grenouille was born with a superhuman sense of smell and can identify smells which are usually imperceptible to the average human being. He eventually decides to make use of his talents and becomes an apprentice to a renowned Parisian perfumer. However, he soon tires of the turgid concoctions required of him in his new occupation and sets off to master more advanced perfume-making techniques and to find new ingredients with which to create the ultimate scent – a voyage which has gruesome consequences.

The novel provides a satirical representation of 18th century France with a nod towards the savage events which were to occur at the end of that period in French history. At times, Perfume parodies the ideals of the Enlightenment with the figure of the marquis. He signifies the logic and rationale of the Age of Reason and his research unintentionally exposes its inability to explain all.

This was a title which created an enthusiastic discussion – with most members eager to state the reasons for their dislike of the novel! The opening scene is memorable and the descriptions of the various stenches were so vivid that some members claimed they felt physically sick. The group remarked that they had never come across such an unsympathetic character and felt it was impossible to relate to Grenouille. They described his character as beastly, primitive and barely human. Despite themselves, some also pronounced it a fascinating story with extremely effective descriptions. The historical aspect of perfumery was of interest and the group particularly liked the descriptions of the various methods of scent extraction. The members thought it a disturbing yet compelling read but in a very different sense to the average page-turner.

Everyone in the group was agreed it was a most unusual novel but is definitely worth a read for those of you interested in anything surreal, unique and offbeat. Certainly not for the easily shocked but if you are looking for something different then Perfume offers a most original read. It definitely caused a stir among the group and generated a very interesting discussion.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 14th of February at 7 p.m