Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Patrick Suskind, (Translator) John E. Woods

ISBN 10: 0375725849 / ISBN 13: 9780375725845

Published by Vintage International, 2001

In the slums of 18th-century Paris a baby is born, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille clings to life wih an iron will, growing into a dark and sinister young man who, although he has no scent of his own, possesses an incomparable sense of smell. He apprentices himself to a perfumer and quickly masters the ancient art of mixing flowers, herbs, and oils. But his quest to create the 'ultimate perfume' leads him to commit a series of brutal murders until no woman can feel safe as his final horrifying secret is revealed. Seller Inventory # 3946043

Synopsis:

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - Set in eighteenth-century France, the classic novel that provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion--his sense of smell--leads to murder.

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift--an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"--the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

Translated from the German by John E. Woods.

About the Author: PATRICK SÜSKIND was born in Ambach, near Munich, in 1949. He studied medieval and modern history at the University of Munich. His first play, The Double Bass, was written in 1980 and became an international success. It was performed in Germany, in Switzerland, at the Edinburgh Festival, in London, and at the New Theatre in Brooklyn. His first novel, Perfume became an internationally acclaimed bestseller. He is also the author of The Pigeon and Mr. Summer's Story, and a coauthor of the enormously successful German television series Kir Royal. Mr. Süskind lives and writes in Munich.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Publisher: Vintage International
Publication Date: 2001
Binding: Paperback
Condition: New