Perfume
The Story of a Murderer
Published by Diogenes as Das Parfum
Original Title: Das Parfum. Die Geschichte eines Mörders

Perfume is a long-lasting international success story: Originally published in 1985 and translated into over 50 languages, the book has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. In Germany, the book spent 9 years on the Spiegel bestseller list. The movie adaptation of 2006 was one of the 15 most successful in German cinema history, with 5.6 million box office viewers in Germany alone.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in eighteenth-century Paris and abandoned on the streets, discovers that he has an extraordinary – almost superhuman – sense of smell, he inherited from his mother. As he sniffs his way across France, this gift is exploited by Grenouille to create the world’s most marvellous perfumes. Yet in seeking perfection in his experiments, he realises that a vital ingredient is missing for the perfect scent: innocence. In order to get the ingredient he needs, he must capture it – whatever the cost.

Contemporary Literature, Compulsory Reading
320 pages
1985

978-3-257-01678-9
Patrick
Süskind

Patrick Süskind, born in Ambach on Lake Starnberg in 1949, studied medieval and modern history in Munich and Aix-en-Provence, making a living writing screenplays. His one-man play The Double Bass was published in 1984, his novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in 1985, the novella The Pigeon in 1987 and The Story of Mr Sommer with illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempé in 1991.

Photo: © Philipp Keel

Quotes

Sunday Times, London
»Süskind shows his outstanding gift for unravelling the implications behind very small oddities, and exposing the dangerous anarchy which lurks beneath everyday events.«
Daily Telegraph, London
»Reminiscent of Kafka in its fearsome triviality and its bleak depiction of vulnerability.«
Guardian, London
»Frightening and surprisingly moving«
Literary Review
»A fantastic tale of murder and twisted eroticism controlled by a disgusted loathing of humanity … Clever, stylish, absorbing and well worth reading.«
Daily Telegraph
»An ingenious and totally absorbing fantasy«
The Guardian, London
»An astonishing ›tour de force‹ both in concept and execution.«
San Francisco Chronicle
»A supremely accomplished work of art, marvelously crafted and enjoyable, and rich in historical detail.«
Alice Villon-Lechner
Tages-Anzeiger, Zurich

»It’s an exceptionally clever book, one to be relished; virtuoso even in its details and contradictions.«

Michael Fischer
Der Spiegel, Hamburg

»With delicate poetry, Süskind writes of the persuasive power of scent, enrapturing the reader. He gives form to the exotic aromas.«

Stern, Hamburg

»A monster has entered German-language literature, of the kind that hasn’t been since Oskar Matzerath and his tin drum – this is a literary event.«

Die Welt, Berlin

»A precious jewel of style and suspense.«

Le Figaro, Paris

»Unlike anything you’ve ever read. A phenomenon.«

Awards

2007

›Bayerischer Filmpreis‹ für die Beste Regie an Tom Tykwer für Das Parfum

2007

6 Lolas beim ›Deutschen Filmpreis‹ für Das Parfum

2007

›DIVA‹ für Das Parfum

2006

›Schauspieler des Jahres‹ für Ben Whishaw und Karoline Herfurth in Das Parfum

2006

›Bambi‹ für den Besten Film des Jahres für Das Parfum

Movie adaptations

2006
Das Parfum. Die Geschichte eines Mörders, Tom Tykwer