Perfume

Synopsis

An erotic masterpiece of twentieth century fiction - a tale of sensual obsession and bloodlust in eighteenth century Paris

'An astonishing tour de force both in concept and execution' Guardian

In eighteenth-century France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages. His name was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and if his name has been forgotten today.

It is certainly not because Grenouille fell short of those more famous blackguards when it came to arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, wickedness, but because his gifts and his sole ambition were restricted to a domain that leaves no traces in history: to the fleeting realm of scent . . .

'A fantastic tale of murder and twisted eroticism controlled by a disgusted loathing of humanity . .. Clever, stylish, absorbing and well worth reading' Literary Review

'A meditation on the nature of death, desire and decay . . . A remarkable début' Peter Ackroyd, The New York Times Book Review

'Unlike anything else one has read. A phenomenon . . . [It] will remain unique in contemporary literature' Figaro

'An ingenious and totally absorbing fantasy' Daily Telegraph

'Witty, stylish and ferociously absorbing' Observer

Summary

Chapter 1: The Boy

* Introduction to Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an orphan with an extraordinary sense of smell.
* Example: Grenouille's first encounter with a scent, the smell of a plum that changes his perception of the world.

Chapter 2: The Tanner

* Grenouille is apprenticed to Grimal, a tanner with an apprentice named Olivier.
* Example: Grenouille's ability to detect the scent of a murderer, leading to Olivier's arrest.

Chapter 3: The Perfumer

* Grenouille escapes from Grimal and travels to Paris to learn perfumery under Baldini.
* Example: Grenouille creates a perfume that seduces Baldini's clients but realizes he lacks the ability to preserve it.

Chapter 4: The Perfume Seller

* Grenouille leaves Baldini and works as a perfume seller for Madame Arnulfi.
* Example: Grenouille discovers the scent of a beautiful young woman named Laura Richis and becomes obsessed with capturing it.

Chapter 5: The Murderer

* Grenouille murders Laura Richis to obtain her scent.
* Example: The police pursue Grenouille as a serial murderer, targeting young women with distinct scents.

Chapter 6: The Physician

* Grenouille seeks the help of Taillade-Espinasse, a physician who studies human odor.
* Example: Taillade shows Grenouille that human scent is destroyed by extraction and preserving it requires a process of distillation.

Chapter 7: The Distiller

* Grenouille kidnaps and kills girls with the scents he needs to create his masterpiece perfume.
* Example: Grenouille's capture and trial, where he argues that his perfume has the power to alter people's perceptions.

Chapter 8: The Execution

* Grenouille is executed in a public square.
* Example: The crowd witnesses Grenouille's perfume working its magic, leading to mass hysteria and violence.

Chapter 9: The Legacy

* Grenouille's perfume remains a legend, both celebrated and feared for its power to control human behavior.
* Example: A modern perfumer's attempt to recreate Grenouille's perfume results in an uncontrollable chain reaction.