Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

47 reviews

inkdrinkeranonymous's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Torture, Suicide attempt, Murder, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Stalking, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

kerrence30's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So dark it makes your wonder about the author’s inspiration. Beautifully written, and considering it exclusively focusses on the act of smelling and describing different scents it doesn’t read like a thesaurus. Written in such a sophisticated style that even more eccentric descriptors are harmonious. Although there are no likeable characters as such the story is gripping and you’re strangely torn between rooting for the main character and hoping he fails. Nothing else like this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest

maess's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Torture

poloniumblood's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Vomit, and Physical abuse

aelinstark's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Murder, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Animal death, Torture, Pedophilia, and Suicide

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Excrement and Misogyny

liilykke's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really liked this book!
From other reviews I realized most people read it out of school obligation, and that kinda ruins it, it's definitely not a book for everyone, but I wouldn't consider it a "bad" book. 
I think it's similar to a) Narcissus and Goldmund - Hermann Hesse b) A Certain Hunger- Chelsea Summers and c) My Year of Rest and Relaxation- Ottessa Moshfegh 
It contains long descriptions of olfactory stimuli, 18th century France in a beautiful and enchanting way.

It deals with the mind of the ultimate sociopath, whose killings are not out of moralistic obligation, to prove a point, nor because he liked the killing itself...but because he sees people in such a way that he is able to kill them in order to get what he needs- a scent.

I think you can read this book again and again and always find something unique. The prose is beautiful, it contrasts the gore descriptions that are presented. 
Süskind has done immersive research into perfumes, everything is articulated in such detail...

I really really enjoyed the descriptions inside the cave, his intense need to be away from everyone, how he described how much he wanted to empty himself.... I don't know how I feel about the ending yet, it was captivating and unexpected but part of me feels robbed of what it could have been, in a way...if that makes sense

I think if you enjoy dark and gore themes, but would also appreciate a discussion about humanity and death, this book is for u <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Gore

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

laurapeirs's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cannibalism, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Incest, War, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Gore, Child death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Pedophilia

marcostorin's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Cannibalism, Violence, and Body horror

camiloalcantara's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

I read this book a while ago and I didn't liked it. I am just adding the reading for the sake of registering and telling to however triesntonread it that is a bad book. Full of misogyny

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Violence

Moderate: Death, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Incest and Kidnapping