Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

51 reviews

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: Gore and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia

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

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

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

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, Body horror, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder

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

fbzreadswhatever's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment

emmaslibrary's review against another edition

dark slow-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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

r0se's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Violence, Excrement, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Incest, Sexual content, and Abortion

Minor: Death, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, and Abortion

bleu's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

This book is no doubt not for the faint of heart. It’s the story of a serial murderer across an older French backdrop. I personally think if you’re looking for a passive book of gory (but not too gory) portions, this book might be for you. The main character isn’t anything interesting but I do think what the main character lacks in depth, the book makes up for in writing. The book very much is written for the ending rather than the journey being the most important. I dropped an entire 2 stars because of the main character and feeling like the book didn’t go into the killings enough to make the end feel more worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Death and Blood

Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Alcohol

schwambibambi's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Ths book was far away from being even remotely enjoyable. The pedophilia and sexism was blatant and disgusting.

The moment Laure's father described his 16-year old daughter boobs and wished, he was a stranger to rape her in her sleep was the last straw. <spoiler/> From a psychological standpoint, this was a disaster too. No human on earth is born with no emotion without enduring trauma. The main character seemed to have his whole life plan ready once he came out of the womb. "Everything he did was planned" my shit. I know not every book has to be realistic, but come on, I expected some realism after no spoiler for fanatsy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexism

Minor: Incest

purecomedy's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, and Excrement

Minor: Xenophobia