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emmagreenwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Violence, Abortion, Classism, and Sexual content
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
He seems hardworking & humble, with a keen sense of smell & a talent for survival, but he is scheming beneath the façade & eventually becomes apprentice to a parfumier. There his talent for recognising & combining scents put his master on the road to riches, but Grenouille is looking for the perfect scent. He finds it one day in the form of a young girl whom he murders, & this is just the start of his killings.
If there was one word to sum up this book it would be "creepy". Everything about it is just off. To me, there seemed something profoundly misogynistic about it. Some of the older women were referred to in less than complimentary terms whilst the young virgin girls were described in extremely sexualised terms (such as when a father laments that he is his daughter's father & not a stranger who could sleep with her as she is so beautiful?!!), & as smelling different to those who were no longer virginal. There was no such comparison for men.
Then there's the spontaneous orgy at an execution (I'm not even kidding), & the ending is just ridiculous. It's a book ticked off the 'To Read' list but I can't recommend it & I definitely wouldn't re-read it.
TW: cannibalism, murder, animal cruelty/death, misogyny, paedophila, stalking.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Stalking
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, and Body horror
maess's review against another edition
- 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
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
jotimarino's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
vikiisamused's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
shmole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“When they finally did dare it, at first with stolen glances and then candid ones, they had to smile. They were uncommonly proud. For the first time they had done something out of love.“
Strange reading this while I have covid and am losing my sense of smell. A great book that I read at a strange time.
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Animal death
wocthehell's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
(++) Fascinating blend of perfumery lessons with the constant underlying unease that surrounds Grenouille
(+) Novel premise
(+) Beautiful prose even through translation
(–) Plot meanders and I suspect at least 50-70 pages could've been cut altogether
(–) Gratuitous description of
(––) The concept of being able to wear a perfume like a literal disguise was too much of a reach for me and consequently the ending fell flat
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Alcoholism
aelinstark's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Murder, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Animal death, Torture, Pedophilia, and Suicide
moncorn's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Animal cruelty, Gore, and Animal death
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Abandonment