Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

49 reviews

kanefriedenhagen's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, and Gore

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

helenahao's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Violence

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

natthahlyh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Violence

reggina's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, and Stalking

sco_whi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Stunning imagery, descriptive language, and an absurd plot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Incest, Death of parent, and Mental illness

r0se's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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, Violence, Torture, Murder, Cannibalism, and Gore

Moderate: Blood and Death

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

samanthawattam's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

The story is set in 18th century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is raised an orphan and develops a unique talent - an incredible sense of smell.  He goes to work at a tannery at the age of 8, and as he gains more personal freedom he collects and stores an increasing collection of smells in his olfactory senses feasting on the city of Paris until he decides his purpose in life is to become “the great perfumer of all time” - and lets nothing stand in his way. 

 

I had heard that this was a seriously creepy book and I had not seen the film before reading it.  I struggled with the story - it is full of imagery that overwhelm your senses  and just leave you feeling - ugh!  For me it was completely lacking in a story or characters for whom you give a hoot - Grenouille - he cares about one thing collecting scents that’s it he doesn’t even care about himself.  The book lacks any female voices except for peripheral characters or who are victims.  

 

The book is a fantasy a sort of surrealist portrayal of a parfumer but just because it’s clever doesn’t make it an enjoyable read.  Only recommend if you really enjoy weird books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Stalking, Murder, Gore, and Death