The smell of grass after the rain, a new book, freshly washed laundry, a lovingly prepared meal, the preferred type of tea or coffee—everyone has their own favorite scent. Often, we find it difficult to describe the olfactory world, and as a result, we tend to view the sense of smell as inferior to the other four senses.
But what if there were a person equipped with an extraordinary sense of smell, like that of our domesticated predator friends such as dogs or cats? This "what-if scenario" is explored in the novel Perfume. It is a kind of historical thriller, written with overwhelming linguistic finesse by the German author Patrick Süskind.
The reader follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from his birth to his death, through all corners of 18th-century France. Two things make the boy unique: he has no scent of his own, yet he can detect smells better than any bloodhound. His goal—to become the best perfumer in France, no matter the cost.
Smells like Teen Spirit
Süskind vividly describes the scents themselves, which makes quite an impression on a linguistic level while reading, as we humans generally find it difficult to convey smells through language. Scents are processed in the limbic system, a brain region that also governs drives and emotions. The brain's language centers (particularly the so-called Broca's area) are less closely connected to the limbic system. This is why many people find it difficult not only to express feelings but also to put scents into words.
To achieve a vivid portrayal of the highly nuanced world of scents that Grenouille experiences daily, Süskind often uses metaphors.
He also occasionally employs time dilation, while most of the novel is written in a more fast-paced style.
Like Gustave Leroux in my previous piece about the events at the Opera Garnier ("The Phantom of the Opera really did exist"), Süskind also drew on some real-life events to make his story—which, by the way, takes place at the same time and in the same country as Leroux's work— appear more realistic. Süskind writes from the perspective of an omniscient narrator and begins the story with a description of filthy Paris. He focuses particularly on the olfactory aspect, describing a variety of foul smells and their origins. Through this, he skillfully sets the tone of the narrative and describes the environment, giving the reader a detailed, if repulsive, image. This section concludes with the assessment of the French capital as "the stinkiest place in the entire kingdom."
Patrick beneath the stone
Even the first chapter offers a real treasure: the "Cimetière des Innocents", Cemetery of the Innocent". The narrator briefly outlines the history of this central cemetery, explaining that for centuries, bodies were piled there until the situation became untenable. As a result, the cemetery had to be cleared, and the bones were stacked in the catacombs beneath the city, where they can still be seen today. Afterward, a market for "victuals" was established at the site. The word "victuals" comes from the German-Austrian language of the 17th century and means "foodstuffs."
When writing the novel in the 1980s, Süskind often used outdated terms, creating the impression that the work truly came from the pen of an 18th-century gentleman, rather than a "boomer" casually typing behind a computer with a can of cola in hand, crafting a bestseller. His ability to bring the past century to life so vividly is likely due, in part, to his unfinished studies in history.
However, it's difficult to determine the circumstances under which Patrick Süskind wrote his novel or the extent of his research. Unlike most contemporary authors, Süskind completely shuns public interest. He even refused to accept awards like the FAZ Literature Prize, the Munich Tukan Prize, and the French award for the best debut novel. As for the film adaptation, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, he had little involvement. He sold the film rights, including the screenplay, to Bernd Eichinger in 2001. Eichinger, along with Tom Tykwer, spent five years working on the film, which became one of the most expensive German productions. Unsurprisingly, Süskind did not attend the premiere. He consistently turns down interview requests, and there are very few photos of him.
Due to this reclusive nature, there is frequent speculation about whether the author infused this aspect of his personality into the characterization of his protagonists, who are often similarly silent, hermitic, and detached from the world. On the other hand, some suggest that this image is a deliberate attempt to maintain interest in himself and, by extension, his work. But it’s not for me to judge.
What can be judged, however, is the work itself. The metaphor-laden novel, with its anti-hero Grenouille, serves as a tribute to the classic hero's journey, reminiscent of stories like The Lord of the Rings. The various stages of Grenouille's life align with the traditional stages of the hero's journey, which include:
The 1st Part
We find ourselves in the heart of Paris in the 18th century. The city is bustling with life, yet its streets are narrow, dirty, and filled with a mix of scents—some enticing, many unpleasant. Horse-drawn carriages jostle for space alongside market stalls, vendors shout out their wares, and people move in a dense, chaotic flow.
Ordinary World
The story of Grenouille began on July 17, 1738, near the aforementioned Cemetery of the Innocents. Grenouille—whose name translates to "frog"—was immediately written off by his mother as a stillborn. If he didn’t come into the world lifeless, she intended to make sure he was. Her plan was to dispose of him that evening along with the waste from the fish stall where she worked, either in the river or at the cemetery.
However, the boy survived the birth and made his presence known by crying out. This unexpected cry attracted attention, leading to the arrest of his mother for neglecting her newborn. Not long after, she was executed. Grenouille was then placed in the care of a woman named Madame Gaillard.
Call to Adventure
At Madame Gaillard’s, housed in the Saint-Merri church, Grenouille began to consciously explore the world of scents for the first time. His urge to discover new smells can be likened to the "call to adventure" in the classic hero's journey. Early on, after surviving the attempts of other children to harm him, his superhuman sense of smell eventually frightened Madame Gaillard. Grenouille possessed the uncanny ability to sniff out her carefully hidden money through walls, beams, and boxes.
This unnerved her to the point that, in 1747, she sold Grenouille to a tanner named Grimal. Several years later, Madame Gaillard lost her savings and eventually died in 1799 in a poorhouse from an unspecified illness — a fate she feared most, as the narrator notes.
Refusal
At the age of eleven, Grenouille began working for Grimal, a brutal man who saw him as nothing more than a disposable laborer—something Grenouille sensed during their very first encounter. To survive, he toiled for several years under inhumane conditions, much like many others of his time. It was no surprise that he contracted the dreaded illness of anthrax, known in France as "charcoal fever," a name that referred to the black sores it caused. The disease was especially feared due to its high fatality rate and because it was often transmitted through animal hides, a constant presence in tanneries.
Grimal assumed Grenouille wouldn't survive the illness and even began searching for a replacement. But Grenouille, referred to as "the tick" throughout the novel, made a surprising recovery. This stage of his journey wasn’t so much about a refusal on Grenouille’s part to heed his "call to adventure"; rather, the harsh circumstances of his life denied him the chance to follow it. He continued to work for Grimal until a delivery of goatskin introduced him to the perfumer Baldini.
Grenouille managed to convince Baldini to take him in, showcasing his extraordinary talent for scents. The once well-off perfumer purchased Grenouille from Grimal for a considerable sum. Grimal celebrated this transaction by drinking himself into a stupor and, in his intoxicated state, accidentally fell into the Seine and drowned instantly. His death marked the end of his story, but for Baldini and Grenouille, the deal heralded the beginning of a promising future.
The nickname "the tick" is fitting for Grenouille, as he, much like an actual tick, remains attached to his host until he is fully nourished, only to move on to the next one. This pattern of exploitation is emphasized by the fact that each person who accompanies Grenouille for a time meets an unfortunate end.
Mentor/Helper + Crossing the Threshold
Baldini began to teach Grenouille the art of extracting essential oils through pressing and distillation. In exchange, Grenouille helped his "mentor" regain his former prestige by creating unique fragrance combinations. The Parisian market had been overtaken by a new star perfumer, Pelissier, who, in reality, was indeed one of the most famous perfume merchants in Paris at the time. Just as Baldini began to reclaim his old glory, Grenouille fell seriously ill. He had encountered a scent on the streets of Paris, that of a young girl, which captivated him completely. Obsessed with the desire to possess this scent, he killed the girl in a trance-like state. This event marked Grenouille's crossing of the "threshold" in his hero’s journey.
The methods of pressing and distillation no longer satisfied him; he craved more, reaching the limits of what he could achieve with Baldini’s teachings. Just before Grenouille seemed on the verge of death, Baldini revealed to him that in Grasse—a place where he himself had once learned the art of perfumery—other advanced methods of fragrance extraction were practiced. This new knowledge revived Grenouille’s strength, and within a few days, he recovered and was ready to leave Paris behind. For years, he had been mentally collecting scents. Now, it was time to capture them physically.
Before parting from Baldini with a journeyman's certificate, Baldini squeezed as many new fragrance formulas as possible from his golden goose. But these efforts proved fruitless. On the very night that Grenouille left Paris for Grasse, the western side of the Pont au Change, a bridge spanning the Seine, collapsed. Fortunately, the debris claimed only two lives—Giuseppe Baldini and his wife—who were buried beneath the rubble.
The 2nd Part
Test/Allies/Enemies
Grenouille wandered from Paris to Grasse, a town on the southern coast of France that remains famous for its perfume industry. This journey could theoretically be completed on foot in seven days, at least according to Google Maps. Considering the less developed landscape of France at that time, as well as the lack of navigation devices—except, of course, for Grenouille's sense of smell—it should have been possible to reach the city of Grasse within a month. However, Grenouille quickly realized that he enjoyed the solitude.
Until now, he had believed that it was the world in general he needed to escape. But it was not the world; it was the people. With the world—this empty world—he could coexist..
He made his way into the Cévennes, where in 1756 he found refuge in a small cave at the summit of a mountain. He lived there for about seven years, more animal than human, eating and drinking, relieving himself, sleeping, and spending the rest of his time entirely absorbed in his awakened inner life. He recalled scents from memory, combined them at will, created and destroyed—all within his thoughts.
Until one day, he made a shocking discovery: he had no scent of his own.
Struck by this realization, Grenouille—with matted hair, excessively long fingernails, emaciated and dripping with dirt—continued his journey toward Grasse.
Thus, the Marquise de Taillade-Espinasse, alerted by anxious farmers, encountered Grenouille in Montpellier. The motivated researcher of the Enlightenment conducted a harmless experiment on Grenouille. Before a small audience of scholars, he presented the disheveled man—washing him, cutting his hair and nails, feeding him abundantly, and dressing him—and then showcased Grenouille to a much larger audience. However, he attributed Grenouille's immense physical transformation and apparent civility to his miraculous medicine, the "vital fluid." Scholars from near and far applauded him for this achievement. Grenouille's task in Montpellier was fulfilled, and the Marquise let him go. What he did not know was that Grenouille had secretly mixed a perfume to accurately imitate the human scent. Thus, Grenouille believed that this olfactory change had subconsciously altered people's perceptions of him, not the Marquise's miraculous medicine.
It seems that the narrator, in this instance, employs a particularly dry and ironic tone to critique the ideas and methods of the Enlightenment, making this section of the narrative especially entertaining.
The 3rd Part
Approach
Within seven days, he reached Grasse. There, Grenouille found a position with Madame Arnulfi, the widow of a perfumer, who operated her remaining workshop with the help of a journeyman. Grenouille learned to extract scents using wax cloths and soon began experimenting with animals until he developed an ideal technique for preserving the scent of living beings.
One day in Grasse, he caught a whiff of a girl whose fragrance he couldn't forget, as it reminded him of the scent of a girl from Paris. He swiftly killed her as well. Unlike the first time, he was now able to capture her scent forever. Once he succeeded, he resolved to create a perfume from 25 extracted essences of young girls that would make the world fall at his feet. After all, he had already seen in Montpellier the effects his scent had on the people around him. In the following months, Grenouille plunged the entire town into fear and horror. Every few days, buried bodies began to surface in the fields surrounding Grasse—naked, bald, and pale.
Ordeal
Ultimately, he didn’t even shy away from breaking and entering, as attempts were made to protect the young ladies by barricading them in at night.
For his final essence, however, he chose the wrong girl. Her father, Richis, a respected man who was extremely cautious with his daughter—being the only family he had left—was determined to bring the girl murderer to justice. Richis planned a secret escape with his daughter from Grasse, but no one could hide from Grenouille right under his nose. He had followed them to complete his gruesome work, even if it meant risking capture by Richis.
Reward
After a brief trial, Grenouille was sentenced to be hanged publicly. The residents of the town turned the execution into a veritable festival, celebrating their hatred for Grenouille and the relief of being able to return to their daily lives without fear.
However, when Grenouille stepped out of the carriage that brought him to the gallows, the mood changed abruptly. None of the ten thousand onlookers could believe that this figure could truly be the brutal murderer. Instead of feelings of anger or disgust, the women, men, and children felt affection, love, and tenderness. The people of Grasse loved him. They let Grenouille go.
Atonement
What only he knew was that he carried a few drops of his special perfume, made from the twenty-five scents of the murdered girls. Yet, with the feeling of elevation and the power he held in the form of a filled vial in his pocket, came another realization—people loved him—their affection was for his scent, his perfume, his creation, but not for the man Jean-Baptiste.
Return
He immediately returned to Paris, leaving the people of Grasse to themselves. Upon arriving in the capital, he sought out the Cemetery of the Innocents—the place where he was born. He was aware that various shady characters loitered there at night. Nevertheless, he poured the entire contents of his vial over himself, the result of two years of work. Instantly, murderers, thieves, grave diggers, and cutthroats gathered around his beautiful form, as they perceived it. Everyone wanted a piece of him. They descended upon Grenouille, tearing his body apart and ripping the clothes from his body until nothing remained of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.
As mentioned earlier, smell affects the limbic system, directly influencing the subconscious. When a person smells another individual and perceives that scent as positive, the scent-emitting person automatically appears more likable—provided that the recipient is not consciously aware of the smell. The story of Grenouille, and especially the effect of his perfume, is therefore not as unrealistic as one might initially assume, if one is willing to expand the boundaries of what is possible just a little.
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