Erin reviewed Perfume by Patrick Süskind
Review of 'Perfume' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Despite the 2 stars, there are a few things I liked about this book. I just thought it was incredibly boring 90% of the time, so those enjoyable things were not enough to boost my star rating.
I’m a little baffled at the status this book has as something of a classic. I’m going to chalk it up to the bizarre ending and the unique scent-focused take this has on a murderer. Because otherwise this thing is very dull, full of details about perfume processing and very little about murdering.
What I liked:
1. The writing style. I thought it was successfully old timey. The narration felt right for the 1700s.
2. The setting. I liked the early days of European “science” feel.
3. The interludes about side characters. I often found those tangents more interesting than the murderer’s story.
4. The ending. It was surreal and bananas, and I …
Despite the 2 stars, there are a few things I liked about this book. I just thought it was incredibly boring 90% of the time, so those enjoyable things were not enough to boost my star rating.
I’m a little baffled at the status this book has as something of a classic. I’m going to chalk it up to the bizarre ending and the unique scent-focused take this has on a murderer. Because otherwise this thing is very dull, full of details about perfume processing and very little about murdering.
What I liked:
1. The writing style. I thought it was successfully old timey. The narration felt right for the 1700s.
2. The setting. I liked the early days of European “science” feel.
3. The interludes about side characters. I often found those tangents more interesting than the murderer’s story.
4. The ending. It was surreal and bananas, and I just wish it was more like that earlier.
