Das Parfum
Die Geschichte eines Mörders
Das Parfum is a 1985 dark fantasy and historical fiction novel by Patrick Süskind. Key subjects include Coming-of-age, obsession, Perfume and Scent.
Open Library readers give it an average of 3.9 out of 5 from 93 ratings, and 836 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 106 editions across 16 languages.
It runs to roughly 263 pages — 4–5 hours of reading at an average pace.
About Das Parfum
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Set in eighteenth-century France, the classic novel that provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man’s indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder. In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille’s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the “ultimate perfume”—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.
Awards & lists
- 🏆World Fantasy Awards 1987 — Best Novel (winner)
Quick answers
Who wrote Das Parfum?
Das Parfum was written by Patrick Süskind and first published in 1985.
What genre is Das Parfum?
It is usually shelved as Dark Fantasy and Historical Fiction.
How long is Das Parfum?
The median edition has 263 pages, about 4–5 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.
What books are similar to Das Parfum?
Readers who like it often enjoy Ring Shout, Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron.
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