I was taking a walk on the beach today and thought to myself what would I want my next blog entry to be about? Then came the idea of differentiating between passion and obsession. Then right away only one book came to my mind. The Perfume by Patrick Suskind.
It was an instant hit when published in 1976 and garnered as much controversy as copies that it sold. The book explores the depths of passion that supercedes and translates into a life obsession that knows no limits or boundaries. When I think of passion I think of something good, something that an individual pursues to a great extent because this certain element plays an important role in their life. But how far can passion go? When does passion end and does an obsession come into play?
An obsession I perceive to include a hint of passion, however it is no longer at the forefront of the picture. It seems that the individual forgets the main reason for which he is doing something and instead it becomes the center point and thus leads to his entire life revolving around it.
The Perfume concentrates on a man who is born without a personal smell. Most of us don’t think about our own personal smell, but I guess we would notice if we wouldn’t have one. Since he is lacking a personal smell it seems that he is lacking a part of his own identity. It is a pssion of his to inderstand and study scents but at a certain point this essential part beecomes a dangerous, fatal obsession. The man is driven to continuous murder in his pursuit of realizing a scent that will have to the control to manipulate others. A smell that would lead to ecstacy.
This in turn makes me wonder…how far can we go before we forgot what our main goal was? How is it that we start a journey with a clear goal in mind but get sooooo sidetracked along the way?
Le Perfum
This is one of my favorites. I think Sueskind’s way of writing and describing the details, makes this work of art so intense and unforgettable. I remember that I smelled differently afterwards. I paid more attention to odeurs, even though sometimes you like to ignore them.
A very good book, I would consider a must have read.
By: ksanna on January 11, 2010
at 10:30 am
I agree with your response and after having read this book my approach to eprfume has completely changed. I have more than one perfume because with each one I now associate a certain feeling or mood that I have to be in in order to wear it. I just don’t want to smell good anymore, but the perfume shoudl give a little insight into what I am feeling at the moment too.
By: jenniferw310 on January 11, 2010
at 7:55 pm
“The Perfume” is my most favorite book. So far I have read it at least 10 times and I’m still getting so hocked up just by reading the first two lines.
. Love this book!
It is a masterpiece of the world literature and the intention will be always up to date. Susskind’s way of writing is just outstanding. He illustrates everything brutally honest with a sense of exaggeration, which emphasizes the delusion the main character is living. His style of describing the world of fragrances fits into the story like a waterfall of metaphors.
It is more than just a story of someone, who is looking for the perfect scent, it discusses the mortality of human spirit. Despite the lacking of his inherent smell, Grenouille does not have a shade, which shows that he is the spawn of satan. On top of that he is indifferent between staying far away from the people (lived 7 years in a cave) between wanting to be treated as a godlike person. Grenouille never experienced love in his life. He is a genius with no sense to reality. He completely lost himself by looking for his identity, which led to the urge of perfectionism.
I could go on forever
By: ariane1401 on January 29, 2010
at 6:13 pm