Has anyone read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

[supernova]

by Patrick Suskind? It was originally put out in Germany in the mid-80s, only just recently translated to English, I think.

Perfume is my next book club selection to read/discuss.

If you've read it, what did you think of it? And where can I find it? I'm having trouble locating it in the bookstores around here.

1. I have

... back in 91 or so.
I don't usually go in for that sort of horror/suspense but it was so well written in a literary sense I couldn't put it down

[supernova]

2. What's the thing you remember most

about it? Did you read it in German or English?

5. these things

I read it in English.

It has been over a decade, but what I remember is the very detailed accurate descriptions of olfactory sensations and what it must have been like back in the 18th century.
Also, there are some particularly insidious things in the book, descriptions of a particular sort of seductive evil in which the author really gets inside the mind of the murderer. Much subtler than Silence of the Lambs, for example; but easily as disturbing.

I'm just answering in general terms so as to not give away certain parts of the plot.

[supernova]

6. Ohh, I like it!

Much subtler than Silence of the Lambs, for example; but easily as disturbing.

This is getting good! :D

[ibegurpard]

3. Yes!

I read that years ago. It was hard to put down.

[skypilot]

4. I read it in English in the early '90s

I think I still have a copy lying around somewhere. I really enjoyed it. I remember it being VERY descriptive but fluid. And the climax was truly bizarre. It's something that I have every intention of reading again at some point--that, and 100 Years of Solitude.

[supernova]

7. Do you think they might

ever make a movie out of it?

From what everybody's telling me, it sounds very visual as well.

[skypilot]

8. For some reason...

...I thought that there were plans to make a movie version. Maybe it's just because I noticed lots of people reading it suddenly a few years ago when I worked in a bookstore. Anyway, if it does get the movie treatment I hope it falls into the hands of Merchant and Ivory and not Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer.

[supernova]

9. Found an entry over at HSX

Hollywood Stock Exchange that says Ridley Scott is attached to it. I don't know how reliable HSX is.

http://movies.hsx.com/servlet/SecurityDetail?symbol=PRFME

[paulk]

10. I read it a long time ago

It's a great book. A classic.

[Dookus]

11. yup...

read it years ago. Love it, and that's not generally my preferred genre. It's an excellent book.

[supernova]

12. Fascinating

Perfume appears to be a "guy" book, if there is such a thing. I wonder why?

I'm female, btw.

[paulk]

13. oh, I don't know

my wife turned me on to it. and she heard about it from her bestfriend (a girl).

[AngryAmish]

14. Read it

It was okay. It is a thriller for people who don't like to admit they like those kind of books. Kinda pretentious.