Book#July2016: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
One of those movies that stayed with me long after, I watched it quite some time ago and was rather interested to read the book. Nicely enough, someone gifted me exactly that for my birthday. Yes, yes, thank you, Gavin. Set in the 18th century, it is more accessible than Anna Karenina, perhaps owing to the fact that Perfume was released in 1985 which is still surprising given how the book truly immerses its reader in the olden days.
It is hard to truly empathize with the protagonist despite his misfortunes as he looks at his fate straight in the eye and say, "bring it on". That's really how we are as a society too. When people show signs of weakness, our response is either to laugh or sympathize them. But when they display a courageous front, it makes us somewhat suspicious, uncomfortable even. How could they be so... normal about their problems? How dare they even live like all that bad luck is nothing?
Sometimes (or actual all the times), I want to be that bad ass chick and kick ass while my own ass is being kicked and slapped about (not in the literal sense) but end of the day, it's always the damsel-in-distress mode that really saves me at the end of it without having to do as much as the bad ass chick. And think about it. Why should I lift my finger when I could will someone else to spin me out of it?
This book certainly doesn't work on that premise as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille's disdain for humanity (or its odor to be specific) grows over time. The movie left out a number of details while fuddles with some. To what degree of accuracy or even correctness does the perfume making process depicted in both movie and book hold, well, your guess is as good as mine but in the book, it didn't submerge the bodies.
If you found the movie good (like I did), the book will most certainly be just as (if not more) enjoyable. A quote to go by:
~ June - The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
It is hard to truly empathize with the protagonist despite his misfortunes as he looks at his fate straight in the eye and say, "bring it on". That's really how we are as a society too. When people show signs of weakness, our response is either to laugh or sympathize them. But when they display a courageous front, it makes us somewhat suspicious, uncomfortable even. How could they be so... normal about their problems? How dare they even live like all that bad luck is nothing?
Sometimes (or actual all the times), I want to be that bad ass chick and kick ass while my own ass is being kicked and slapped about (not in the literal sense) but end of the day, it's always the damsel-in-distress mode that really saves me at the end of it without having to do as much as the bad ass chick. And think about it. Why should I lift my finger when I could will someone else to spin me out of it?
This book certainly doesn't work on that premise as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille's disdain for humanity (or its odor to be specific) grows over time. The movie left out a number of details while fuddles with some. To what degree of accuracy or even correctness does the perfume making process depicted in both movie and book hold, well, your guess is as good as mine but in the book, it didn't submerge the bodies.
If you found the movie good (like I did), the book will most certainly be just as (if not more) enjoyable. A quote to go by:
God gives good times and bad times, but He does not wish us to bemoan and bewail the bad times, but to prove ourselves men.
~ June - The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
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