Re- Perfume My friend Alice swears the best smell in the world is that of the freshly bathed and annointed Sumo wrestler on the way to the Basho. When she was living in Tokyo she saw some of these burly warriors in all their ceremonial threads and walked behind them entranced by the amazing smell. Or maybe she likes a fat arse. Or both xx john
---------- From: Gordon A Rogers[SMTP:gar@csd.abdn.ac.uk] Sent: 21 Jan 1998 16:28 To: sinister@majordomo.net Subject: Sinister: Perfume
No not the band.
All this talk of books involving food and sex reminds me of a book by Patrick Suskind called 'Perfume'.
Although nothing to do with food or indeed sex, I think it would appeal to most listees. Basically it's about a Frenchman who has an amazing sense of smell and strives to capture the best smell in the world (the one we emit just after dying - apparently). The desire to find this smell leads us into the characters mind as he murders innocent people just to obtain this beautiful smell.
The opening scene is the birth of the book's villian (a character you are both repulsed by and can empathise with). His mother basically has the child as she works in the fish market (using her gutting knife to cut the ambilical cord).
I think it was this opening scene which reminded me of one of the books previously mentioned.
I haven't really done the plot any justice at all here, but the language used in the book is wonderful and the description of the central characters olfactory ability is gorgeous. Go Buy It Now.
Anyway are sex and food equivalent to smell and murder ? - I know which I prefer
- Gordon (Who said scientists couldn't read)
_________________________________
Gordon Rogers Room 7 Flat DF St Peter Street Aberdeen AB24 3HU
email : gar@csd.abdn.ac.uk phone : (01224) 637 430
"You Must Think First Before You Move"
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