This was a sensual book written in a sensual style, focused on how someone harnesses the sense of smell of others for their own ends. It is about an evil man without any moral compass, using their gifts to find their place in the world. Such a strong power and ability eventually turns into a curse, and we follow along this journey.
I liked the writing style here – describing scents and their effects is not easy, and although there was a sort of “translated” feel to the words sometimes (this was translated from French, I believe), the story kept me interested even though you could kind of predict what was going to happen.
There are scenes of brutality in the face of beauty, and some of them were a little hard to stomach. There is a great deal of sexuality without very much sex, with one large exception near the end of the book.
It is hard for me to describe the message that I got from this book – it was an examination of evil and what morals and character bring to humanity, but also it lampoons various religions, the rich, the poor, and science (as it was in the 1700’s).
I enjoyed this book – and I heard there is a movie so it would be interesting to see how they film something that relies so much on a power that is invisible.
Next I am reading The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais.
