Perfume

Perfume - the story of a murderer by Patrick Suskind

This is the story of a man with the unfortunate name of Grenouille (frog in French) born with no scent of his own but possessing an acute sense of smell. So acute that he is able to recognize individuals by their scent when they are blocks away. He apprentices himself as a perfumer and quickly masters the mixing process of the oils. He then determines to learn how to extract the oils themselves. After learning several different methods of extraction he devises an horrific plan. A series of grizzly murders ensues culminating in a final 25th murder. The result is a perfume like no other.

This book is creepy beyond creepy. The concept itself is an interesting one but the writing is terribly descriptive. It reads almost like three separate stories. The first being the beginning of his life and his first apprenticeship in Paris. The second part is a bizarre dream sequence where Grenouille had escaped humanity and is living in a cave at the top of the highest mountain. He subsists on eating small amounts of grass, moss and lichen. He drinks water from a minute spring where it takes him over an hour to drink what he needs for the day. I found myself skimming this section because if felt tedious and redundant and somewhat disjointed. After seven years, Grenouille emerges from the cave and begins the third part of his life. The final part of his life is his life as a journeyman in Grasse where he learns the various methods of extracting oils. This is also the culmination of his horrific plan and finally his life. I was surprised by the end but then decided it made sense and poetic justice.

If you like books of grizzly murders, this is the one for you.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

This is the first in a 5 book series of mysteries. So far, 3 have been published but according to the interview at the end of this book, the author is planning 5 books.

The heroine and narrator is an 11 year old girl named Flavia de Luce. It is 1950 and she lives outside a small village in England. Flavia is devoted to chemistry and, more specifically, the origins, manufacture and antidotes of poisons.

When a strange man dies in front of her in the cucumber patch of the garden, Flavia is completely intrigued. Thus begins her investigation in which she is often crossing paths with the police, much to their dismay.

This is a fun murder mystery and having the investigation done by and told by an 11 year old, makes it more entertaining. The fact of her youth really allows her to go just about anywhere and do most anything without being noticed or questioned. For, who pays attention to the goings on of children?

I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

Room

Room by Emma Donoghue

This is a weird but good book. The book begins on the 5th birthday of Jack. A boy who lives in Room with his Ma. Jack narrates the book by telling us all about the daily routines of Jack and Ma. Soon we realize that Jack and Ma are being held captive in Room although Jack knows nothing of this since he was born there. The story tells us how Ma came to be in the room, their lives within the room, their escape plan and their lives shortly after leaving Room to be Outside.

There is a great deal to this book that goes unsaid. Since Jack is only 5 he doesn't grasp much of what is going on. We can understand what has happened based on the very basic information we are given by Jack even if he doesn't. This is an interesting perspective on the relationship between a mother and her son and how she loses herself in becoming a mother while living in isolation then must find herself again when she re-enters the world but must still remain a mother.