History Literature / Perfume

* DyingAlone: Inverted with Madame Gaillard in the book, who runs the orphanage where Grenouille was raised. She collects money so she could die alone in her own home, instead of a public hospital. However, she doesn't die soon enough, in UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution her money becomes worthless, and she dies in the way she was trying to avoid in her whole life.

[[quoteright:222:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/perfume-book-cover_8420.jpg]]
[[quoteright:222:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/perfume_8004.jpg]]

* LivingMacGuffin: Laura is the driving force of much of Grenouille's plot - by dint of nearing sexual maturity and smelling ''really'' nice. And that's about it. In the book she does literally ''nothing'' except get moved from place to place, [[spoiler:and then get killed.]]

It was adapted into a 2006 film: ''Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'', directed by Tom Tykwer, most known for his film ''Film/RunLolaRun''. The film stars Creator/BenWhishaw as Grenouille; DustinHoffman as Baldini, the perfumer who teaches him the basics of the trade; Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laura Richis, an imperilled young lady in Grenouille's sights; and Actor/AlanRickman as Antoine Richis, Laura's protective father. The film was a flop in America, but was actually a pretty big hit worldwide, and a certified blockbuster in Germany.

* ShoutOut: The song "Scentless Apprentice" by Music/{{Nirvana}} from ''Music/InUtero'' was inspired by his novel. Creator/KurtCobain liked it so much that he thanked the author in the liner notes.

* StalkerWithACrush: Grenouille stalks the Plum Girl and Laura Richis to enjoy their scents.

It was adapted into a 2006 film: ''Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'', directed by Tom Tykwer, most known for his film ''Film/RunLolaRun''. The film stars Creator/BenWhishaw as Grenouille; DustinHoffman as Baldini, the perfumer who teaches him the basics of the trade; Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laura Richis, an imperilled young lady in Grenouille's sights; and Alan Rickman as Antoine Richis, Laura's protective father. The film was a flop in America, but was actually a pretty big hit worldwide, and a certified blockbuster in Germany.

* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: Having a greatly heightened scent? Less meh than it sounds.

* DevouredByTheHorde: At the very end, [[spoiler: Grenouille, saddened that his perfect perfume cannot create love, uses it to kill himself. As he approaches a group of beggars, he pours the last drop of the perfume on himself. The beggars are so enchanted by his smell that they swarm him and rip him to pieces.]]

* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler:Grenouille kills Laura, creates his perfume, and escapes execution. However, he finds that his perfume doesn't grant him happiness.]]

-->--'''Jean-Baptiste Grenouille'''

* FakeNationality: Grenouille, Laura and Antoine are French people played in the film by Brits, while Baldini is an Italian played by an American.

* DyingAlone: Inverted with Madame Gaillard in the book, who runs the orphanage where Grenouille was raised. She collects money so she could die alone in her own home, instead of a public hospital. However, she doesn't die soon enough, in the FrenchRevolution her money becomes worthless, and she dies in the way she was trying to avoid in her whole life.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Grenouille kills himself using his own perfume.]]

A 1985 [[LitFic Gothic novel]] by Patrick Süskind, ''Perfume'' (or ''Das Parfum. Die Geschichte eines Mörders'' in the original German) tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an orphan and a sociopath born into 18th century France. It turns out that Grenouille has an extraordinary sense of smell, but, curiously, he himself has no body odour.

* CrapsackWorld: [[TheDungAges Literally so]]. Eighteenth-century France is portrayed as a disease-ridden, scandalously unequal, war-torn and violent society where whole swathes of the population are not even considered legal persons. The individual plots of ''every single person'' are utterly void of a positive ending.

* DistressedDamsel: Laura Richis is helpless against Grenouille and must be locked in her room for protection.

* DyingAlone: Inverted with Madame Gaillard in the book, who runs the orpanage where Grenouille was raised. She collects money so she could die alone in her own home, instead of a public hospital. However, she doesn't die soon enough, in the FrenchRevolution her money becomes worthless, and she dies in the way she was trying to avoid in her whole life.

* LivingMacguffin: Laura is the driving force of much of Grenouille's plot - by dint of nearing sexual maturity and smelling ''really'' nice. And that's about it. In the book she does literally ''nothing'' except get moved from place to place, [[spoiler:and then get killed.]]

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Perfume_Poster1_9407.jpg]]

It was adapted into a 2006 film: ''Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'', directed by Tom Tykwer, most known for his film ''Film/RunLolaRun''. The film stars BenWhishaw as Grenouille; DustinHoffman as Baldini, the perfumer who teaches him the basics of the trade; Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laura Richis, an imperilled young lady in Grenouille's sights; and Alan Rickman as Antoine Richis, Laura's protective father. The film was a flop in America, but was actually a pretty big hit worldwide, and a certified blockbuster in Germany.

* LivingMacguffin: Laura is the driving force of much of Grenouille's plot - by dint of nearing sexual maturity and smelling ''really'' nice. And that's about it. In the book she doesn't even have any lines!

* OrphanageOfFear: Grenouille is raised in one of these. In the film, conditions are so bad that the other orphans try to kill him as a newborn to save room. In the book, the ''other'' kids are afraid of ''him.''

* {{Narrator}}: JohnHurt provides some excellent narration in the film.

* DistressedDamsel: Laura Richis is helpless against Grenouille and must be protected.

* DropDeadGorgeous: Grenouille dumps the naked bodies of his victims throughout the city. Also present in the film poster on this page. After watching the film, it becomes more clear that the woman pictured is dead.

* PervertDad: In the book, Richis certainly ''notices'' his daughter's beauty, staring at her for hours on end and even fantasizing about having sex with her. In the film, he is merely overprotective because he is seemingly his last living relative.

* SerialKiller: As the subtitle of the book so helpfully tells us, this is the story about one.

* SympathyForTheDevil: Grenouille, when you realise that [[spoiler:he really only wanted to be loved by someone, and the effect of the perfume is only an empty imitation of love]].

* TrippyFinaleSyndrome: [[spoiler:Grenouille uses his completed perfume to cause the crowd at his execution to fall into a massive orgy. Later, he dumps the entire bottle over his head, causing a nearby crowd to ''eat him.'' Wow.]]