Patrick Süskind

Perfume

Subtitle: „The Story of a Murderer“: one of the best-selling German novels.

💡 Did you know? The book has been translated into some fifty languages and sold in the millions.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille

He himself has no body odour and becomes a murderer in pursuit of the perfect scent.

💡 Did you know? „Grenouille“ is French for „frog“.

Paris in the 18th century

Süskind conjures the city’s smells so vividly that you almost smell them as you read.

💡 Did you know? Legend has it Grenouille is born in the smelliest spot in Paris: a fish market.

Tom Tykwer

For a long time the novel was thought unfilmable: how do you show smells on screen?

💡 Did you know? Süskind sold the film rights only after years, and to a confidant, the producer Bernd Eichinger.

The Double Bass

The monologue of an orchestral musician became one of the most-performed German stage plays.

💡 Did you know? Süskind wrote it in 1980, before his big breakthrough with „Perfume“.

his shunning of publicity

He gives virtually no interviews and has declined several literary prizes.

💡 Did you know? Only a handful of public photos of him exist: a contrast to his worldwide fame.

The Pigeon

A single day in the life of a fussy bank guard is thrown into chaos by a pigeon.

💡 Did you know? The slim tale appeared right after the global success of „Perfume“.

Kir Royal

Before and alongside the novels, Süskind worked successfully for television.

💡 Did you know? He was also involved in the screenplay for the „Perfume“ film.

The Story of Mr Sommer

An enigmatic, restlessly wandering man marks the narrator’s childhood.

💡 Did you know? The book was illustrated with famous drawings by Sempé.

Patrick Süskind