In Perfume by Patrick Süskind, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with no body odor — and a most extraordinary sense of smell. He obsessed over making the best smelling fragrance in the world, becoming a monstrous man that uses force with his power to manipulate and kill. This haunting novel of obsession, isolation and the dark side of humans, begins as a novel, switches to a collection of essays in which the author reflects on and critiques her craft and her beloved books, then concludes as a novel when Josef attempts to unravel the dark mystery that has captivated both him and his young son.