“…in that moment, as he saw and smelled how irresistible its effect was and how with lightning speed it spread and made captives of the people all around him—in that moment his whole disgust for humankind rose up again within him and completely soured his triumph, so that he felt not only no joy, but not even the least bit of satisfaction. What he had always longed for—that other people should love him—became at the moment of his achievement unbearable, because he did not love them himself, he hated them. And suddenly he knew that he had never found gratification in love, but always only in hatred—in hating and in being hated.”
Quote by Patrick Süskind
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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a novel by Patrick Suskind, first published in 1985. The story follows the protagonist, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with an extraordinary sense of smell. Grenouille's obsession with creating the perfect scent leads him on a path of murder and madness. Set in the tumultuous era of the French Revolution, the novel combines historical detail with a fantastical narrative, offering a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of obsession and the human condition. more
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