To create his ultimate fragrance, Grenouille requires the scents of twenty-four beautiful virgins. These women are not chosen for their physical appearance, but for the "aura" they radiate—a scent of pure, unadulterated life.
Perfume remains a cult classic for its lush prose and unsettling atmosphere. It was famously adapted into a 2006 film by Tom Tykwer, starring Ben Whishaw and Alan Rickman, which attempted the "impossible" task of making a visual medium feel olfactory.
Grenouille spends seven years in total isolation. Here, he realizes he has no scent of his own, a revelation that drives him back into the world to create his artificial identity.
Süskind argues that scent is the "brother of breath." It enters into us and cannot be resisted. By controlling scent, Grenouille controls the very emotions and souls of those around him.
The novel serves as a fascinating manual on the historical techniques of perfumery. Grenouille’s quest takes him to Grasse, the world's perfume capital, where he masters:
A delicate technique using cold fat to absorb the scent of flowers (and eventually, his victims). This process allows him to "preserve" the ephemeral beauty of the human soul. The Victims and the Ingredients
The process of boiling materials to capture their essential oils in steam.