Reading Perfume July 21, 2007

 

Title: Reading Perfume The Story of A Murderer; Synopsis and Review

By: Indah SR

I always love reading. And I am glad I am free now (because it’s school holiday ;-D) so, I have many times to do that such favorite activities. One of recent books I have read titled: Perfume the Story of a Murderer. It was an International best seller, thriller novel written by Patrick Suskind, a Famous French Author. In Indonesian edition, it’s published by Penerbit Dastan Az zahra. I find this novel is very interesting. Have you read it?

The main character in the story was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an unusual man who was born with no body’s scent but had an amazingly incredible sense of smell. The setting took place in Paris, century 18^th. Born as an unwanted child, he was handed over to the church to be taken care. But no one wanted to carry him. They all though he was a strange, wicked baby. That’s why the church threw the poor baby Grenouille to an orphanage¹⁾ led by Madame Gaillard, a zombie woman with no heart.

The Grenouille’s childhood was really unpleasant, if we could say. For the reason he didn’t know, the other children in the house didn’t want to make friends with him. Even Madame Gaillard also felt the same. She often felt a ‘strange’ atmosphere with his presence and that situation had annoyed her. As the result, when he was eight, she had got a nerve enough to sell him to a tanner²⁾. Grenouille worked for him for years, and his boss threatened him badly likely he was a slave.

In the ages fourteen, he finally got a ‘better’ job. He worked for a famous perfume maker in Paris. For the first time in his life, he realized his gift; sense of smell. Not only able to mark all kind of aromas on the earth precisely, his nose could even sort them specifically into the substances. From his boss, he learned a lot about all methods of making a finest perfume, and he was a genius and quick learner. No need a long time for him to be an expert. Deep inside in his heart, he had an ambition; to be a greatest specialist in perfume.

After his boss let him go, he decided to left Paris, starting his journey. During his wandering, he finally found out the reason why he had never been liked by all people. Before it, he just assumed those people hated him because of his appearance (in fact, he wasn’t really a good looking person). Actually, people always kept themselves away from him because they weren’t aware with him. He didn’t have body’s scent as a normal human. That’s why people couldn’t recognize his presence easily.

So, he started making experiment to create his own perfume. Not just an usual perfume, but a special perfume which could make him would be liked by people (this is the part of the story which I interest most; when the writer tells about the process of making perfume, he describes it with so many details). And he did it. People liked him so much now. By the moment, he had already hated people because of his unpleasant childhood. Therefore, he didn’t want just to be liked by people. He wanted more.

Going back to Paris as a rich man, Grenouille started his plan. By the time, the murders happened. 25 young women died mysteriously, all murders were identical. What’s connection between our man and this case? Just be patient, because the climax ending had been set in the last page.

Usually I choose the books which I read for two reasons. The story itself and the style writing that writers use in the story. In my opinion, the second one is the most important. A usual story is possible to be much more interesting if it’s written well. In spite of that, a good story can be boring and disappointing if it’s written badly.

And this book, Perfume, has both. The story is unique, unusual, and it’s written brilliantly, too. Using the main character as a point of view, the writer tells the story by making a dialog with his readers that I rarely find in the other books, and I like it. In some parts of the story, the writer even seems to talk directly to the readers, for example, like this below:

…because we would leave Madame Gaillard and never see her again in this story, would you mind let me put several sentences to show her rest of life… (p. 57-58)³⁾

Furthermore, the writer also not forgets to put some humors in the story that can make us laugh, or at least, smile, by reading it. As the result, this thriller novel becomes not ‘frightening’ as it does. It’s also even possible if finally we’ll be emphatic with the main character, that in fact; just a normal human who was very, very alone…

Well, at last, as a reader, I think I just agree with Le Figaro, that’s said, “it’s never the same any others books you ever read.”

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1)meaning ‘panti asuhan’ in English, is it correct or not…^-^

2) person who makes animal skins into leather

3) Indonesian edition

Horror Story at the Faculty’s Laboratory July 13, 2007

by Wahyu

When I was in college year, I had a strange experience. I studied at one of state university in Surabaya. The location is on the eastern Surabaya. The campus is so big with its old building. When the night came, the campus looks dark and so quite, because there is no academic activity in the night. Especially after 9 P.M.

My department is located near a small river that divided the campus with old trees and bushes on each side. The wind usually hard and cold because the area still surrounded by swamp. Although there are official house for lecturers and located in the area of the campus, but it’s far enough from the faculty.

Students usually did some activities in the campus area. From playing chess, poker, internet, did homework, study in the 24 hours library, until in the lab. The activities usually dominated by male student, although female student also take part.

The Natural Science Faculty, where I studied, has a legend. The legend related with a female student that was killed because dropped from the top of the 4th floor building some years ago. She was suicide because she had broken with her boyfriend. She was in her last year. She was dropped into the small river near the building and died. Another story is there was a murder in the indoor basketball field. The victim was a female. It happened during my study. But until now the case still mystery. The crime area was near our faculty. Those are some legends in our campus.

Now, come back to my strange experience. One night I did my computer assignment in a computer laboratory in the faculty. I started from 10 P.M. with 5 of my friends. We played MP3 from our computer with rock music, the situation so lively and we chatted about many things from assignment until woman. It was boys talk. When the clock showed 0.00 A.M. 2 of my friends began to sleep at the floor using a mat. And than one by one, they began to sleep until me and one of my friends. We still talked each other about the assignment and we concentrated in our own computer.

When the clock showed 2 A.M., there was somebody called my name. She called couple times. I thought it was my friend trying to terrify me. Than I said to him don’t terrify me, it’s not funny. But she still called me. Suddenly I looked back, at his place, but I didn’t see him. “Where the hell is he?” I asked myself. I looked at the back on the floor, I saw all of my friends had slept. “Wow, so who called my name?” I kept asked myself. I didn’t dare to move my body and when I looked outside at the window of the laboratory, I saw shadow of somebody. It’s look like a woman. But it’s not clear. At that time, I was really afraid because I had never experience anything like that.

And then, I kept my face looked at the monitor although my mind couldn’t concentrate. I tried to yell to my friend to wake up but they didn’t hear at all. I heard the woman kept called my name. My hand felt cold and my body felt eerie. I didn’t know how long it had been going on and still I sat on my chair without noise. After some times frightened, suddenly I heard adzan subuh. My computer clock showed it’s already 4 A.M. and didn’t hear anybody call me anymore. I moved from my chair and walked headed to my friends. I woke them up, and said that I want to back to my boarding room. One of my friend only said yes.. yes.. and then back to his sleep.

I took my jacket and opened the door and than went out from the library to parking area. Although I was still afraid but it was significantly reduced because I believed that ghost is afraid of adzan. I turned on my motorcycle and went to my boarding room. After arrived, I took wudhu and prayed. After prayed, I slept and woke up at 10 A.M. when I felt hungry. I saw that my friends already arrived in our boarding room. I asked one of my friend to woke up and had a dinner. During having dinner, I told to him that I experienced frightening times in the laboratory last night. I said that I yelled to woke up them, but they didn’t hear at all. He looked scared also and said he didn’t want to go to laboratory by himself. Quickly, the story soon circulated among the student. But, we only scared just for few days. The laboratory looked empty. After few days, the laboratory began filled with students who did their assignment. They said that they were afraid of ghost but they were more afraid if they failed the course.