Right away I had to get used to the writing style, some sentences are half a page long (typical for german I think). But I got used to it pretty fast and not only the story but the writing and the words used, and the construction of the sentences was poetic and absurd in itself. In many cases I could not have found a more perfect word to describe a thing, emotion or scent the way Süskind did, and it's probably even better in the original language. It's funny, the story is centered around scent, but the writing also plays on your senses as a reader. Everything is described in such vibrant detail that you can see, hear or smell it, it makes the book an experience and I definitely recommend it. But because of the long sentences I don't think it's an easy read, though I don't know how it was translated in English of course.

As for Grenouille, I absolutely disliked him, which you are supposed to, but I could not find a single thing to like about him. I really despised him, could not understand his motives, his thoughts or feelings at all. All around a really uncomfortable character. The middle part was frustrating. I could understand his need to get away from humans, but I didn't understand why that meant living in a cave for 7 years. And why it took him 7 years to discover that he didn't have a scent. I think I realized to late that the story is meant to be absurd, I blame the movie for that. It puts it in a different perspective.

Strangely the end wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be. I would have preferred him to have been ripped apart by the civilians on his 'day of judgement'. That would have been a real fitting irony for me. I'm still not sure why the author didn't choose that ending. Maybe it's on purpose, but this ending just didn't give me the satisfaction that I think the story deserved.

But overall I don't think it takes away from the story and the writing, both were a wonderful absurd journey and I highly recommend to give it a read.