Folio Archives 327: Perfume by Patrick Süskind 2008
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1wcarter
Perfume, The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 2008
This is a quite unusual book for the Folio Society as it has no illustrations (other than the endpapers) and no introduction. The author stipulated that the book was never to be illustrated, so the Folio Society deviated from its usual policy of illustrating virtually every book. There is no contents page and no index. Just the book, the whole book and nothing but the book. As a result, this will be a rather short review, as there is not a lot to photograph. Several text pages have been photographed so you can get an idea of the writing style.
The very readable story is also unusual in that it is a reverse murder mystery – you know who the murderer is, but the reader does not know if the murderer will be caught until the end of the book. Additionally, the anti-hero is also unusual in that he is someone with an extraordinarily acute sense of smell, so that he can smell a person kilometres away and can navigate by the odours in his vicinity, but he has no odour of any sort himself.
Set in eighteenth century France, the story is the fictional biography of this odourless perfumer and murderer.
The book has 235 pages and is translated from the French by John E Woods. It is bound in grey cloth with gilt and white decoration on covers and a maroon spine title. An engraved period map of the Isle de Paris, printed grey on cream, form the endpapers, the back endpaper following on from the map at the front. The maroon slipcase measures 23.6x15.5cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
This is a quite unusual book for the Folio Society as it has no illustrations (other than the endpapers) and no introduction. The author stipulated that the book was never to be illustrated, so the Folio Society deviated from its usual policy of illustrating virtually every book. There is no contents page and no index. Just the book, the whole book and nothing but the book. As a result, this will be a rather short review, as there is not a lot to photograph. Several text pages have been photographed so you can get an idea of the writing style.
The very readable story is also unusual in that it is a reverse murder mystery – you know who the murderer is, but the reader does not know if the murderer will be caught until the end of the book. Additionally, the anti-hero is also unusual in that he is someone with an extraordinarily acute sense of smell, so that he can smell a person kilometres away and can navigate by the odours in his vicinity, but he has no odour of any sort himself.
Set in eighteenth century France, the story is the fictional biography of this odourless perfumer and murderer.
The book has 235 pages and is translated from the French by John E Woods. It is bound in grey cloth with gilt and white decoration on covers and a maroon spine title. An engraved period map of the Isle de Paris, printed grey on cream, form the endpapers, the back endpaper following on from the map at the front. The maroon slipcase measures 23.6x15.5cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2dyhtstriyk
I bought this one on the secondary market and I remember feeling surprised that it wasn't more expensive, being such a popular book.
It's the only Abbey Wove printed Folio I have with any indication of foxing (just one or two flecks, little compared to a couple Caxtons that are more heavily foxed).
As per the text, for me it's one of those books where you recognize the talent of the author, despite disliking the reading experience. Mainly because the MC was superbly written: he was absolutely detestable throughout the book and seeing him get his way almost until the end was quite an experience.
It's the only Abbey Wove printed Folio I have with any indication of foxing (just one or two flecks, little compared to a couple Caxtons that are more heavily foxed).
As per the text, for me it's one of those books where you recognize the talent of the author, despite disliking the reading experience. Mainly because the MC was superbly written: he was absolutely detestable throughout the book and seeing him get his way almost until the end was quite an experience.
3cronshaw
There are quite a few editions Folio have published over the years that aren't illustrated, including 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou (the original Folio edition) and a boxed set of two Agatha Christie railway mysteries comprising 'The Blue Train' and '4.50 from Paddington'; also - off the top of my head - the 'Restoration Comedies' set, the 'Northanger Abbey Horrid Novels' set, over half of the Folio fine press series, The Bible with Apocrypha, and the Letterpress Shakespeare series.
I'm sure other Devotees who've survived prolonged periods of Foliomania will be able to add more titles to the list!
I'm sure other Devotees who've survived prolonged periods of Foliomania will be able to add more titles to the list!
4Jeremy53
I love this title, and the lack of illustrations reinforced for me that they are much lower on my list of priorities for enjoying an edition.
Much more important for me is the quality of the binding, pages, print size etc. - but also cover design and feel.
Much more important for me is the quality of the binding, pages, print size etc. - but also cover design and feel.
5mr.philistine
>3 cronshaw: Here are two more titles - both reviewed on this forum, and only visually enhanced with arabesque patterns on covers, a map for one, simple headpieces and reproductions of printed text.
The Qur’an (Koran), 2008
The Life of Muhammad, 2003
The Qur’an (Koran), 2008
The Life of Muhammad, 2003
6Jayked
Many early poetry volumes were without illustrations. Donne's Love Poems had a frontispiece and a few chapter-heading typographical decorations; Sonnets from the Portuguese had abstract circular designs above each poem; Poems of Catullus had only a coloured letter at the start of each poem, and so on.
7cronshaw
>4 Jeremy53: I quite agree. For me the lack of a decent introduction that provides informative context for a work is often more disappointing that the absence of illustrations, especially when the artwork clashes with your own images of a work (looking at you Robert Roy). I was very disappointed that Folio's Norwegian Wood lacks an introduction, especially given the price.
>5 mr.philistine: Folio's 2008 Qur'an, ironically, does contain several plate illustrations (copies of illustrations from a Qur'an of the middle ages).
>6 Jayked: Indeed, I believe there was a book of psalms that also lacked any illustration, and Folio's first edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets.
>5 mr.philistine: Folio's 2008 Qur'an, ironically, does contain several plate illustrations (copies of illustrations from a Qur'an of the middle ages).
>6 Jayked: Indeed, I believe there was a book of psalms that also lacked any illustration, and Folio's first edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets.
8mr.philistine
>7 cronshaw: The photographed text is definitely decorated elaborately but not illustrated in the strictest sense of the word.
9AMindForeverVoyaging
The Duke's Children LE (and SE I would imagine) is not illustrated. Somewhat remarkable, I suppose, for a novel of this length but I for one do not feel that it lessens the book for the reason cronshaw noted about artwork clashing with my own images. My preference is, if the author doesn't describe the characters in great detail, I would rather not have an artist interpret those characters for me. Another factor with The Duke's Children is there really isn't much worth illustrating, unless seeing images of people chatting in drawing rooms is your thing :)
10terebinth
>9 AMindForeverVoyaging:
The SE forming part of the complete Folio Trollope boasts no fewer than 16 illustrations: largely of people chatting, but in quite a variety of circumstances.
I'm another who doesn't miss illustrations when they're not there: occasionally there's a group I'm moved to celebrate, such as those for Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and Ian Pollock's commissioned work for Paradise Lost, but some of my favourite Folio volumes, including the 3-volume Montaigne and Robert Burton sets with the in-series Sir Thomas Browne selection, have none.
The SE forming part of the complete Folio Trollope boasts no fewer than 16 illustrations: largely of people chatting, but in quite a variety of circumstances.
I'm another who doesn't miss illustrations when they're not there: occasionally there's a group I'm moved to celebrate, such as those for Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and Ian Pollock's commissioned work for Paradise Lost, but some of my favourite Folio volumes, including the 3-volume Montaigne and Robert Burton sets with the in-series Sir Thomas Browne selection, have none.
11cronshaw
>8 mr.philistine: I see what you mean. Though I'm sure FS regard it as an illustrated edition with its several full colour plates of elaborate calligraphy.
>9 AMindForeverVoyaging: Yes I was underwhelmed by most of the illustrations for the Folio Trollope series and was almost relieved to see that the The Duke's Children LE remained unillustrated. The beautiful binding and edge marbling was decoration enough for me.
Getting back to the topic of the thread, this unillustrated Folio edition of Suskind's 'Perfume' is one of my favourites in the pantheon of Folio binding designs. I've not yet read it though. Bad cronshaw.
>9 AMindForeverVoyaging: Yes I was underwhelmed by most of the illustrations for the Folio Trollope series and was almost relieved to see that the The Duke's Children LE remained unillustrated. The beautiful binding and edge marbling was decoration enough for me.
Getting back to the topic of the thread, this unillustrated Folio edition of Suskind's 'Perfume' is one of my favourites in the pantheon of Folio binding designs. I've not yet read it though. Bad cronshaw.
