Patrick Süskind

Whoever has survived his own birth on a rubbish heap is not so easily shoved back out of this world again.

All these grotesque incongruities between the richness of the world perceivable by smell and the poverty of language were enough for the lad Grenouille to doubt that language made any sense at all.

He decided in favor of life out of sheer spite and malice.

He had escaped the abhorrent taint! He was truly completely alone! He was the only human being in the world!

Grenouille no longer wanted to go somewhere, but only to go away, away from human beings.

Whatever the art or whatever the craft—and make a note of this before you go—talent means next to nothing, while experience, acquired in humility and with hard work, means everything.

The wind blew cold, and he was freezing, but he did not notice that he was freezing, for within him was a counter-frost, fear.