The richness and diversity of Suskind's writing enables it to speak to the reader upon several levels coincidentally. Complexity lends itself to a variety of interpretations which may be enhanced by analogy. Literary or historical personalities and events are suggested by Suskind's fictional figures and episodes. Moreover, the author's marked orientation toward literary traditions and his occasional borrowing from other authors contribute additional layers of meaning in instances which may be characterized as irony or parody.

1. The work has been widely hailed as a social history. What aspects of eighteenth century Paris and France are captured most vividly?

2. Can one justifiably interpret the work as political allegory dealing with Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, a subject which Suskind suggests that all writers of his generation treat willynilly, if subconsciously?

3. What is the relationship between that absence of odor which characterizes Grenouille and his well-developed olfactory...