There are three plus one acts in this book which show progression, evolution and a simultaneous devolution of the protagonist with respect to his talent, passion and humanity. He becomes a wonderful caricature of a man who in his path to find perfection loses his morality, accepts the path he takes as rational one and decides an ending that he seems fit. 
 Grenouille has exceptional olfactory ability and a perfect memory to boot. He has Sherlock Holmes-esque way of storing, organizing and accessing information into and from his memory. Ironically, he isn't born with any scent. Once he realizes his superpower, he chases his self realized destiny to find the perfect scent. 
 He starts with by murdering a virgin. 
 And then his story continues in different geographies where he works as an apprentice for a perfumer, then goes to live in a canal for most part of his puberty and then finally settles down in a small village. He continues his path to find perfect scent by killing women and using beggar women as a test model. He finds a way to cheat the law and fool the public. In the end, he gives into what he believes as the righteous way to leave the world - in his own terms, in the device of his own making. 
 The brilliance in writing is blatant when Suskind doesn't delve too deep into philosophical questions Grenouille's identity crisis raises. He maintains morbidity and macabre allowing the readers to figure out whatever they want to. In a way, Richis, a wealthy man and father of Grenouille's victim plays out a bit as a factor in devolution of Grenouille. But the protagonist is so far gone that his capture doesn't change his plan. 
 There isn't much suspense in the story but only how Grenouille grows up and embraces the contradictory nature of his existence. A truly wonderful read.