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46th out of 98 books
—
63 voters
Paris Trout
by
Pete Dexter
In this novel of social drama, a casual murder in the small Georgia town of Cotton Point just after World War II and the resulting court case cleave open the ugly divisions of race and class. The man accused of shooting a black girl, a storekeeper named Paris Trout, has no great feeling of guilt, nor fear that the system will fail to work his way. Trout becomes an embarras...more
Paperback, Contemporary American fiction, 306 pages
Published
August 1st 1989
by Penguin Books
(first published 1988)
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So much better than Paris Hilton.
But not quite as good as Paris France - it would be an unfair comparison.
As for Paris Texas, yeah, better than the film, which I thought had a nice soundtrack but was a leetle bit on the wanky side, as many European-auteurs-in-America turn out to be.
I could also say - not as thrillingly weird as Trout Mask Replica.
But loads better than a trout.
Comparisons are invidious, but I thought these were pretty vidious.
But not quite as good as Paris France - it would be an unfair comparison.
As for Paris Texas, yeah, better than the film, which I thought had a nice soundtrack but was a leetle bit on the wanky side, as many European-auteurs-in-America turn out to be.
I could also say - not as thrillingly weird as Trout Mask Replica.
But loads better than a trout.
Comparisons are invidious, but I thought these were pretty vidious.
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In so many cases of Good vs. Evil, Evil is more interesting. Authors often like the challenge, it seems, of opening our eyes to the reasons Evil does what it does. We may come away with an understanding that fits our theories of human nature. Evil's thought processes, when explained, may ring true, and bad behavior may be driven by unfortunate circumstances as much as anything else. Depending on the degree of the depravity, we may even apply the familiar "There but for the grace of God" line. We...more
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I like Pete Dexter. I do. But I don't think he'd like me. I don't know if likes people in general, and, given that he was once near-fatally pummeled by a bat-wielding mob of them, why should he?
This is a well-written account of people treating each other abominably. Is it cruelty for cruelty's sake, or is there something more substantial to take away from it? Let me know if you find anything. Dexter's prose especially takes flight during the sequences when the title character is sexually humili...more
This is a well-written account of people treating each other abominably. Is it cruelty for cruelty's sake, or is there something more substantial to take away from it? Let me know if you find anything. Dexter's prose especially takes flight during the sequences when the title character is sexually humili...more
1 like · like · see review
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This book was set during Prohibition and written in 1987 - the year after I was born - but it felt to me like it was written specifically for today. The book is an account of a man's slide into madness after the murder of an innocent girl, and the reactions of those in his small Southern town.
However, the most striking part of this book for me was the murderer's insistence that the shooting was entirely justified, was just business. He believes there are two completely different sets of laws; th...more
However, the most striking part of this book for me was the murderer's insistence that the shooting was entirely justified, was just business. He believes there are two completely different sets of laws; th...more
Paris Trout centers around a character of the same name. Though he is clearly a psychopath, he has money and is a business man, so his violent nature is ignored by the citizens of his small town, Cotton Point, Georgia. The book opens with an attack by Trout on a local black family. The town's white population does not want to be seen siding with a black family against a white man, so, from then on they turn a blind eye towards Trout and allow him to bully the legal system. Also involved in this...more
The book starts with Paris Trout, a white businessman, murdering a 14 year old African American girl. He claims he was perfectly within his rights to do so because someone else in the house owed him a debt. His racism against the family and particularly the girl seems standard of the time at first glance as it is compared and contrasted with how the girl was treated up until then. Though the actual act of murder showed a level of pure malice and spite that went beyond it.
As the novel progresses...more
As the novel progresses...more
Pete Dexter does such a good job of describing Paris Trout and his yellow teeth, piss smell and even more disgusting behavior that I just wanted to be done with the book because Paris Trout repelled me. I still don't want to touch the book, which is why I have to give it three stars. Basically, he's such a good storyteller, that I have to dock a star because the story is so disturbing. Makes no sense, I know.
Dexter knows how to write to keep you from putting the book down even when you don't wan...more
Dexter knows how to write to keep you from putting the book down even when you don't wan...more
This is a near perfect example of a precise, exacting, clinical exercise in writing. Dexter uses words like a surgeon would use a scalpel. I read this my 1st year in college and was mote than a little blown away by it and equally in awe of it. Sadly, this second reading does not leave the same impression.
Granted, the technical skill remains. In spades. But this time, this overshadowed the story and caused me to enjoy this far less.
I picked this up again mainly because I remembered it being a tre...more
Granted, the technical skill remains. In spades. But this time, this overshadowed the story and caused me to enjoy this far less.
I picked this up again mainly because I remembered it being a tre...more
This book took me a whole school year to read, because it was the one I was keeping in my car to read while I waiting to pick up my kids from their after-school activities. With such long breaks in between reading sessions, I will admit it created a little difficulty in staying "in tune" with the characters.
Having said that, Peter Dexter pulls your emotions out of you anyways. I had such sympathy for Rosie, for her ignorance, her innocence. He really brought it home that she was a victim in all...more
Having said that, Peter Dexter pulls your emotions out of you anyways. I had such sympathy for Rosie, for her ignorance, her innocence. He really brought it home that she was a victim in all...more
heh heh! this is one of those stories that i have discovered...or...what? i read this however many years ago and i just now remembered that...as i purchased another dexter story, spooner, from borders.
saw the "paris trout" there in that copy so here i am adding it to the list of books of mine. sue me.
i only glanced at the description....black/white....etc.
maybe it reminds me of Too Late the Phalatrope? that how you spell it? alan patton? or....waiting for the barbarians? that sort of thing. the...more
saw the "paris trout" there in that copy so here i am adding it to the list of books of mine. sue me.
i only glanced at the description....black/white....etc.
maybe it reminds me of Too Late the Phalatrope? that how you spell it? alan patton? or....waiting for the barbarians? that sort of thing. the...more
Extremely well written, this novel centres on a small town in Georgia post-WW2. An undisputed leader of the town is not the mayor or other authorities, but a hateful, suspicious and heartless business and property owner named Paris Trout. When a young black man buys a car from Paris and then refuses to pay his debt, Paris brings his wrath and racist ethics to his home, where he shoots the man's mother and a visiting 14 year old girl named Rosie. When Rosie dies, Paris is charged with her murder....more
Seems like I should give more than three stars to a winner of the National Book Award. And I can understand why it won - the plot and pacing are excellent, characters different and interesting,feels like a real glimpse into life in a small, southern town in the first half of the 20th century... Paris Trout, a respected community member shoots a young black girl for no reason. His lawyer has a difficult time convincing him he has done anything wrong and the reaction of much of the town reinforces...more
One of Pete Dexter's best novels and by far one of the best books I've ever read about the effects of small mindedness and racism on an entire town.
Paris Trout, a character that embodies redneck racism and misogyny, commits a crime that haunts him and eventually destroys him. LIke a modern day version of "Crime and Punishment," this book will take you on a psychological journey into the minds of people who are trapped in a town where time seems to stop in the days of share cropping Negroes, fat...more
Paris Trout, a character that embodies redneck racism and misogyny, commits a crime that haunts him and eventually destroys him. LIke a modern day version of "Crime and Punishment," this book will take you on a psychological journey into the minds of people who are trapped in a town where time seems to stop in the days of share cropping Negroes, fat...more
Ah, the South, the deep South of yore. Dexter (my second) has a way with folk of small town southern US. His character are flawed, tragic, victimized, off-centered, heroic and stoic. This guy CAN write and hasn't disappointed (Richard Russo's evil twin).
Paris Trout is the town's eccentric businessman who runs a store, sells used cars & loans money. He will not be crossed in any of his business dealings and his skewed sense of justice, particularly towards blacks, is the catalyst for the stor...more
Paris Trout is the town's eccentric businessman who runs a store, sells used cars & loans money. He will not be crossed in any of his business dealings and his skewed sense of justice, particularly towards blacks, is the catalyst for the stor...more
It's hard for me to say enough good things about Pete Dexter and Paris Trout only confirmed the positive experience I had reading "Deadwood." Both are genre pieces, Western and Southern Gothic, respectively, but each elevates what could be an easy run through the paces with set piece characters to genuine art. Dexter is adept at crafting a plot full of the tension that comes from certain disaster on the horizon, but that moves forward in tiny inconsequential steps, just as in life. The resulting...more
So, I loved Deadwood, which led me to Paris Trout, and what I think I love is Pete Dexter. This book like Deadwood is pitch perfect, close to flawless. I didn't want to put it down, read it until my eyes wouldn't focus anymore, read it instead of doing dishes, you get my drift. It's not for the feint of heart, although not excessively graphic, just deals with serious subjects and wouldn't be for a person who reads happy stories to escape, even though this book will allow you to escape to another...more
I almost gave this book one star. I really tried to like it but found it hard to follow the story line. There were too many things that left me wondering: rabid foxes, glass floors, changing points of view with no depth. The only reason I didn't give up was that the writing itself was good and some of the characters interesting. There was just no point at the end and I felt as if it was two separate books: 1st half and 2nd half. I hated Paris Trout the character, which is what I am expected to d...more
I've now read three books by Pete Dexter in the past year, and they have all been fantastic. Dexter is the kind of author who writes a completely different novel every time. I love it. Because they are all so different, yet they have all share in the fact that the author just does things a little differently.
Setting: 1940s? Cotton Point, Georgia
Main characters:
Paris Trout: a white business owner, a social outsiderl. Murders a black girl.
Hanna Trout- Paris's new wife.
Harry Seagraves- Harry's def...more
Setting: 1940s? Cotton Point, Georgia
Main characters:
Paris Trout: a white business owner, a social outsiderl. Murders a black girl.
Hanna Trout- Paris's new wife.
Harry Seagraves- Harry's def...more
Read this book in 1991 after the TV movie came out. I cannot remember much about it except that, while I liked it, the subject matter was difficult to enjoy.
I liked it well enough that I then read "The Paperboy" which, if I can remember, I didn't like as well and then decided that I would not read any more of his books. Now "The Paperboy" is out as a movie which is what has brought all this to my mind again. Am now rereading it and will review when I'm finished and will also see the movie.
If I...more
I liked it well enough that I then read "The Paperboy" which, if I can remember, I didn't like as well and then decided that I would not read any more of his books. Now "The Paperboy" is out as a movie which is what has brought all this to my mind again. Am now rereading it and will review when I'm finished and will also see the movie.
If I...more
For a writer to create a character who evokes strong emotion is pure talent. I felt like I met a monster reading this book; the main character is absolutely despicable. A strong supporting cast is also called into the story. I didn't give this book 5 stars because, though the main character's mother was physically prominent, we are never really to know why he is the way he is. I can infer that his character was a product of the times of racial oppression; however, this man is disturbed in a deep...more
this won the National Book Award for Fiction for Mr. Dexter. set in the American south in the 1950's, it is a bit of a harsh read, but hey? the south in the 50's? harsh. no doubt.
Paris Trout is a white business man who takes advantage of the black population - takes advantage of their poverty, and their fear to fight for their rights given the political climate of the time. i don't believe Trout is racist persay, he is a business man who is out to exploit anyone he can. he has this very person...more
It's a beautiful thing for an author to have the guts to allow his or her book to end in a chaotic, sick, and tragic mess and then call it a day. Pete Dexter answered this artistic challenge in Paris Trout. The story revolves around (who else?) Paris Trout, a disturbed, ultra-wealthy business man. Boring, right? But, hold on, it takes place in southern Georgia in the mid-50's. Also, Trout is very, very racist. When Trout kills a 14-year-old black girl over a debt she had nothing to do with, thin...more
This is the second or third time that I have read this book and I remember liking it more than I did this time. This is a tough story to read. The subject matter is difficult. Paris Trout is the story of a white man in the deep south who shoots two innocent black women over a debt. It is the story of his trial and subsequent mental breakdown.
In this reading I found some of the subplots distracting and unnecessary. The plot didn't seem to flow very well and most of the characters were not very w...more
In this reading I found some of the subplots distracting and unnecessary. The plot didn't seem to flow very well and most of the characters were not very w...more
I started this book reading the back and thinking it would be more about race relations, and racial identity in the south in the 50s. Unfortunately the black side of the story, the victims of the murder, disappeared in all but thought after the first chapter, and was replaced with a white only perspective, overly draped with cheap sex scenes and efforts at writing something profound. The more I read it, the more I was disappointed, hoping for something profound, anything, but left with very litt...more
When I read one of the reviews I was ready for the haul. It was really hard to put this book down, just as another critic wrote. Not because of the plot per se, but because of the character development. The writer made you really want to know more about the main characters and the development of the main three characters was really well done. The ending was inevitable and was warned. That somewhat made it not completely satisfying, but the read was enjoyable. This is one of those books you want...more
The reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is not because of the writing. The writing is brilliant, so good that I simply can't continue reading. I do not want Paris Trout and his horrific actions to haunt my days and nights. Yet if I continue reading, they will because this book is so well written that it is truly disturbing and I'm just at a time in my life when I don't want to be any more disturbed. That doesn't mean I want fluff. But the violence Trout commits, first against the young black gir...more
Could there be a more repellent main character than Paris trout? ... maybe, but it's been a while since I've come across one. Appearing early an as your standard variety racist mean-spirited person he soon murders a young black girl without a shred of guilt then proceeds to sink further into depravity and insanity until the final bloody climax. What is probably more chilling is the way the "decent" people in the town ignore and excuse his behaviour. A rather bleak but excellently written look at...more
This was an intense, often disturbing story, and the first time I started it, I abandoned it to read Owen Meany. Maybe because Irving's novel turned out to be a royal disappointment, or maybe because Irving's writing style in that novel is both comfortable and smug, I returned to Paris Trout and found the narrative to be refreshingly spare.
The most remarkable thing about this story for me is the unexpected course it takes. It begins as a story about racism in the Jim Crow South; the reader assu...more
The most remarkable thing about this story for me is the unexpected course it takes. It begins as a story about racism in the Jim Crow South; the reader assu...more
A book like Paris Trout demonstrates exactly why I am a "reader" and not a "critic." It is beautifully written, with a relatively interesting story, but in my own subjective opinion, it was underwhelming.
Paris Trout is the story of a white man who murders a little girl in small-town Georgia, and the repercussions of that crime in the community and in his own life.
I had several problems with Paris Trout. Firstly, the story was implausible. It is highly unlikely, though this is the obscene truth...more
Paris Trout is the story of a white man who murders a little girl in small-town Georgia, and the repercussions of that crime in the community and in his own life.
I had several problems with Paris Trout. Firstly, the story was implausible. It is highly unlikely, though this is the obscene truth...more
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Pete Dexter, b.1943, is the author of the National Book Award-winning novel Paris Trout and five other novels: God's Pocket, Deadwood, Brotherly Love, The Paperboy, and Train. He has been a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Sacramento Bee, and has contributed to many magazines, including Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Playboy. His screenplays include Rush and Mulholland Falls. De...more
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“He scart me," the girl said.
Miss Mary nodded and looked over at her in a slow, tired way. "That's your common sense talkin'," she said. "That man scare anybody got common sense.”
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Miss Mary nodded and looked over at her in a slow, tired way. "That's your common sense talkin'," she said. "That man scare anybody got common sense.”
