Paperboy

by Pete Dexter, Bernhard Robben (Translator)

Moat County, Florida, 1965. Kurz nach Sonnenaufgang wird Sheriff Thurmond Call auf dem Highway gefunden, ausgeweidet wie ein Alligator, dem man ans Leder will. Die Einwohner des Countys verlangen Gerechtigkeit, und bald schon ist ein Schuldiger gefunden: Hillary Van Wetter, der unberechenbare, gewalttätige Spross einer Familie, die seit Jahrhunderten in den Sümpfen Floridas haust, soll für den Mord auf den elektrischen Stuhl. Doch es gibt Hoffnung für Hillary Van Wetter. Eine Frau namens Charlotte Bless fühlt sich zu Mördern hingezogen, auch wenn sie diese nie persönlich kennengelernt hat. Sie will Hillary aus der Todeszelle holen und verspricht zwei Reportern von der Miami Times die Story des Jahres, sollten sie den Fall neu aufrollen. Die von der Polizei vorgebrachten Beweise gegen Van Wetter waren nie stichhaltig – genau wie dessen vermeintliches Alibi. Aber die Suche nach dem Schuldigen entwickelt sich rasch zu einem tödlichen Spiel. Denn manchmal wird aus einer Lüge die Wahrheit.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Novels, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Book Club

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Pete Dexter 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. Dexter was born in Michigan and raised in Georgia, Illinois, and eastern South Dakota. He lives on an island off the coast of Washington.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Dexter

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A major motion picture book cover featuring Zac efron and Nicole Kidman was not the reason I picked this up in a charity shop, it was the simple but (to me) pretty ambiguous book title 'The Paperboy', and boy was I rewarded for this book cover buy. Florida, and it's 1969: three paperboys, two reporters making waves smelling a big story, and a brother of one of them (through whom this story is mostly told), an actual paperboy, that drives around the state delivering his dad's regional paper, come together to investigate the conviction of the Death Row resident, and 'white trash' wildman, Hillary Van Wetter who although a nasty piece of work, may have been railroaded in being (death) sentenced for the brutal murder of a local celebrity, but rabid racist, sexist, quasi criminal sheriff. That enough? How about the story being initially broken by a woman that gets infatuated with dangerous men on Death Row, who's fallen for Van Wetter!

I only watch movies made before 1979, maybe because they were screened and/or available when I was a kid? God knows! ......Anyway I feel many of the 'Hollywood' movies of the 1970s were anti-commercial, ambiguous, innovative and envelope pushing, and this 1995 published book totally fits that bill. Multiple sub-arcs, detailed character studies, an eclectic cast and everybody is tainted, no one's perfect; just people with their own goals and failings trying to live their lives. This book totally captures the post Counter Culture confusion of identity of America at this time for me. A marvellously written book that although all over the place, is almost a masterpiece. Just for the record, on the face of it, it is a story on how rewards and prizes that can change a person's life can also make them do anything to get those prizes; in this case the chase for a Pulitzer. Must-read. 8.5 out of 12.

2022 read

[J. Kent Messum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q: How do you know when a slow-burn story is done right?
A: You can smell charring flesh, feel the tension as the temperature rises, and watch the embers eat away at the characters.

Pete Dexter delivers this and more in 'The Paperboy'. Like I've previously said, this author has a keen sense of Southern darkness and how it infects swamps and cities and citizens alike. On the surface this is a crime story, one of those "whodunnit" type tales that proves to be something much more in the capable hands of Dexter. When a shithead of a sheriff turns up dead and gutted out in the sticks, a kangaroo court condemns an unlikable local redneck to the electric chair for the murder. Two reporters, Ward James and Yardley Acheman, dig up the cold case and see if they can breathe new life into it. They bring in Ward's younger brother Jack as a driver, and join forces with the accused inmate's deathrow-fangirl fiance, Charlotte Bless.

Told from Jack's perspective, 'The Paperboy' plays out a high-stakes investigation simmering with sexuality, violence, family history, distrust, and dysfunctional relationships. Pete Dexter rarely wastes a word in this exceptionally well-written tale of ambition and betrayal. It's another hell of a novel from one of the truest writing talents on earth. Dexter brings you in, holds you close, and claws out your insides with a story that can be as heart-warming as it is gut-wrenching.

[CV Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

From now on I'm just going to call Pete Dexter the atmosphere writer. He paints a picture of the backcountry of Florida, the swamps and the small town, and a Miami and its competitive newspaper world in such detail that I can close my eyes and be there. He re-creates the 70s with its attitudes and quirks in such a way that you can taste and smell the hotel rooms, the stately houses, and the dingy shacks.

Hillary Van Wetter was tried and sentenced to death for the murder of the sheriff of Moat County. Four years later Hillary's fiancé contacts the protagonists older brother and his writing partner at the newspaper in hopes that they can investigate the crime, prove Hillary's innocence, and get him released from death row.

But if you're looking for an investigation into the crime you're going to be disappointed. This is an investigation into the lives of two reporters, Ward James and Yardley Acherman, and the narrator of the story, Jack. It deals with the inherent bigotry, sexism, and classism of the late 60s and early 70s in the southern part of the US. It deals with betrayal, ambition, and secrets. And it deals with the manipulations of backcountry rednecks who are a lot smarter than they seem.

It's a beautiful book and so very well-written.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish that this writer had given at least one of his female characters the dimension and depth that he developed with the father and sons in the story. While they are complex men with imperfect, but redeamable, relatable personalities, all of his women are vain and/or misguided. The one woman who had gumption and intelligence was constantly described as "overweight," and "fat," and, like all the women categorized by her physical appearence rather than her personality. Had he chosen to represent women fairly, I could have walked away thinking that this book had a reasonably good plot about a jouralist's drive to get lost in a story, but instead, I'm left thinking that the author is mildly misogynist and therefore unable to make me his audience.

[El Convincente Gon · Rating 5 out of 5]

El chico del periódico se puede definir como un conjunto de frases que consiguen que leas la última de ellas (compuesta por solo cuatro palabras) con un escalofrío de emoción.

Les dirán que se trata de una novela negra y no estarán errados, pero quizás habría que inventarse etiquetas más precisas en su caso: novela sucia. O mejor: novela turbia.

No esperen una trama de investigación que devorar mordiéndose las uñas. Aquí uno viene a disfrutar de la ambientación, de los personajes, de no poder dejar de mirar.

Porque sí, esta es una de esas narraciones tan visuales que el lector prácticamente no tiene que hacer ningún esfuerzo para que se le proyecten imágenes en la mente. Hay tres escenas en concreto que tardaré mucho tiempo en olvidar (tres palabras clave, a modo de guiño, para quien ya la haya gozado: medusas, mancha, helado).

El personaje principal (protagonista de la primera línea de la novela: Mi hermano Ward fue famoso una vez) me hace sentir como uno de esos señores trasnochados que chochean con los héroes taciturnos de las películas del oeste (John Wayne en Centauros del desierto) y con los detectives íntegros del cine negro (Alfredo Landa en El crack). Sin ser yo nada de eso.

Por ponerle una pega: hay poquísimos personajes femeninos (importante solo uno) y no están tratados, ni de lejos, con el mismo mimo que los masculinos. No diré misoginia, pero la palabra está ahí para quien quiera usarla.

¿Es Pete Dexter un escritor infravalorado? He leído tres novelas suyas y creo firmemente que sí. Cuando alguna editorial cool tipo Sajalin o Dirty Works lo rescate, se cansarán ustedes de oír lo bueno que es.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free for Audible-UK-Plus members. Narrated by the talented Sean Runnette!

I wanted to try something by the author of the 1988 National Book Award winner. The title that won, Paris Trout, is available to me in only an abridged format, so I read The Paperboy instead. I am glad I did. I love discovering new authors that write well.

The story is about a murder that has occurred and if the one accused is guilty or not. Murder mysteries are not my usual cup of tea. Why then does the book work for me?

It looks at the process of justice in the South during the 1960s. It looks at the running of a newspaper and a father’s dream to leave his paper in the hands of at least one of his sons. We observe the relationships that exist between the father and the two sons. We think about what it is that makes a good reporter, a good writer and a good human being. The qualities defining each need not be the same. Some people seem to shine in that which they do while others perform equally well but in obscurity. There is quite simply a whole lot to think about as you read this book. The focus goes beyond what happens to why people behave as they do.

What gets us thinking? It’s the prose that gets us thinking. It is the writing, the dialogs and the thoughts expressed that makes the book good. Terrible things happen—the reader is scared, shocked and upset. Yet I didn’t think once I would stop reading. I kept going. I needed to know what would happen.

The story twists and turns. I found myself exclaiming, “What a horrible mess!” The situation that develops is messy because real life is this way. I didn’t always agree with what some of the characters do. I thought it was strange that Jack had the guts togo swimming again after being so badly stung by jellyfish. People are so different. Who am I to judge?!

The end is good. You don’t get a fairytale ending. What you get is reality, life as it really is.

Sean Runette reads the audiobook. His intonations are pitchperfect. His manner of reading fits the whole style of the book. Four stars for the audio narration.

The story has good writing, lots happens and there is plenty to think about. I did chuckle now and then, despite all the bad things that happen. Do I recommend the book? Yes, even though it is not the kind of book I usually read.



************************

*The Paperboy 4 stars
*God's Pocket TBR
*Paris Trout only available abridged in audio format

[Ned · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Pete, wherever you are, for getting this tarnished gem, out of your head.

Dexter never fails to disappointment me, and this was no different. I found myself needing to read it all the time, staying up too late, sneaking away during social gatherings, and bringing it clandestinely in my coat at inappropriate venues. Set in small town Florida, with forays into seedy Miami during the 1960s, it brings forth the worst of man’s inclinations to deception, obsession and hopelessness. Sounds great, right? What made it enjoyable to me is the utter lack of heroes, and honesty to the reader about what drives the darkness in our souls. Being interested in journalism, this is the best of its kind as to what drives investigative journalists: the protagonist observing his father the owner of a daily and his brother trying to work off his desire to get the story “right” at his own peril. The observed older brother is fearless, naïve, at search for the truth of life and ultimately destroyed by his inability to capture it. The main character Jack is deeply flawed, but genuine, and he commiserates and consoles his friendless brother in a way that is touching. They fight against their lonely father, who is afraid to get too close to either of his sons who are like him in ways that he cannot stomach. It is a coming of age story, to some extent, as the child discovers he horrors of adulthood lurking just behind the façade.

What makes this tale great is that it does not trivialize the raw characters in the swamp and they are even more terrible in their human-ness. These people are real, with foibles, contradictions and strange, random behaviors. There is no cleverness here, no tricks for the reader to uncode. The violence came late in this novel, as it inevitably does in a Dexter novel, but all the more shocking due to its build-in delay and lack of artifice. The characters are deluded in their views and ideas, and his ability to reveal this without preaching to the reader, is Dexter’s particular talent. Again, these are not propped up heroes, as in much of crime noir, and we know them by their actions and the way that others relate to them. This is ultimately tragic, but one gets that sense early in the story and the end comes as a form of relief, with some hope sprinkled in with the pathos. Race relations are always there, and Jim Crow aplenty, told in a manner that is not self-serving, but authentic and sad. Dexter is a journalist himself, so he knows of what he speaks here. I don’t believe he’s very popular (not a single tome in the Barnes and Nobles I visited last night), but he is a true American novelist, giving us more truth in his fiction than a hundred non-fiction tales and documentaries. For this reason, I’m going to stanch the urgent to watch the recent movie full of stars, though I would likely love it, to avoid the obliteration of my newly formed imagination of these characters and the visceral landscapes.

Jack, the protagonist 20 year old, observing his shy, unflappable, principled, older brother the journalist (p. 118/119): “It occurred to me that it didn’t matter that he was no good at this; what mattered was that he was willing to do it”.

On the tenacity of finishing a story, when the excitement and thrill is gone, his older brother Ward (p. 138) “…smiled politely, as if that were a joke. I supposed he’d heard the same thing from him before. A newspaper story, like anything else, is more attractive from a distance, when it first comes to you, than it is when you get in close and agonize over the details.”

Jack, upon visiting his dilapidated rooming house in Miami (p. 236): “I took the things from my car to the room, making two trips, walking past a thickset man with frog’s eyes who stood outside his door, smoking a tiny butt of a cigarette, staring at me as if he might be interested in asking for a date. I understood right away that Miami was not like the other two places I’d lived.”

On being a journalist (p. 240): “Too many of them were ‘journalists’ now, enamored with the importance of the calling and anxious to tell their readers what stories meant, not so enamored with the stories themselves”.

[William Prystauk · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has the personality of a carcass. Long, drawn out and convoluted, Dexter paints a lame picture in white-washed colors. Brought to us in first person from Jack, who’s father owns a Moat County, Florida paper, the book is slow, tedious, long-winded and reserved to the point of absolute boredom.

Though the first person narration is consistent, Jack, our storyteller, is lackluster and doesn’t seem to have a pulse. The only part of the novel I enjoyed was the attack on Ward, Jack’s brother. Not because of the violence, but because of the drama, interactions with Charlotte and the police, as well as the subsequent recovery at the hospital. There was finally a little vivacity and imagery with impact.

Worst still, this was another tale about a dysfunctional family with ultra-poor communication skills – snooze. And Dexter failed to bring anything new to the table. Overall, the characters were unlikable and their dialogue wasn’t really distinct. I didn’t feel a thing for Ward after the beating or his death later on. And Charlotte’s demise came as no surprise, and once again, I was unaffected – and that’s most likely because the end of the book was rushed and Charlotte was virtually mentioned in passing. Then again, Jack had the emotional investment of Milne’s Eeyore. The protagonist was too repressed and depressed, creating a flat narrative that kept me at an emotional distance.

Worst still, Dexter told more than he showed, and getting through the exposition and summarizing was like trudging through thick cement. And there were no surprises and no reason to keep reading.

Overall, I was again reminded to get to the story. Keep it fresh and moving. And to make certain I have a character with life in his blood instead of another monotone robot (like Block’s Scudder). Moreover, even if the characters have no redeeming qualities, make certain they’re interesting enough to satisfy the reader.

Interestingly, the book had no chapters, just little page breaks. But since the novel was such a burden, this did not move the story ahead by any means.

This was as dull as sterilized dirt.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not put this one down....that is all!

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1965, Thurmond Call was the Sheriff of Moat County and had been since before our 20 year old narrator, Jack James, was born. Sheriff Call "even by Moat County standards, had killed an inappropriate number of Negroes in the line of duty" not being clear what he was allowed to do and not do. In fact he was beginning to step over the line of excusable behavior when earlier that spring he had stomped a handcuffed man to death. This time the man was a drunk named Jerome Van Wetter, a relation of the poor white inbred family that lived in the swamps of the St. Johns River. It is known that the Van Wetter's take care of their own and thus when the sheriff was found gutted about 400 feet from his car on a county road, Hillary Van Wetter was quickly arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death.

Our narrator picks up the story four years later when his brother Ward James with Yardely Acherman, investigative reporters for the Miami Times, are sent up to Moat County to look into the trial of Hillary Van Wetter. This new interest has been inspired by Charlotte Bless, an ex-post office worker, femme fatale in her late thirties, who is convinced of Hillary's innocence. She has gathered together boxes of newspaper clippings that make it very clear that this was not a fair, nor competent, trial. It is the job of Ward James and Yardely Acherman to piece together the story in a town reluctant to communicate, not even Van Wetter's family will talk.

This is an eerie, but beautiful work of fiction. Pete Dexter's writing style is concise and poetic. The imagery of the swamplands is so vivid you can feel the mosquito bites. The interviews with Hillary Van Wetter at the jailhouse rival those with Hannibal Lechter. On the surface it would be easy to simply label this a great mystery/suspense novel. But there is so much more. Obviously, it is about justice in a small southern town. But it's also about brothers and fathers and love. It is Jack's coming of age story and it's a story of hypocrisy and betrayal. And it is all set against the newspaper business where the search for truth is not always the same as that required for fame and prize-winning journalism. Nor is it always bearable.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

One night I found a random obscure movie on the streaming network popcornflix. It had a few fairly well known actors. Turns out the movie was pretty good. It was based on a book The Paperboy by Pete Dexter. The book was different than the movie, but in good ways. It's set in 1969 Florida and explores familial relationships, journalism, small town criminal justice, love, sexuality, race and never giving up. Most of the movies I enjoy lately are based on books. I recommend this one.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It reminded me of Larry Watson's stuff in that it was dark and creepy, rather brutally honest.

The story is not so much a who done-it, but rather a study in motivation. Each of Dexter's characters are complex creatures who do nothing for altruistic reasons, but everything for their own satisfaction. Yardley and Hillary are the most similar (if only because they are both so egotistical and greedy). Jack is lustful, but lonely; he is always trying to make connections. Ward is clearly trying to prove himself (one can only imagine his insecurities as a closeted gay man in the 1960s) to his father, but also remain true to himself. Charlotte is looking for excitement and ultimately ends up paying for her impulsive behaviors. WW, despite preaching about the importance of truth, is really just a hypocrite searching for comfort.

Some of the best passages were descriptive (and I'm usually not one for the overdone language), especially those in regards to character: "The indistinct malevolence which Jerome Van Wetter carried hung off him at unexpected angles in much the way his suits hung on his bones, but gathered to its purpose in his eyes. There was a predatory aspect to the way they fell on you, expecting something, waiting, a tiny interest finally stirring, like a slow smile, as he found the little places inside you where he did not belong."

I loved some of the darker, psychological comments like:
"It's possible, I think, that you have to be hurt to see anything at all." and
"the shadow of it was always there. He had been terrified, and once that has happened, you are never quite the same."

as well as the relationship commentary:
"it is an uncomfortable thing, to lie to someone about things when you both know what is true. It asks too much of your authority, even if you're talking with a child. In the end, we all know what we know." and
"When I first began hearing stories about fucking, perhaps in second grade, hearing them from so many places I knew there was something to it, I had the distinct thought walking home from school one afternoon that the world would be a better, simpler place if none of it were true."

On a small note, I was annoyed and not quite sure I understood why Dexter always referred to Yardley as "Yardley Acheman". All the other characters were shortened to first, last, or nick name during the course of the book but Yardley was always his full name. Clearly, there is some sarcasm (as Jack does NOT like Yardley), in the sense of "the revered Yardley Acheman" but as a reader it was just annoying.

Overall it was a good read. The story was compelling, there were some funny moments, some poignant thoughts, and strong tone throughout.

**I watched the movie version this evening and it is definitely not recommended. My curiosity was piqued with the book cover and I had hoped that the movie version would be gloriously dark and interesting. Instead, it was just a confusing mess. If I had not read the book, I would not really have had any clue as to what was happening.

[Kenneth P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a riveting if disturbing novel that takes place in North Florida in the late 1960's. North Florida has it all, the beautiful beaches of St. Augustine, the gator-rich St. John's River that is home to numerous colorful, if inbred, swamp families; it has the State Penitentiary in the town of Starke that harbors the infamous electric chair known as "Old Sparky." Indeed Old Sparky was the demise of many a villain including Ted Bundy before it became sluggish, bereft of juice. With too many sparks and too much smoke, incapable of the quick fix, Sparky was eventually put to pasture.

But in this book the old throne has a date with Hillary Van Wetter who was convicted of murdering the local sheriff. It does not matter that the sheriff murdered 16 black men in his tenure. He murdered a single white dude and that became his undoing. But Hillary Van Wetter, a violent, sociopathic swamp-donkey may very well be innocent.

This sets the table for Pete Dexter's story. When a pair of award-winning journalists arrive from Miami, the conflict begins. The term "paperboy" refers to anyone in the newspaper business-- delivery boys, writers, editors, owners. The paperboys seek to spring Van Wetter, not because they care about him, or about justice, but because it will be a big story that can win fame and prizes. This becomes a wonderful, if cynical, look into the newspaper business.

The narration of the story, for me, made this a page-turner. The story is told by the 19 year old younger brother of Ward James, one of the writers seeking to expose the corruption that imprisoned an innocent man. The James family are newspaper people from top to bottom. The Van Wetter family are swamp people, gater-harvesters, from top to bottom.

Eventually the conflict becomes family vs. family, class vs. class, the educated vs. the stupid.

Within the rich array of characters linger quiet, subterranean sexual longings that erupt into unspeakable violence. This is not for the faint of heart.

There are a couple of scenes in which half naked swamp people, genitals dangling, slobber ice cream with hilarious abandon. But they are scary, even as you chuckle.

It's a tragic book but I couldn't put it down. While I prefer books that are dialogue-driven, this seemed heavy on the exposition. But it never slowed me down, probably because the narration was spot on.

And there is a moral to this story: never underestimate your ice cream-slobbering troglodyte.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange book. I can't quite put my finger on what was so unsettling! The characters are dark, the story is pretty dark, and there's some quite scary parts to it. Not scary as in frightening, but the author paints a vivid picture of some scenes that stay with you for a while after - unsettling is the word!

I wasn't very happy with the ending, no spoilers, but it follows the theme of the book - most things are left up to the reader to decipher. So I had to make my own conclusions, and I didn't like them!

The story has recently been made into a film, starring Zac Efron as the narrator. I wouldn't say he's the main character, as his story is largely secondary to the events he's witnessing, but I'd be interested to see how he plays it.

Why 3 stars then? I think beacuse I read it so quickly and thought about it all day until I could start reading again. Having finished it though, I'm a bit disappointed. Suffice to say I wouldn't read this again, but I would definitely watch the film, to see if it could give me some explanation for the blanks I couldn't fill in myself.

[Sockmonkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because a blurb on another book I read compared the two. I went in with no expectations and came out with...well I'm not sure. It's a good read but I'd be hard pressed to tell you why that is. I didn't particularly identify with any of the characters and there's really no big reveal at the end. But having said all that I still think it's definitely worth taking a look at. Pick it up if you can find it used. Maybe then you can tell me why it was good.

[Kate Curtis-Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether its films like Ace in the Hole, The Sweet Smell of Success, or the recently released Nightcrawler I've always been interested in the more seedy side of the news media. I've always thought that the prospect of individuals who are in charge of informing the public are actually misleading them, there is something very science fiction about the idea and I think that it can lead to the creation of some really interesting story-lines.

The Paperboy first came to my attention when Lee Daniels adapted the book into a film a couple of years ago, I was very interested upon seeing the trailers and made it a point to see the film. I never got a chance to see the movie due to a limited release but when I figured out it was based on a novel it immediately went onto my to-reads shelf.

For those that do not know The Paperboy is all about the idea of investigative journalism during its height in the 1960's. The Protagonists brother Ward James comes back to their home town in order to investigate the murder and ensuing trial of the small towns local sheriff. Ward learns of the case through a series of letters by a woman who is engaged to marry the convicted killer, pleading with Ward to prove her betrothed's innocence.

The Paperboy may be an investigation on the surface level but its really best described as a character study of people in and out of the news. Each character is radically different from one another and each really represent a different time in human life. Whether its the time of confusion and innocence, professionalism and compulsion, arrogance and cockiness, or loneliness and longing; every character embodies a different idea or time of our lives as humans and its seeing those different personalities clash that make the book so interesting.

The writing has a very sparse tone to it, I never got the impression that it was being padded or lengthened just because Mr. Dexter wanted a higher page count. Instead it comes across like a neat package full of great English and absolutely superb dialogue. Each character has a very distinct voice and its that distinction that lends to making all the interactions between these characters all the more interesting.

When all is said and done The Paperboy is less about the seedy side of the news industry and more about humans. What it is that we all want out of life, what our experiences make us into, and what separates us from the rest of the crowd. It feels like a time capsule from an era when investigative journalism still existed but its the characters that ultimately elevate this book to the four stars it deserves.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a spare, gritty depiction of the unpleasant nature of journalism and the depths of immorality to which some of its practitioners will sink in an effort to win recognition. But it’s also far more than that. It’s also the story of a young man’s maturation—that young man is our narrator, Jack James, who tells many stories in the course of this novel. He tells the story of Thurmond Call, a local sheriff who was murdered in cold blood on a dark country road. He tells the story of Hillary Van Wetter, the local ne’er-do-well who was convicted of the murder. He tells the story of Charlotte Bless, a sexually combustible woman who has fallen in love with Hillary and who enlists the help of Jack’s brother (and his unscrupulous colleague) in freeing Hillary. He tells the story of Ward James, Jack’s brother, an intrepid and indefatigable journalist who struggles with the truth of every story he writes just as he struggles with the profound secret that plagues his every waking moment. He tells the story of Yardley Acheman, Ward’s writing partner, whose lust for journalistic glory poisons almost every character in the novel. And he tells the story of his father—an emotionally disconnected man who is simply incapable of creating any kind of bond with his sons in the wake of his wife’s abandonment.

Pete Dexter is such a masterful writer that all of these stories become one complex narrative web—the most minor tug on one strand of the narrative yields distinct and incontrovertible effects on all of the other strands. It’s impossible to separate the intricacies of Dexter’s tale as he examines universal themes like the nature of evil, the virtue of truth, the recklessness of ambition, the toxicity of denial, and the consequences of compromise in a way that makes all of these abstract ideals almost palpable. Rarely has such spare prose resulted in such stylistic power—Dexter is a writer who knows well how to tell a story.

[Sean Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Dexter is an author who doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves. I've read a few of his books already and "The Paperboy" is definitely my favorite. The story is told from the perspective of Jack who was recently expelled from college and is adrift in life. Jack's brother, a newly successful reporter, hires Jack to drive him and his partner around while they investigate the story of a murder.

Dexter does a great job creating characters. We are inside Jack's head so we have something of an understanding of what drives him, though much of the time he's not even sure. We see the other characters through their interactions. Unlike some books where the characters exist as set pieces to move the plot along these characters are fully realized and complicated. Much of the book concerns the conflicts that arise from different people pursuing different goals and the conflicts that arise.

I'm not doing a great job of selling the book. Really what you should do is just read the first page. Dexter can write and it doesn't really matter what he's writing about.

[Haley Blomquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing was excellent! It was a pretty intense book. Ending was really depressing. Author was very good at setting the scene.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

ich glaube, ich habe das Thema nicht so richtig verstanden. schade

[Stephanie Karaolis · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘Bleak’ isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to books. I’ve read several books that I’d describe as bleak but that I really loved: Never Let Me Go and The Woman Before Me are two that come to mind. I’d put The Paperboy in a slightly different category, perhaps alongside The Virgin Suicides – its bleakness made it hard to really love, but something in the craft of the writing and the integrity of the story kept me reading.




I had no idea what The Paperboy was about before reading – I knew it was recently made into a film but had no preconceptions. I was surprised by the beginning, which tells of a county sheriff found murdered and the man from the notorious Van Wetter family on death row as a result. So it got off to an interesting enough start, if a little meandering. The gist of the rest of the novel is that three paperboys (men working for a newspaper, rather than boys delivering them) are persuaded by the fiancee of Hillary Van Wetter to investigate the sheriff’s murder in the hope of finding evidence that will see him released from death row. This sounds like it holds the promise of a fast-paced, intriguing story, no?




Unfortunately not. This felt like one of the longest and slowest-moving books I’ve read. This impression is heightened by the complete lack of chapter divisions, so it’s just one interminable narrative told from one fairly monotonous and uninspiring perspective. Jack James is not really a paperboy; he drives delivery trucks for his father (who does own a small, local paper) and has no particular grand plan for his life. His brother Ward is building his reputation as a reporter in Miami, working in partnership with another ambitious young man called Yardley Acheman. When Ward and Yardley are recruited by Charlotte Bless to investigate the Van Wetter case, they return to Jack’s home town and enlist Jack as their driver and general dogsbody.




Presumably, each member of this group is meant to be enigmatic and interesting; I just found them all incredibly frustrating (at best). Ward is focused and thorough, making him an excellent investigative reporter, but is also brooding and uncommunicative. Jack is rather self-pitying, constantly suggesting that his father is prouder of and closer to Ward than to him without actually doing anything himself to improve the relationship. Charlotte is manipulative and flaky, and Yardley is apparently entirely without morals. I didn’t really care about of any of them, unfortunately.




The other major problem with The Paperboy is that nothing happens. It’s pages and pages and pages recounting conversations with Hillary and other Van Wetters, and the odd official who will speak to them. Each day merges into the next, as does each evening. The same conversations are had over and over again. I am inclined to give Pete Dexter the benefit of the doubt, as I think he is technically a very talented writer, and suggest that this is deliberate: the pace and pathos of the narrative reflects that of the lifestyle in the small Florida towns in which it’s set. It’s this that gives it that overriding sense of bleakness, but for me it’s just overdone and comes at the expense of compelling readability.




In its favour, The Paperboy conjures up a particular time and place vividly. It explores the prejudices that characterise that time and place, and provides characters and situations that could provoke a lot of discussion and debate, since nothing is neatly tied up and explained. If you enjoy long and lingering atmospheric descriptions, and books that are more portraits of unusual characters rather than forward-moving stories, this could be the book for you. It’s just not for me.

[Luis Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last words of the novel captures its theme: "There are no intact men". Beneath the appearance of a simple story of journalism, the novel deals with Truth and Weakness. There is something interesting in this respect: although those may be the themes that give interest to the story, the narrator does not make any explicit moral reflection on them. It is up to you, reader, to draw your own conclusions.

It is the story of a gifted journalist, as honest and talented as his father, an editor of a local newspaper, would have ever desired him to be. Yet, able as he is to unveil the hidden truth around him, he is unable to come to terms with his own one; that is, to let his own secret come to the surface when it finally happens to call the attention of other colleagues.

The character who initially seems weak turns out to be stronger than the ones who appeared more solid at the beginning of the novel. Because there is nothing that makes you stronger than acknowledging your own weakness: "There are no intact men"

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those movies you watch where you have to read the book because you just know it is going to be even better, darker and more f'd up. It's also a rare occasion where reading the book doesn't completely render the movie worthless. They are both spectacular. If anything, they complement each other with slightly different details, character development and focal points. For instance, the movie builds out a minor housekeeper role, but minimizes the role of the father's girlfriend from the book.

Relatively short read set in the swampy south; while centrally based on the investigation of a convicted murderer, themes of race and homosexuality permeate. Highly recommended. I can't wait to read more by Dexter.

[Jao Wonders · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I kind of hated this book and loved it at the same time. The blurb offers the readers a whole different story from what the book is actually about. I mean, It does have the 'Story' but the main issue isn't about it at all. It's more on the side of journalism than the story itself. Which I did end up liking eventually.

I'm giving it 4 out of 5 star only because I wanted more out of it. There were characters I loved and hated. And characters that I thought were bland and needed complexity. The unanswered issues left a stale taste in my mouth that right after reading the last page, I almost throw the book across the room. But books are precious. So, I did not.

Also, I loved the Narration.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting. This was the feel. The author is masterful in his pacing of this novel which adds to the suspense, the unfolding and consequently the haunting I felt throughout. Investigative journalism leads to a controversial article and thus alters the life of its authors and their families. Fantastic descriptions of southern Florida, conflicted familial relations, swamp living, newspaper journalism and the fragile human psyche. Dexter leaves you deciding a few things for yourself. Great storytelling.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I call a work set in the 1960's "historical fiction"? Well I did.

This novel was influenced by having just seen the movie. It is always fascinating of course to observe how story lines are manipulated during the process of adaptation, but that observation process can detract from appreciating the work. That happened here for me, because of the differences between the book and the movie (for example, racial issues were highlighted in the movie by making Yardlay black).

Still, though, the book is an easy 4 stars.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title "The Paperboy" refers not only to young Jack James, expelled from college and working at his father's small-town Florida newspaper, but also his tenacious older brother Ward, a Miami star reporter. The murder case that brings Ward back to his hometown has repercussions not only for the James family but everyone pulled into their sphere. The novel is more melancholy than sensational. The pervading theme is one of loss; as the closing line points out, "There are no intact men".

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing so evocative I could feel the sweat, inhale the mosquitos, taste the melting ice cream imagined with mute animal longing by the silent woman in the swamp. I didn't feel these characters were stereotypes: they all acted true to their natures, some predictable, some inscrutable. I saw the story unfurl driven by human action, as opposed to human actions manipulated to serve the story. I plan to read everything I can find by this author.

[Barbara Tiede · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful work of fiction. Dexter's writing is concise and poetic. The imagery of the swamplands is so vivid you can feel the mosquito bites. But it’s a lot more than a great mystery / suspense novel. Obviously it’s about justice in a small southern town. It's also about brothers and fathers and love. It is young Jack's coming of age story, and it's a story of hypocrisy and betrayal.

[Kaarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savored every word. The writing is haunting, and I agree with Adam about the final sentence of the book. There are many "final sentences" in this work. I'll be reading more by Dexter.