**Paris Trout: Slipping Into Darkness**

Paris Trout by Pete Dexter was chosen as a group read for February 2018 by the members of On the Southern Literary Trail. This novel, which won the National Book Award in 1988, takes us into a world of darkness and violence.
The story is set in Ether County, Georgia, during the height of summer. There's a rabies epidemic, but it's not dogs that carry the disease; it's foxes. Rosie Sayers, a twelve-year-old black girl, is bitten by a fox on her way home from Paris Trout's store. Paris Trout, a man who preys on the black community, charges excessive prices and usurious interest rates.
One day, Trout goes to collect a debt from Tommy Ray and ends up shooting Rosie multiple times and attempting to murder Mary McNutt. Ward Townes, the County Solicitor, charges Trout with these crimes. Harry Seagraves, a respected lawyer, defends Trout, but he soon realizes that Trout is a difficult client.
As the trial approaches, we learn more about Trout's violent nature. He abuses his wife, Hannah, and performs an act of sexual torture on her. Hannah, however, decides to leave him and pursues a divorce. She seeks Harry Seagrave's help, but due to professional ethics, he refers her to Carl Bonner.
The novel hurtles towards its conclusion with a series of unintended consequences and mistakes by the townspeople. Trout descends into paranoia and desires revenge against those he believes have betrayed him. The ending is not a happy one, but it is a powerful and thought-provoking one.
Paris Trout is a novel that explores the themes of racism, violence, and domestic abuse. It is not an easy read, but it is a necessary one. It forces us to face the reality of what human beings are capable of doing and reminds us that we must choose to be good and refrain from evil. Highly recommended for those who are not afraid to face the darkness.

Conclusion

Paris Trout is a masterful work of Southern Gothic literature. Pete Dexter's prose is lean and taut, propelling the story forward with a sense of urgency. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the themes are relevant and timely. This novel is not for the faint of heart, but it is a rewarding read for those who are willing to engage with its difficult subject matter.

Paris Trout indeed has a good story and a memorable character.

However, I find it hard to understand why it won the National Book Award.

The offensively bigoted whites play a significant role in carrying the story line, which is rather disturbing.

Moreover, the poor characterization of women and blacks is truly disappointing.

It seems that the author failed to give these characters the depth and complexity they deserve.

This lack of proper characterization detracts from the overall quality of the book.

Perhaps if the author had done a better job in this regard, the book would have been more worthy of the National Book Award.

As it stands, I remain skeptical about the merit of this award for Paris Trout.

Paris Trout is, without a doubt, the most repulsive character that I have ever come across in my reading experience.

The story that surrounds him is so somber and disturbing that it is nearly impossible not to become emotionally invested.

In fact, at times, I found myself having such intense feelings of hatred towards him that I wanted to take matters into my own hands. I had this wild urge to shoot the s.o.b. and shove a baseball bat, barrel first, up his arse.

Strangely enough, despite the repulsiveness of the character and the darkness of the story, I loved it. It was a captivating and powerful read that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a truly unique and unforgettable literary experience. It will make you feel a whole range of emotions and will leave you thinking long after you have turned the final page.

This book is like the malevolent stepbrother of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Both are set in the South during a time of segregation and deeply ingrained racism. However, while To Kill a Mockingbird features an accused black man who is clearly innocent, Paris Trout is an accused white man who is blatantly guilty. Yet, he believes himself, seemingly with some justification, to be beyond the reach of the law.

Instead of the hokey father-to-daughter aphorisms about the importance of doing the right thing even when you know you're licked, we are told that sometimes it's simply futile to do the right thing. People like Paris Trout are so unrestrainable that the best course of action is to just leave them alone and hope they don't target you. There is one character whose moral code is somewhat Finchian, but his success in making justice ultimately prevail is, at best, questionable.

Contrary to what one might expect, issues of race are not the focus of the novel. But then again, it was often difficult for me to determine what the focus was supposed to be. At first, it seemed as if the novel was going to be a character study of Paris Trout, which could have been fascinating if Trout were developed more convincingly. It would have been interesting to see the perspective of a perpetrator of racially-charged violence, rather than the more sympathetic one of a victim, which would be much easier to portray. But Trout isn't that well-developed. He is essentially nothing more than a boundless void of insanity.

Then the novel devolves into a Milli Vanilli courtroom drama, with a frivolous and predictable love affair tossed in for good measure.

Overall, this seemed like one of those books that just can't make up its mind about what it wants to be.

This was a truly tough book to get through.

The reason being that there wasn't a whole lot to like about any of the characters.

I found myself constantly getting angry and frustrated with the backward thinking and bullheadedness of almost everyone involved.

Despite all of that, it was still an interesting read.

The characters were extremely well described, which made it easy to picture them in my mind.

However, their motivations were quite difficult to assess.

It was as if I was there, a silent witness to all of the events that were unfolding.

Overall, it was a complex and thought-provoking book that left me with a lot to think about.

Paris Trout by Pete Dexter is a remarkable novel that won the National Book Award in 1988. I was initially preoccupied with other things but finally caught up with it via my Kindle. This story is both disturbing and compelling, and as is typical of Dexter's style, quite perplexing.

The novel depicts a singular monster in Paris Trout, who is surrounded and supported by his white brethren and the legal system that is in place to secure and protect the dominant position of those in power and of wealth. While Trout's actions are horrific, the true horror of the story lies in the community's tolerance and the spousal and legal ambivalence towards his evil doings. Dexter pulls no punches in his portrayal, delivering a knockout blow to the reader's sensibilities.

The characters in the novel are complex and multi-faceted. Paris Trout is a man who lives by his own principles, which override the law. His wife, Hanna, is a woman who has made mistakes in her life and is now trapped in a marriage with a man she does not love. The lawyer, Seagraves, is also a complex character, torn between his professional obligations and his personal feelings.

The dialogue in the novel is sharp and realistic, adding to the overall authenticity of the story. The final act of defilement against Hanna is a powerful and disturbing scene that leaves the reader with a sense of unease. The courtroom scenes are also well-written, exploring the nature of justice and the role of the law in society.

Overall, Paris Trout is a must-read novel that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. It is a powerful indictment of a society that is willing to turn a blind eye to evil and a testament to the power of literature to expose the truth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a thought-provoking and engaging novel.

Southern Gothic at its best.

This is a gritty, uncomfortable and excellent book. The title character, Paris Trout, is truly evil, more like a piranha than a nice trout.

The story is set in a small town in Georgia in the 1940s, after World War II. The author, Pete Dexter, has crafted the dialog with a distinct southern drawl. In some other works, this might make the characters seem like hicks or ignorant, but that's not the case here. There are very few stupid characters. Especially the black citizens. Their carefully chosen words are masterpieces in the art of survival, of not getting lynched.

The poor 14-year-old black girl, Rosie, whose murder is the catalyst for the plot, has not yet learned how to stay out of the way of her white male "superiors". She pays a tragic price. She is only alive during the first few pages, but Dexter manages to draw her as a clever and kind-hearted person. I really missed her when she was gone.

Paris Trout is the white man who callously shot Rosie multiple times and killed her. He might just be the most evil character I've ever encountered in a work of fiction. There's no mystery about what he did. He admitted up front that he shot Rosie. He was confident that he would be acquitted in his racist town. Trout's lawyer, Harry Seagraves, and Mrs. Trout complete the main trio of fascinating characters.

I simply don't have the words to adequately express how smart and unique this book is. The plot synopsis as I write it might seem formulaic, but believe me, it's far from it. And it's definitely not for the faint of heart. It's a worthy winner of the National Book Award.

I could not put this book down.

It is definitely noir, with a dark and gritty atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Some parts are not for the faint of heart, as they deal with disturbing and violent themes.

However, despite the darkness, there is also a certain allure to the story.

The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

I think I will add Dexter to my must-read list, as it is a truly captivating and engaging novel.

Whether you are a fan of noir or just looking for a good read, this book is definitely worth checking out.

I gave the book one star.

The writer can clearly craft a story as I read it to the end out of curiosity to see how it would turn out. However, the book was disappointing.

It starts with a plot but then loses it, descending into violent and sexual pornography. None of the characters are well-developed and the white people aren't likeable.

The story is creepy, yet no one seems frightened. Paris Trout's wife locks her door, but considering how crazy he is, shouldn't it have occurred to her that he could take an axe and break the door or cover it with plywood and lock her in forever? Or even set fire to the house with her in it?

Later, when the sheriff has a gun put to his chin by Paris Trout while driving him to prison, he shows no fear. He gently gets the gun away but doesn't handcuff Trout and just drives him on to prison with Trout sitting beside him in the front seat.

Beyond sadism, there's little to remember. But this: the actual story, obscured by the physical and sexual violence, of what happens when you stand up for yourself and challenge the status quo is not just racial. Whistleblowers and political activists face similar threats or actual violence.

What Dexter never developed in his story is the powerful effect of community and how a person risks everything if they attempt to change or expose that community. I truly wish the book had been developed in that way.

This is a text that truly should be covered in schools.

It offers a remarkably rich and detailed perspective on race relations in the southern part of America during the 1950s.

Not only does it vividly描绘 the complex and often tense dynamics between different racial groups, but it also showcases the profound impact that one person's actions can have on an entire town.

The story unfolds in a way that makes readers deeply invested in the characters and their struggles.

It serves as a powerful reminder of the historical context and the importance of understanding the past to build a better future.

This text is a modern classic that is well worth reading.

It has the potential to educate and inspire students, promoting empathy and a more nuanced understanding of race and society.

By studying this text, students can gain valuable insights into a crucial period of American history and the lasting effects of discrimination and inequality.

It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the human experience and the power of literature to make a difference.

Not a predictable novel, and that's what I really like about it. It's not a novel with neat and precise outcomes either, and that's another aspect I appreciate. In this novel, you can't be sure of anything, except that Paris Trout, a surly smalltown Georgia storekeeper and money-lender with “a screaming look in his eyes”, is definitely not a man to cross. “‘You just ask...’ Mr Trout yelled. ‘You ask what happens if you don’t pay Mr Trout.’”

We quickly find out what happens. “‘Paris Trout gone took a damn gun and shot two coloured women.’” In this segregated 1950s backwater, one might well expect a conventional portrayal of racial bigotry, all-white juries, and well-meaning lawyers striving to make a difference. But we've seen that before, and thankfully, that's not what Pete Dexter presents to us. The racism is deeply ingrained, but Paris Trout truly doesn't care about skin colour or status. He simply wants things to be done his way. It's all the same to him. So, at the core of the novel is a rabid individual who pursues his own疯狂的path through the town, its citizens, its lawyers, its legal system, and even the book itself. Everyone knows that Mr Trout is a dangerous person, and no one is willing to get in his way. People take the easy options, and as a result, nothing good occurs.

The novel is crisply written, with complex and equivocal characters, and there are no simple answers. Who could ask for anything more? It offers a unique and engaging exploration of人性and society, challenging our expectations and making us think deeply about the world we live in.

You should know by now that I have a great love for Pete Dexter. Paris Trout is apparently his most highly acclaimed book, and I must say that I thought it was very good indeed.

The main character, Paris Trout, was an incredibly mean, horrible, and terrible man. Everything he did was evil. However, what I found interesting was that the author didn't pass judgment on him. The other characters in the story did, but the author refrained from doing so (at least it didn't come across in the writing).

I felt that all the characters were well developed and well written. They weren't overdeveloped as sometimes happens in books. I mean, I didn't know more about the tertiary characters than I needed to, and that's a good thing.

The book is mostly about Trout and the way that his actions, such as murdering a young black girl for no reason other than his dislike of blacks, forever change the town he lives in and the people who live there. He abuses his wife in amazing ways that I didn't know were thought of in the 1950s. He also goes a little bit Howard Hughes crazy.

His wife, on the other hand, is an amazing and strong woman. Overall, it's just a well-written book that tells a great story.