Gruesomely well written.

This description implies that the writing is of a high quality, yet it has a certain element of gruesomeness or horror. It could be a piece of literature, such as a horror story or a crime thriller, that manages to captivate the reader with its vivid and detailed descriptions.

The author might have used language in a way that makes the reader feel a sense of unease or dread, while still maintaining a high level of craftsmanship.

It could also refer to a non-fiction work, perhaps a true crime account or a historical record of a tragic event, that is presented in a compelling and engaging manner.

Overall, the phrase "gruesomely well written" suggests a unique combination of literary skill and a subject matter that is both disturbing and fascinating.

Well, this book truly deviated from what I had anticipated based on the Goodreads blurb. Race indeed has a role in Paris Trout's crime, but only in the sense that the society was brutally unjust towards its black population. This made it distressingly easier for someone like Paris Trout to assault a black person and simply walk away. However, Paris Trout was far more than just a racist. He was a monstrous being and a genuine threat to humanity in any form. I firmly believe that the color of skin was not the sole determining factor for Paris. In fact, I'm not even certain if it was a significant factor at all, except perhaps in liberating him from any need to restrain his wrath due to social pressures. If Henry Ray had been a poor white boy who owed him money, I'm convinced he would have behaved in a strikingly similar manner. Paris is a racist, but the society he inhabits is even worse. It pretends to be kind and just, yet it turns a blind eye to the atrocities happening right before it.

While no one can dispute the sick and perverse nature of Paris Trout, what truly tore at my heart was the way the system shielded him. This was the case even though every single person who came into contact with him - prosecutors, judges, neighbors, employees, and his defense attorney - knew him for the savage demon that he was. Several of these so-called leading citizens were aware of the details of his brutal treatment of his wife, Hanna, and showed just as little concern for her as they had for Rosie Sayers, the innocent black girl he had callously murdered.

Who and what Paris Trout is, is established right from the opening moments of this novel. However, it takes much longer to reveal who the others are, and this aspect is of far greater importance. I couldn't help but be reminded of that old and often overlooked cliché: "all that is required for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing." But, as we all know, when evil flourishes, it refuses to be confined within the boundaries we think we have set for it. It has a tendency to spill out like an overfilled bathtub, reaching out its tentacles and touching everyone and everything in its path. Eventually, it will touch us all.

"Paris Trout" is not an easy read, and that's hardly surprising considering that stories about the evils of society rarely are. You simply cannot tell a tale about the dangers of tolerating evil without confronting some truly horrendous things. Just as you cannot transform Paris Trout into a respectable businessman by simply dressing him in a suit and tie and inviting him to Kiwanis Club dinners.

So, take a very deep breath and then dare to read this powerful and thought-provoking book.

The writers I hold in the highest regard are those who are men of few words. When it is done correctly, an astonishing amount can be conveyed with just a few well-chosen words. It truly serves as a testament to the mastery of the written word when an author is able to achieve this feat. Take Cormac McCarthy, for example. Similarly, Pete Dexter's prose has just as much significance in what is left unsaid as in what has been explicitly stated. Both of these men possess an acute sense of the southern darkness and skillfully weave worlds out of flesh, bone, and bleak realities. In their works, not a single word is wasted, making their novels lean and fast reads.

'Paris Trout' is a story that dates back more than a half century ago. It takes place in a part of the world that was reluctantly dragged into the future. Georgia in the middle of the 20th century was especially cruel outside of the white male dominion. The kind of inhumane trespasses and the general treatment of black people were truly shocking and upsetting. What's more, it wasn't actually that long ago either.
Paris Trout, the main character, is also a man from another era, a time when overt racism was not only commonplace but also celebrated and often had deadly consequences. He is unable to adapt to the changing times and refuses to abide by the updated laws that now protect people equally regardless of their skin color. He meets this new world with righteous indignation and increasing hostility. Soon, Paris begins to lash out at anyone he perceives as weaker, and he is shocked when he discovers that he can no longer kill a minority as freely as he once believed.
'Paris Trout' is the story of one person's gradual descent into madness. It is about an insolent and hateful man who is being told that he can no longer conduct business in the way he has known his entire life. His defense lawyer and wife are the two people who bear witness to his increasing insanity as he battles a changing world that will not tolerate the likes of him for much longer.
This is a disturbing tale told by a master storyteller. It will penetrate your skin, regardless of your color. By the end, it will leave you with the feeling that you have chewed long and hard on a particularly rotten piece of America's history. It is very difficult to swallow, yet it is also very necessary to digest.

This story serves as a powerful reminder of the dark past and the importance of learning from it to create a more just and equal future.

This is the very first reading selection for my online backlist book club.

It holds great significance as it kicks off our literary exploration.

The anticipation is palpable as members eagerly await the discussion.

After our in-depth conversation, a review will be forthcoming.

However, there is a slight caveat - I might forget to write the review.

Let's face it, with all the distractions in life, it's quite likely.

But regardless, the reading and the discussion are sure to be engaging and thought-provoking.

We'll dissect the text, share our perspectives, and gain new insights.

It's an exciting journey that we're about to embark on, and I can't wait to see where it takes us.

Stay tuned for more updates on our online backlist book club adventures.

Humphrey Bogart once famously said “We’ll always have Paris!” Pete Dexter’s book, however, deals with a different sort of Paris, one that is a whole lot more disturbing than a weekend rendezvous with Ingrid Bergman. This novel has little to do with fishing and just as little to do with the city on the banks of the Seine.

The town of Cotton Point, Georgia, with over six thousand residents (not counting the asylum), has only one person a twenty-one-year-old colored man can turn to for enough money to buy a car: Paris Trout.

Set in 1949 in a small Georgia town that is a hub for collecting cotton from surrounding plantations, the story has an inevitable drift towards tragedy, reminiscent of a classic Greek play. The opening scene shows a teenage black girl being bitten by a rabid fox on her way back from Paris Trout’s grocery store to her family’s hovel. The crazed beast is soon revealed to be a symbolic image of the shop owner’s killing rage over a botched car deal. When a young black man confronts Paris about the dirty tricks used to sell him a damaged car with fake insurance, Paris feels disrespected. Instead of going to the authorities, he goes to the black neighborhood and shoots the young man’s mother and a little girl who was visiting.

Paris Trout refuses to see that shooting a girl and a woman is wrong. He has a contract with himself that overrides the law, and since he is the only interested party, he lives by it. He is principled in his own warped way, with his right and wrong being completely private.

These events, which occur in the first chapter and set the novel in motion, are not spoilers. They offer an in-depth study of the prevalent mentality in the South in 1949, which is sadly still relevant today. Paris Trout may be an extreme case, but the true horror is the reaction of the law enforcement, lawyers, and white community in Cotton Point when they hear about the shooting. They close ranks around him, despite secretly despising him, and try to create an alternative narrative. The case of Amhaud Arberry has uncanny similarities to the events and mentality described in the novel.

The novel also uncovers a judicial system skewed against minorities and extends the debate from skin color to the sex of the victim when Paris Trout’s wife Hanna is brutally abused. Instead of condemning the bully, society accuses the victim of lying. Many citizens of Cotton Point secretly agree with Paris Trout’s personal code of justice, if not his methods. A mention of Trumpism and the divisive rhetoric it has brought to the surface seems appropriate here.

This is a bleak story with few redeeming qualities, perhaps the most depressing five-star book I’ve read this year. Only a few people are willing to confront Paris Trout openly, but they offer a glimmer of hope. Hanna appeals to integrity, while Seagraves claims we must comply with society’s expectations. Unfortunately, Seagraves uses this argument to defend Paris Trout in court, despite knowing he is guilty.

The final question is how to stop a man like Paris Trout from his vigilante justice and open the eyes of his neighbors to the danger he represents. There are no easy answers, and unfortunately, people like him feel emboldened today to display their racism as a badge of pride.

I would highly recommend this novel as required reading for a class on ethics and responsibility.

DNF, also known as Dungeon & Fighter, is a popular online role-playing game.

It features a rich and immersive gameplay experience, with a wide variety of characters and classes to choose from.

Players can explore a vast and dangerous dungeon, fighting against hordes of monsters and powerful bosses.

The game also offers a deep and engaging storyline, which unfolds as players progress through the game.

DNF has a large and active community of players, who enjoy sharing their experiences and strategies with each other.

Whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore enthusiast, DNF has something to offer.

So why not give it a try and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?

This book has truly left me with decidedly mixed emotions.

It was recommended to me by the GoodReads (or perhaps Amazon) algorithm, based, I was informed, on other novels I had read and cherished. I was completely ignorant about the novel or the author. In fact, I didn't realize the book had been adapted into a movie or that it was written more than 30 years ago until after I finished it.

There is an inherent timelessness about the story, something I don't always encounter even in "period pieces" like this one. I found this even more astonishing once I discovered its publication date, as I realized the themes spoke not only to the era in which the story was set but also to modern circumstances. And, upon reflection, I can easily envision how it also resonated with readers in the late 1980s.

I cannot claim that I "loved" this novel, mainly because the main character - indeed, several characters - are not designed to be "loved" or endearing. Moreover, the story at times depicts a brutality and sickness of the human spirit that is often deeply disturbing. This is all the more so because these aspects are portrayed with such authenticity, in both blunt and insidiously subtle ways.

I found the author's voice to be unique, while simultaneously deftly evoking the tones of William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. It's not anything overt, just a hint here and there that I felt enhanced the mood in certain scenes. I often found the book difficult to put down, and when I immersed myself in its pages, I frequently felt as if I had been transported to 1950s Georgia, which is a remarkable achievement.

I found the story intriguing and the storytelling compelling, and at times, even thrilling. I greatly appreciated Mr. Dexter's careful, and sometimes consciously self-conscious, use of language. No, I cannot say I "loved" this book, and it left me feeling more than a little perturbed and adrift, but I definitely recognized Mr. Dexter's talent in bringing this story and its characters to life for me in a very real and visceral manner. I eagerly look forward to reading other works by Mr. Dexter.

Pete Dexter does an outstanding job of vividly describing Paris Trout. He details his yellow teeth, the unpleasant piss smell, and even more repulsive behavior. This makes me eager to finish the book quickly as Paris Trout is truly repulsive to me. I still have no desire to touch the book, which is the reason I can only give it three stars. Essentially, Dexter is such a great storyteller that I have to deduct a star because the story is so disturbing. I know it may not make sense.

Dexter knows how to write in a way that keeps you engaged and prevents you from putting the book down, even when you no longer want to know more because you despise all the characters who are unable to rise above their self-centered thinking and do one right thing in their lives. The story is dark, set in the middle of the 20th Century, although Dexter never precisely tells us when. It's a time when blacks live in squalor on one side of town and whites have no association with them. When a little black girl is brutally murdered by local businessman Trout, who is disliked even by his white neighbors and acts as a sort of Cash and Go for the black side of town, the prosecutor and cops seem more concerned with ruffling Trout's feathers by subjecting him to a trial rather than seeking justice.

There is no justice in this story, not even a glimmer of hope. This is not because it's impossible but because these characters are too deeply ingrained in the status quo, perhaps like much of the South during a certain period. Dexter's story, told through Trout's battered wife, Trout's lawyer, and Trout himself, is as much about the town's complicity in denying justice because they don't want to disrupt the existing order.

We like to think that there are always heroes, people who not only distinguish right from wrong but are also willing to stand up for it, even if it means angering the neighbors and making their own lives more difficult. However, Dexter doesn't provide us with such a character in this story. In fact, the one person who seems like he might attempt to do the right thing is too young and naive for the reader to believe he can make any real difference.

As for Trout, Dexter makes it clear throughout the book that there is nothing good about him. Trout is, in some ways, a disposable character - pure evil with no complexity.

Overall, I loathed the book because I hated the story. These characters are neither likable nor even pitiful. But they are believable, and maybe that's why I detest it all the more.

Could there be a more repellent main character than Paris Trout?

Perhaps there could be, but it has been a considerable amount of time since I have encountered one.

Appearing early on as your typical racist and mean-spirited individual, he soon commits the heinous act of murdering a young black girl without a hint of guilt.

Subsequently, he descends further into depravity and insanity, leading up to the final bloody climax.

What is perhaps even more chilling is the manner in which the so-called "decent" people in the town choose to ignore and excuse his abhorrent behavior.

This story provides a rather bleak, yet excellently written, examination of human nature.

It forces the reader to confront the darkest aspects of humanity and question how such evil can exist and be tolerated.

The author's vivid descriptions and masterful storytelling make this a truly unforgettable and thought-provoking read.

Despite its disturbing subject matter, it offers valuable insights into the complex and often disturbing nature of human beings.

The article seems to be about a book review or personal thoughts on a particular book. It mentions "Paris Trout" by Pete Dexter and refers to Bettie's Books. The rating, status updates, and bookshelves are said to indicate the author's feelings for the book. However, the details are quite limited. To expand on this, we could say more about the plot of the book, the main characters, and what specifically about the story appealed or didn't appeal to the reviewer. We could also describe the writing style of the author and how it contributed to the overall reading experience. Additionally, it might be interesting to compare "Paris Trout" to other books by Pete Dexter or to similar works in the same genre.

Perhaps the reviewer could share some memorable quotes from the book or discuss any themes that stood out to them. They could also mention whether they would recommend the book to others and why. By adding these details, the article would become more engaging and informative for readers who are interested in learning about "Paris Trout" or in getting a sense of the reviewer's literary tastes.

Bettie's Books

The rating, any status updates, and those bookshelves, indicate my feelings for this book.

Hmm,

This National Book Award winner written in 1988 and the movie made from it (starring Dennis Hopper) seem to be mostly forgotten, and I understand why!! It's a character study filled with highly unlikeable and uninteresting folks. Take Paris Trout, for example. He manages to commit the racially charged murder of a child, yet the reader is never let in on why, beyond the fact that he's just plain unraveling into craziness. This happens early on, and whatever follows, including the fact that he goes largely unpunished, seems not to concern the people of Cotton Point much. Well, I didn't much care what happened either. In the end, all the flat and uninteresting characters here get pretty much what they deserve, but it's not nearly soon enough. The 304 pages felt like they meandered forever. I've never been a fan of "write your own ending" books. I know it's a style, but this book was so vague that it felt more like "write your own book."

OTSLT Club Feb 2018 - 2 stars

It is truly amazing to witness the visceral movement that leads towards inevitable violence. The story unfolds in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, anticipation building with each passing moment. And then, there is the unexpected sacrifice that takes you by surprise. It is a beautifully told story that has the power to hold you in something of a choke hold until the very end. The author's skill in creating such a tense and engaging narrative is remarkable. You find yourself completely immersed in the world of the story, feeling every emotion, every twist and turn. It is a literary experience that leaves a lasting impression and makes you eager to explore more of the author's work.