PARIS TROUT (Abridged) Audiobook

" Truly evil main character who doesn't ever turn it around. "

" I don't know anyone else who has heard of this book outside of my family, but it is a stunner... really amazing. "

" A disturbing and riveting book. Paris Trout is a character like no other, which renders him rather not believable. Every villain should have some redeemable qualities; he has none. Nevertheless, a book worth reading. "

" This was probably the worst novel I ever had to read for a class. It won the National Book Award (it beat Beloved, by the way), but it's absolutely dismal and completely far-fetched. What seemed to be a "Southern gothic" novel is really just a collection of stereotypes and ideas taken from established Southern literature. It's gratuitously violent and sexual, and it reads as if it should have been intended as satire rather than a serious, sincere work. "

" This book haunted me with nightmares and images, distracted me from work and play, and left me depressed when I finished. That good. "

" Somewhat dark. I didn't get the point. "

" A tense, gripping story set in the post-war South, I couldn't put it down. Although the story itself is harsh and disturbing, the characters are incredibly well drawn and the writing is exceptional. A great read. "

" Jaw-dropping!! "

" I'm not sure how I feel about how this ends. Maybe that's the point. Very well written book. "

" The man is such a good writer. The main character of this book is such a difficult person that you get to hate without any abridgment. What a good read. "

" A very well-written and intense book. I can't say that it's a pleasant read but it's definitely worth reading. "

" I finished last not. One of the best fiction books I have ever read. A portrait of pure evil in a small southern town the late 50's. Mixed in with the sense and sensibilities of the old south. I don't often say this but although this book is not for everyone - it's rated R - I do recommend it. "

" Both cerebral and action-packed. This is the third of Dexter's books I've read, and I like each one more than the last. "

" Not a happy book but a very good book. "

" My boss suggested this book because it is his favorite. After I read it, I was little creeped out by him. "

" A beautifully-written story about an evil, ugly person. This book demonstrates clearly that there are some among us who are truly irredeemable. This is a classic about the American south which rings, unfortunately, very, very true. "

" Gritty portrayal of a small-town loan shark who ends up killing a young black girl when he goes to collect on a debt. Shocking in the degree to which the man goes unpunished, the whole town is, in a sense, punished by him as his crime drives him crazy. "

" I read this book 16 years ago - and I still rememeber it very well. The characters made quite an impression. I remember that I considered it very well written, with powerful emotional dynamics among the characters. Mood and emotion are created with finesse. "

" Loved this book. The movie was good also with dennis hopper and ed harris "

" A dark book about a very sick and evil man.You need to come up for air periodically when reading about Paris. "

" Interesting story but very anti-climactic ending. Ended with a thud - literally and figuratively. "

" I found this uneven but there were a few parts that I thought were searing and amazing. not enough though. "

" This book haunted me with nightmares and images, distracted me from work and play, and left me depressed when I finished. That good. "

" The main character in this book, Paris Trout, is so despicable and demented that I just had to keep reading about him. The life of women in the south in the 1950s was upsetting. This novel is an interesting comparison to To Kill A Mockingbird. The writing was beautiful. "

" Although I read this book ages ago, I remember how disturbing it was. As the Spanish version of the title implies, it's about a very black heart. What a thoroughly unredeemable character. "

" Both cerebral and action-packed. This is the third of Dexter's books I've read, and I like each one more than the last. "

" One of the finest character studies I've read...ominous "

" "She remembered time then, and the stores and walked away from the train and back into time. She wondered if other people had another person inside them too." "

" Very good book. Reminds me of Cormac McCarthy. The writing is so good that it makes the violence more graphic. "

" Reality. Pete Dexter novels aren't always fun or enjoyable, but they do speak the truth. And this novel is a gem. He captures the racial and class divisions of the "old" south and brings it home to readers who don't live there or understand the culture. "

" The characters in Dexter's Paris Trout held sway over me. Viewing the failings of the 'good' as they deal with the bad in a southern town grappling with a murder of a young black girl. The ending was a bit melodramadic and I am forced to shave a star for this. "