Paris Trout by Pete Dexter

First published in 1988

Paris Trout runs a general store in Cottonwood Point, Georgia.  He's a racist but, more than that, he's violently paranoid and increasingly obsessed with his own fingernail clippings and urine. When a young black man buys a car from him on credit, supposedly purchasing insurance with it, and gets into an accident, Trout won't repair the car and won't let him off the hook for payments, telling him he didn't buy that kind of insurance. This leads to blood, but the victims are female members of the young man's family. Trout feels entirely justified in his actions and more than a few townspeople see things his way -- after all, a man has a right to collect his debts.

The novel follows Harry Seagraves, the best lawyer in town, as he prepares Trout's defense and during the trial and its aftermath. Seagraves takes a particular (not entirely professional) interest in Trout's wife, who is rather horrifically abused by Trout. Other notable characters include a young lawyer, Carl Bonner, the youngest Eagle Scout in Cottonwood Point's history, who tries to help Trout's wife; and Bonner's wife, who is frustrated that her husband has become such a stick-in-the-mud.

The dark humor in this novel alternates with a chilling depiction of southern racism and Trout's madness, and the characters are unforgettable. This isn't a simple-minded examination of contrived racism as some of the reviews at this site might suggest. The complex relationship between Trout and the townspeople -- they don't want to be associated with racism that's quite so overt, yet they don't want to upset such a wealthy and powerful (not to mention violent) citizen -- is deftly portrayed. Except for the clearly innocent victims, nobody gets off easily as Dexter examines the town's dynamic. This is a chilling and powerful work by a careful, evocative writer.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson

Published by Coffee House Press in 2006

As a "descent into madness" thriller, The Open Curtain stands out. Brian Evenson's commitment to detail makes the novel work. By interweaving the facts of an actual 1902 murder committed by the grandson of Brigham Young (perhaps with the assistance of an accomplice) and the modern ritualistic practices of the Mormon religion (some of which, as he notes in an afterward, have recently been abandoned), Evenson charts a credible path for his main character's detachment from reality. He gives that character (Rudd) a fully developed supporting cast: a cold mother; a tolerant friend-turned-wife who finds herself drawn to him despite her recognition of his growing isolation; the wife's judgmental and intrusive aunt; teachers and police officers and religious advisers who observe parts of his disintegrating personality but do nothing about it.

The Open Curtain allows the reader to experience the disjointed perceptions of a mind that increasingly fails to distinguish reality from delusion. It does that quite well. Some ambiguities are left unresolved (is Rudd's friend Lael/Lyle real or imagined?) but that makes sense given that the story is told from the perspective of a mind that doesn't know what's real. My only complaint about the novel is that, given the disturbing nature of its subject, the writing sometimes seems too low-key, not as vivid as the subject warrants. Still, I was engrossed by the story. I recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers or horror fiction.

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