The Paperboy (utgåvan 1995)

There is some amazing writing here -- taut, surprising, incredibly perceptive. Take this description of the man kicked to death by the sheriff in the first pages, former car salesman Jerome Van Wetter

who was discharged finally not for being a drunk -- which he was, but drunks, in fact, are not always bad salesmen;someone has to sell cars to other drunks -- but because, even after he had been at the dealership many years and was as familiar a showroom fixture to loyal Plymouth buyers as the new models themselves, something in his deportment frightened customers off. He could not overcome it with clothes or talk of the state champion Little League team or his smile. The smile, in fact, only made things worse. I know this having once been left alone with that smile and the new line of Plymouths while my father and Mr. Duncan went into the office to close a deal on a Chrysler. 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. He seemed to understand the effect he had on customers, and wore sunglasses indoors.

On the surface, the book first appears as a mystery. But I think it's more a study of the different sides of love built around the corruption of the reporters who are trying to uncover the truth behind Van Wetter and then the sheriff's murder. I never doubted these characters for a moment and the setting rang very true.

Don't watch the movie, BTW. Awful.



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This isn't really a mystery either but it's a fascinating well told and well written story about a family of a father and two sons. Ward and Jack are the brothers of their newspaperman father. Ward follows in his footsteps and Jack tells the story. But this is more than just a plot - it's a really interesting read. I have had the book on my list of those to check out and now I wish I could remember who told me to read it! Oh well. It was good! ( )

This is the third novel by Dexter I've read, and the third I loved but most likely won't read again. The prose is wonderful, dripping in humid Florida atmosphere. But it's so sad and profound that I don't know if I can stomach another go-through. Who knows.

One of the things that struck me about this book is how much is dissects the cruelness of people, even in the littlest of ways. It's especially true how men treat women in The Paperboy--even the well-meaning fellers are fairly awful. ( )

I finished this book not knowing quite what I thought or what to write in this review. I usually enjoy books about newspapers and this one was good in parts; but probably fell down for me in that I couldn't feel any empathy for the main characters, ( )

Really enjoyed this, and hope to read more. ( )