Wild Houses - by Colin Barrett

Book Synopsis

The riotous, raucous and deeply resonant debut novel from "one of the best story writers in the English language today" (Financial Times) Wild Houses follows two outsiders caught in the crosshairs of a small-town revenge kidnapping gone awry

With his acclaimed and award-winning collections Young Skins and Homesickness Colin Barrett cemented his reputation as one of contemporary Irish literature's most daring stylists. Praised by the Oprah Daily as "a doyen of the sentence," and by the Los Angeles Times as a writer of "unique genius," Barrett now expands his canvas with a debut novel that contains as much grit, plot, and linguistic energy as any of his celebrated short stories.

As Ballina prepares for its biggest weekend of the year, introspective loner Dev answers his door on Friday night to find Doll English- younger brother of small-time local dealer Cillian English--bruised and in the clutches of Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, County Mayo's fraternal enforcers and Dev's cousins. Dev's quiet homelife is upturned as he is quickly and unwillingly drawn headlong into the Ferdias' frenetic revenge plot against Cillian. Meanwhile, Doll's girlfriend, seventeen-year-old Nicky, reeling from a fractious Friday and plagued by ghosts and tragedy of her own, sets out on a feverish mission to save Doll, even as she questions her future in Ballina.

Set against Barrett's trademark depictions of small town Irish life, Wild Houses is thrillingly-told story of two outsiders striving to find themselves as their worlds collapse in chaos and violence.

Review Quotes

Praise for Wild Houses

"Barrett's dialogue, spiked with the timbre of Irish speech and shards of local slang, makes these characters sound so close you'll be wiping their spittle off your face... Despite moments of violence that tear through the plot, the most arresting scenes are those of anticipated brutality, perfectly drawn vignettes that capture the lives of people caught in this deadly trade... Clearly, those years of writing short stories have given Barrett an appreciation for how fit every sentence must be; there isn't a slacker in this trim book. Even the asides and flashbacks hurtle the whole project forward toward a climax that feels equally tensile and poignant, like some strange cloak woven from wire and wool." -Ron Charles, Washington Post

"A heartbreaker of a debut novel... Nicky -- and her quest -- is the soul of this fine novel. In Colin Barrett's nimble hands... the lives of a small collective of mournful souls become vibrant before us, and their yearning is depicted with wistfulness, no small amount of humor and one dangerously ill-tempered goat." --Dennis Lehane, New York Times Book Review

"[A] short, deftly written novel... The kidnapping serves as a binding device, bringing together a small, carefully drawn cast of characters under unusual, high-pressure circumstances... The release of that pressure is sometimes violent, but it is also revelatory." --New Yorker

"Barrett soars into the tier of Kevin Barry and Sally Rooney, both influences, but his grim yet tender vision of humanity distinguishes his tale... Wild Houses is akin to a Yo-Yo Ma concert at Carnegie Hall: Barrett's pitch is perfect, the acoustics divine. He metes out his dialogue in syncopated bits, reminiscent of Barry but less slapstick. While a cheeky humor thrums throughout the novel, Barrett isn't particularly interested in redemption or even plain decency... Unfurls like a controlled detonation, rich with wonder and catharsis." --Hamilton Cain, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Memorable, character driven, and distinguished by the author's beautiful style... This carefully plotted novel, with its superbly realized Irish setting, is a generous gift to readers." --Booklist (starred review)

"Irish writing is on fire and full of ballsy young upstarts like Barrett. This dark, raucous debut novel is about two outsiders who get caught up in a kidnapping in small-town Ireland. Expect drugs, wild parties and revenge, as well as rich language and vibrant characters." --Sunday Times

"Ever since Barrett's short-story collection Young Skins appeared in 2014, the publishing world has been awaiting his novel. Edgy and sharp, it's a tale of a kidnap and small-time drug dealers in County Mayo. Sally Rooney and Anne Enright are fans, which tells you something." --Financial Times

"Another year, another rush of novels by hot Irish talent. Barrett has already produced two rapturously received short story collections. This, his debut novel, centres on the kidnapping of a teenage boy in a west Ireland town, before spooling outwards to explore its impact on those who know him. His short stories prove Barrett knows how to craft a beautiful sentence that simmers with impending violence. This nastily slow-burn chiller is shaping up to be one of the novels of the year." --Daily Mail

"Another much-anticipated Irish debut is Colin Barrett's raucous Wild Houses, about two unfortunate recluses who are dragged into the surreal and violent underbelly of their small town."

About the Author

Colin Barrett was born in 1982 and grew up in County Mayo. In 2009 he was awarded the Penguin Ireland Prize. Homesickness was named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times, and Young Skins won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Guardian First Book Award, and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. His work has been published in The New Yorker, A Public Space, Granta, and The Stinging Fly. In 2015, Barrett was named a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35."