Wild Houses
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Wild Houses
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Narrated by:
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Damian Gildea
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By:
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Colin Barrett
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The remarkable, funny and thrilling debut novel from the acclaimed, prize-winning author of the short story collections, Young Skins and Homesickness
As Ballina prepares for its biggest weekend of the year, the simmering feud between small-time dealer, Cillian English, and County Mayo's fraternal enforcers, Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, spills over into violence and an ugly ultimatum.
When the reclusive Dev answers his door on Friday night he finds Doll - Cillian's bruised, sullen, teenage brother - in the clutches of Gabe and Sketch. Jostled by his nefarious cousins, goaded by his dead mother's dog and struck by spinning lights, Dev is unwillingly drawn headlong into the Ferdias' revenge fantasy.
Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Nicky can't shake the feeling something bad has happened to her boyfriend Doll. Hungover, reeling from a fractious Friday night and plagued by ghosts of her own, Nicky sets out on a feverish mission to save Doll, even as she questions her future in Ballina.
The beautifully crafted, thrillingly told story of two outsiders striving to find themselves as their worlds collapse in chaos and violence, Wild Houses is the long-anticipated debut novel from award-winning and critically acclaimed short story writer, Colin Barrett.
Critic reviews
'Wild Houses is swift, tender, and honest. It's been a long time since I've been so worried, so heartbroken, so moved by a set of funny misfits. Barrett is one of our keenest observers of the miraculous amid the everyday and of the uncommon beauty of common things, the power of attention. When I finished this novel, I desperately wanted to call Dev, Doll, or Nicky, just to see if they were okay, to see if everything had turned out alright. A brilliant novel.' (Brandon Taylor)
'Vivid and wild, funny and chilling - Wild Houses is the business.' (Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha)
'Wild Houses has a rare momentum that comes from the rhythms of the sentences, the vivid descriptions and the brilliantly chosen details. The momentum emerges also from the depth and complexity of the main characters and the wide sweep of the narrative.' (Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn)
What listeners say about Wild Houses
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Niamh H.
- 16-03-24
Compelling story
Wonderfully written, I loved how specific all the characters were with some beautiful dialogue between them. The narrator was exceptional. Once you get started it's hard to put it down. Really loved it and will go seek out more from this writer.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Manda N
- 11-08-24
worthy inclusion into this year's Booker longlist
Another fabulous work of Irish fiction. reminded me of William Trevor, beautifully written and a great story. I was captivated throughout.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simone
- 27-04-24
Great Dialogue
Loved this novel and the performance, the voices were great. I’m sure this story will feel familiar to many Irish listeners.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mollie White
- 01-08-24
Rustic
Rustic, meandering story telling. Deeply real characters. And with a good amount of action. I liked the goat.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-04-24
small-town gangsters begad
it's easy to see Barrett's background in contemporary short stories in this novel. Some of the descriptive writing, characterisation and dialogue is exceptional but the step from short story to novel needs more narrative energy. Indeed there is more backstory and introspection than forward momentum. The plot line can be condensed into a couple of sentences. I'm not expecting twist a minute but a little more incident in this thriller would have improved what is a promising first novel. Whilst the narration is good some of the accents used appear inauthentic for Mayo
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 11-08-24
Wonderfully drawn characters
Beautifully written literary crime
Story depicting a community in small town Ireland - a kidnap, drug money, family trauma - brilliant
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paula Fitzgibbon
- 13-02-24
Excellent brutality & humanity
Brilliantly written. Wonderful narrator. I could sense & feel every character. Well crafted story telling in the vernacular.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- MEB
- 26-08-24
A reasonably engaging read
A reasonably engaging read. Little happens plot-wise (if you're expecting a dramatic twist at the end, there isn't one), there is a lot of dialogue (well-written and convincing but at times grating due to the author's repeated use of "s/he said", not varying the verb) and the characters are sympathetic, despite their dubious actions. The setting - an isolated cottage somewhere is rural Mayo with an eccentric occupant - feels a bit dated and generic, but then again Dev is possibly the most interesting character. Overall worth the time investment - appropriately brief (feels more like a novella than a full-blown novel), generally well-written and very well read.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rosemary Durkan
- 23-02-24
Accents dreadful.
The disappointment in the readers bad attempts at the Ballina accent. Varying between city Limerick and Cork. Really dreadful. How the author approved this!!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-09-24
Story and character with personal drama
Vivid characters very well personified in an excellent, nuanced reading. A strong story well told.
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