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Barker House
David Moloney's Barker House follows the story of nine unforgettable New Hampshire correctional officers over the course of one year on the job. While veteran guards get by on what they consider survival strategies--including sadistic power-mongering and obsessive voyeurism--two rookies, including the only female officer on her shift, develop their own tactics for facing “the system.” Tracking their subtly intertwined lives, Barker House reveals the precarious world of the jailers, coming to a head when the unexpected death of one in their ranks brings them together.
Timely and universal, this masterfully crafted debut adds a new layer to discussions of America's criminal justice system, and introduces a brilliant young literary talent.
Timely and universal, this masterfully crafted debut adds a new layer to discussions of America's criminal justice system, and introduces a brilliant young literary talent.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
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490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 6, 2020
These are not short stories about a Corrections Unit; each story is about the life of a Corrections Officer. There are nine characters in the interconnected short stories.
All of the nine characters tell a solemn story; their unifying trait deriving from their job as a corrections officer. The reader is invited to briefly observe the officers and their day from a distance, since the stories are short and only go so far. Though each character works as an officer at Barker House, not all stories take place there. For example, one story takes place at a strip club.
This was an okay read. Most of the stories I thought were okay, though a few of them I thought were good. Overall, I felt like the novel was missing something that would bring it home.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.
All of the nine characters tell a solemn story; their unifying trait deriving from their job as a corrections officer. The reader is invited to briefly observe the officers and their day from a distance, since the stories are short and only go so far. Though each character works as an officer at Barker House, not all stories take place there. For example, one story takes place at a strip club.
This was an okay read. Most of the stories I thought were okay, though a few of them I thought were good. Overall, I felt like the novel was missing something that would bring it home.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.
August 25, 2020
Barker County Correctional Facility is a fictional prison in New Hampshire, but the author of this work worked for four years as a CO (Correctional Officer), and speaks truth about the system, and the people on both sides. Whitbred Award winner, Tony Tulathimutte, describes Moloney’s writing as “stainless-steely prose,” which is apt and flawless. Moloney, rather than distancing himself and delivering customary criticisms of the men behind bars and the officers in charge, instead dissolves those boundaries that exist in this enclosed and ruthless zone.
The difference between the inmates and the COs is often repudiated in the lives of those that carry the keys. Incarceration is absolute for the prisoners but often a euphemism for their keepers. The author doesn’t aim to vilify; instead, the darkness and emptiness on both sides is explored and openly visible to the reader. However, it is largely from the officers’ point of view, and at times I wondered what it would be like to be at their mercy. The transactional system fails to mend lives, and the pecking order between staff is raw and rancorous; their souls are lonely and stained.
At times, it feels like a diary or chronicle, and at intervals reads like theater, like a play. There’s a feeling of exhaustion and bleakness shared by the inmates and the COs. The officers frequently come in hungover and suffering from their own petty crimes (and some not so petty). Cruelty is a feedback loop, and a cross-pollination is created by the form. The penal system has become a business, one that forsakes rehabilitation for scorn, reparation for neglect. Moloney’s style eclipses the judgement and instead centers on participation.
Swift, concise, and authentic, the narrative reflects the title, the name of the facility, Barker House. Dictionary definition #2: “a person who stands before a theater, carnival sideshow, or the like, calling out its attractions to passers-by.” The reader is a spectator, a witness, invited in to a locked system of grievances and antipathies.
The difference between the inmates and the COs is often repudiated in the lives of those that carry the keys. Incarceration is absolute for the prisoners but often a euphemism for their keepers. The author doesn’t aim to vilify; instead, the darkness and emptiness on both sides is explored and openly visible to the reader. However, it is largely from the officers’ point of view, and at times I wondered what it would be like to be at their mercy. The transactional system fails to mend lives, and the pecking order between staff is raw and rancorous; their souls are lonely and stained.
At times, it feels like a diary or chronicle, and at intervals reads like theater, like a play. There’s a feeling of exhaustion and bleakness shared by the inmates and the COs. The officers frequently come in hungover and suffering from their own petty crimes (and some not so petty). Cruelty is a feedback loop, and a cross-pollination is created by the form. The penal system has become a business, one that forsakes rehabilitation for scorn, reparation for neglect. Moloney’s style eclipses the judgement and instead centers on participation.
Swift, concise, and authentic, the narrative reflects the title, the name of the facility, Barker House. Dictionary definition #2: “a person who stands before a theater, carnival sideshow, or the like, calling out its attractions to passers-by.” The reader is a spectator, a witness, invited in to a locked system of grievances and antipathies.
November 22, 2019
Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 7th, 2020.
Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 5/5
A set of interconnected stories as told by prison guards in New Hampshire’s Barker County Correctional Facility or “The House.” Each unfolds specific events, though the import of the story comes not from the events themselves but from what they uncover about the life of the person telling the story: a sexual attraction, a fellow officer’s suicide, a softball game between law enforcement branches, the attempted suicide of an inmate, the processing of an accused child killer, etc.
This is way outside of my comfort zone — everything I’ve ever learned about prison comes from documentaries, bad TV shows, and sensationalized news stories — all with their own agenda. I liked this book because it didn’t appear to come with any specific political agenda — the focus was far more on individual lives. And there were no real stereotypes — each guard is a distinct human being with his/her own motivations, coping mechanisms, and personal context. Some are withdrawn, some mean, some afraid. Many are dealing with their own personal issues while trying to maintain an acceptable demeanor. Not your typical adventure story, it’s all character. It also includes fascinating descriptions of typical days in a correctional facility from the perspective of those who run it: the tiers, transportation, property management, and booking. I have no idea how accurate it is, but I found it fascinating and full of depth. Couldn’t put it down.
Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 5/5
A set of interconnected stories as told by prison guards in New Hampshire’s Barker County Correctional Facility or “The House.” Each unfolds specific events, though the import of the story comes not from the events themselves but from what they uncover about the life of the person telling the story: a sexual attraction, a fellow officer’s suicide, a softball game between law enforcement branches, the attempted suicide of an inmate, the processing of an accused child killer, etc.
This is way outside of my comfort zone — everything I’ve ever learned about prison comes from documentaries, bad TV shows, and sensationalized news stories — all with their own agenda. I liked this book because it didn’t appear to come with any specific political agenda — the focus was far more on individual lives. And there were no real stereotypes — each guard is a distinct human being with his/her own motivations, coping mechanisms, and personal context. Some are withdrawn, some mean, some afraid. Many are dealing with their own personal issues while trying to maintain an acceptable demeanor. Not your typical adventure story, it’s all character. It also includes fascinating descriptions of typical days in a correctional facility from the perspective of those who run it: the tiers, transportation, property management, and booking. I have no idea how accurate it is, but I found it fascinating and full of depth. Couldn’t put it down.
February 1, 2020
This novel is a rare look inside the lives of some of the most interesting people in the American prison system: the guards themselves. Moloney’s first-hand experience as a corrections officer is evident throughout this gritty debut, and it’s that layer of authenticity that makes Barker House extra haunting.
Beyond the interesting narratives of various COs, I was struck by the beauty of Moloney’s sentences. This author knows craft, and his debut reads like the work of a seasoned vet from beginning to end.
Keep your eye out for this one. Award nominations will soon follow.
Beyond the interesting narratives of various COs, I was struck by the beauty of Moloney’s sentences. This author knows craft, and his debut reads like the work of a seasoned vet from beginning to end.
Keep your eye out for this one. Award nominations will soon follow.
January 27, 2020
An extremely dramatic read. It is a hard core look through the eyes of prison guards, the prisoners they work with and the system they have to work within. All the guards stories show some of their lives and then interconnect with the prison. It's quite unsentimental and straight black and white, which I feel would be better suited writing for a non-fiction rather than fiction. Dry yet interesting.
January 3, 2020
Moloney does an outstanding job of painting the picture of what happens behind the walls, and behind the closed doors of officer's lives in Barker House. Moloney digs deep into the lives of different officers, offering you a perspective from different viewpoints. Recommended read!
January 30, 2020
In the form of writing what you know a former corrections officer wrote a book about correction officers. Specifically, nine of them over the course of one year on the job. Told via a format of interconnected short stories, this novel delivers a sort of thoroughly bleak realism some of the tougher slice of life fiction tends to go for. Which is to say, it’s a depressing, sad and very well reviewed read. In fact, the book begins with pages and pages of praise lavishes from respectable sources and authors, complete with an assortment of favorable comparisons. It’s all so promising and ambitions…and to be fair, it is a good book in its own way. It’s well written and it has the kind of unflinchingly honest straightforwardness of storytelling that works for the story. But you really have to be in the mood for this sort of thing, it isn’t Orange is the New Black. It’s all one sustained sad note throughout. The kind of working class sad realism I’ve come to associate with Dan Chaon, but for me it wasn’t nearly as engaging. In fact, that was the main thing, just didn’t care that much about anyone in the book, including the lone female protagonist, and all their lives of quiet desperation just seems to distant somehow. I was able to intellectually appreciate the effort, but emotionally it just didn’t grab me. The overall effect too…I don’t know, too masculine? not intricate enough, not elaborate enough. Just tough men doing tough jobs within a tough system. Fascinating glimpse inside a culture from an insider, unquestionably, if that’s what you’re after, but for an engaging work of literary fiction it won’t have the same easy appeal. This one is very much one of those user mileage may vary reads. I did like how quickly it read, one sitting straight through session from 8 to 11 in the morning (weird way to begin the day, for sure), but about as long as I would want to spend with this a book this stark and gloomy. Thanks Netgalley.
March 1, 2020
In his debut novel, Barker House, David Moloney uses his experience working in the Department of Corrections to weave a compelling tale of nine correctional officers across a single year. Rookies and veterans, male and a lone female, these officers approach their jobs in diverse ways. Some state their intention to stand strong in the policies and procedures they have been taught, while others appear corrupted or worn down after years of working such a taxing job.
Moloney takes a unique approach to telling this story, giving the reader a glimpse into the personal lives of these characters alongside their daily work routines ... lives often not so different from those who are incarcerated. He provides a subtle commentary on the criminal justice system, examining how it shapes the lives of those who keep it running as much as those it governs. Each chapter stronger than the last, Moloney shines most brightly in the scenes where he zooms in to capture one-on-one human interactions in their most honest, vulnerable, and even repulsive states.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me this advance copy! Barker House is out April 7th.
Moloney takes a unique approach to telling this story, giving the reader a glimpse into the personal lives of these characters alongside their daily work routines ... lives often not so different from those who are incarcerated. He provides a subtle commentary on the criminal justice system, examining how it shapes the lives of those who keep it running as much as those it governs. Each chapter stronger than the last, Moloney shines most brightly in the scenes where he zooms in to capture one-on-one human interactions in their most honest, vulnerable, and even repulsive states.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me this advance copy! Barker House is out April 7th.
December 1, 2019
This was a tough one to rate. Having worked in Corrections, I’m familiar with the “culture”. This certainly had well-written snapshots of the dysfunctional subset of those working in the field. My concern for the uninitiated...believing that every male C.O. is brutal and every female is either a lesbian or using her sexuality on the job.
May 1, 2023
One shouldn't expect a book set in around a correctional facility to contain sophisticated, MFA-style prose. Prisons are gritty, unhappy places, and the lives of most of the people there are fractured. David Moloney is trying to give readers a sense of the bleakness and hardships faced by people who work as guards within a correctional facility, but Barker House presents a blurred mosaic of characters whose circumstances don't warrant the empathy and insight I think he's aiming for.
I couldn't find anything of much interest here; the characters' private lives and motivations simply don't bring much to the surface, and the lives of the prisoners is far more interesting. I feel this book is really a rough draft and that better editing would have yielded a much more structured book, but I can't recommend this one. If you are looking for a better book about prisons, I suggest Falconer by John Cheever or Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter.
I couldn't find anything of much interest here; the characters' private lives and motivations simply don't bring much to the surface, and the lives of the prisoners is far more interesting. I feel this book is really a rough draft and that better editing would have yielded a much more structured book, but I can't recommend this one. If you are looking for a better book about prisons, I suggest Falconer by John Cheever or Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter.
February 2, 2020
It's a world that most people never enter willingly - the American penal institution - yet the men and women of David Moloney's Barker House enter the walls of this New Hampshire prison by choice day in and day out. Theirs are the only free faces the inmates of the Barker House see on a regular basis. The people tasked with trying to bring order to chaos in an environment that thrives on anarchy and dysfunction. Theirs is a thankless job, but someone has got to do it. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the correctional officers of the Barker House prison.
David Moloney cracks open the dark and dingy world of corrections in his debut novel Barker House, set to be published in April 2020. Moloney, a former correctional officer for the state of New Hampshire, is just writing what he knows ... and write he does well. Barker House is a novel of unsettling vignettes; little darkened glimpses into the personal and professional lives of correctional officers. Told in short snippets, each story focuses on a Barker House CO and his or her unit assignment and what goes on there. These stories are everything that you would expect in a novel about corrections and all the things that you wouldn't at the same time. Moloney's descriptions of life behind the bars and barbed wire is abrupt and abrasive, the inmates crude and crass. But perhaps the most revealing and voyeuristic aspect of this novel is not to be found in the actual corrections work, but in the correctional officers themselves.
Moloney's Barker House correctional officers are the men and women who will forever be looked down upon both by society and the inmates they supervise as being not good enough to be a "real cop." They are the bottom feeders of the justice system, and their lives are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. Barker House is comprised of a motley crew of employees, who for whatever reason, decided that keeping watch over society's degenerates was their best option in life. Or not. Because scattered among this group of people are feelings of resentment and loss; no sense of pride or accomplishment; a collection of lost and unhappy souls.
The Barker House COs are a mixed bag of good and bad; dirty and decent; satisfied and hapless. There are those who get their kicks off of making life for the inmates a living hell, denying them of any little dignities they may have left, and invading the small amount of space and privacy they have, There are others who turn a blind eye to inmate misdeeds and schemes, hoping that if they have the inmates' backs, the inmates will remember and someday have theirs. And then there are those who are criminals themselves, just as guilty as the inmates they supervise and look down upon.
Barker House is not an uplifting book, but you didn't expect it to be, did you? No, this novel is as revelatory as it is addictive, dredging up all the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that we keep pushed down and suppressed from view for fear of judgment. This book is raw and honest, an unflinching, unflattering portrayal of a job no one wants to do, but must be done. I anticipate it to be one of the more unique and thought-provoking novels of the year. Barker House comes highly recommended for lovers of literary fiction - Moloney has a way with words, twisting up everything grotesque and ugly, and shaping it into something hauntingly beautiful to while away the hours.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
David Moloney cracks open the dark and dingy world of corrections in his debut novel Barker House, set to be published in April 2020. Moloney, a former correctional officer for the state of New Hampshire, is just writing what he knows ... and write he does well. Barker House is a novel of unsettling vignettes; little darkened glimpses into the personal and professional lives of correctional officers. Told in short snippets, each story focuses on a Barker House CO and his or her unit assignment and what goes on there. These stories are everything that you would expect in a novel about corrections and all the things that you wouldn't at the same time. Moloney's descriptions of life behind the bars and barbed wire is abrupt and abrasive, the inmates crude and crass. But perhaps the most revealing and voyeuristic aspect of this novel is not to be found in the actual corrections work, but in the correctional officers themselves.
Moloney's Barker House correctional officers are the men and women who will forever be looked down upon both by society and the inmates they supervise as being not good enough to be a "real cop." They are the bottom feeders of the justice system, and their lives are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. Barker House is comprised of a motley crew of employees, who for whatever reason, decided that keeping watch over society's degenerates was their best option in life. Or not. Because scattered among this group of people are feelings of resentment and loss; no sense of pride or accomplishment; a collection of lost and unhappy souls.
The Barker House COs are a mixed bag of good and bad; dirty and decent; satisfied and hapless. There are those who get their kicks off of making life for the inmates a living hell, denying them of any little dignities they may have left, and invading the small amount of space and privacy they have, There are others who turn a blind eye to inmate misdeeds and schemes, hoping that if they have the inmates' backs, the inmates will remember and someday have theirs. And then there are those who are criminals themselves, just as guilty as the inmates they supervise and look down upon.
Barker House is not an uplifting book, but you didn't expect it to be, did you? No, this novel is as revelatory as it is addictive, dredging up all the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that we keep pushed down and suppressed from view for fear of judgment. This book is raw and honest, an unflinching, unflattering portrayal of a job no one wants to do, but must be done. I anticipate it to be one of the more unique and thought-provoking novels of the year. Barker House comes highly recommended for lovers of literary fiction - Moloney has a way with words, twisting up everything grotesque and ugly, and shaping it into something hauntingly beautiful to while away the hours.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2020
Take this one in small chunks. It's a series of interconnected short stories or character studies about 9 different corrections officers, all but one male, over the course of a year. It's grim. It's also quite educational on the subject of prison, prison conditions, prisoners, and, of course, corrections officers, There isn't a lot of hope here which might make some turn away but it will open your eyes. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A great debut from someone who knows what he's written about and he's written it well.
September 1, 2020
An incredibly well written book chronicling more or less a year in the lives of 9 corrections officers at a jail in NH. The novel is written in the form of interconnected vignettes, each story focusing on one main character, but all of the characters intertwining throughout each story. Each voice was authentic, each story unique. I had moments where I was shocked and moved, and moments where I laughed out loud. For a debut novel, Barker House is a very impressive venture, and I look forward to reading more by David Moloney.
December 3, 2022
A page-turner and easy read. A variety of unique, believable characters with individualized backgrounds and stories all tied together by their jobs as prison guards/correctional officers.
The only (slight) frustration was that, with few exceptions, most of the character-stories leave the reader asking, “So, what happened next?!”
The only (slight) frustration was that, with few exceptions, most of the character-stories leave the reader asking, “So, what happened next?!”
April 7, 2020
Very straightforward writing about nine correction officers who offer the behind the scenes of what goes on . Really well told by a new author that I want to see more of. Fascinating and compelling. Happy reading! #BarkerHouse #NetGalley
April 9, 2020
I appreciated the truth of what goes on behind the bars. I couldn’t put down Barker House. Thank goodness I started the book on a Friday.
September 25, 2020
These are voices that we don't often hear. I found this to be a very important book during these times. Looking forward to what he does next.
December 15, 2020
Very good writing, the author drew his characters quite well. But it got a little tedious
April 16, 2020
https://www.themaineedge.com/style/st...
The notion of crime and punishment has long been a subject of artistic expression. Those who commit misdeeds and those tasked with exacting retribution for those misdeeds allow for a wealth of character and thematic exploration. A society’s treatment of those it imprisons often serves as an effective lens through which to view the rest of that society.
Those grand ideas writ small are what make up “Barker House,” the debut novel-in-stories of David Moloney. Through a series of interconnected looks at some of the corrections officers at a New Hampshire prison over the course of one year on the job, Moloney explores some of the grim realities of mass incarceration. By delving into these people on an individual level, he assembles a broader and much more vivid picture of the system as a whole.
What makes this book compelling – and it really is compelling – are those extended character studies. We learn about these people and what makes them tick. We find out about the circumstances that landed them in this job and the motivations that keep them there. There are rookies and lifers, each with their own ideas about how this job works. Some seek to better the system, others are content to simply get along.
And all the while, the machine grinds on … and the prisoners are not the only grist for the mill.
Here’s the fascinating thing – while there are clear distinctions between the handful of officers that flow through New Hampshire’s Barker County Correctional Facility, those differences are often worn away by the unrelenting and uncompromising system in which they operate. We meet these men and women – Tully, Mankins, Menser, O’Brien, Brenner, Big Mike and so on – and live their experiences alongside them. Each of them has their own reasons for holding this job and for doing it in the manner they choose. And yet, in ways both overt and subtle, they are fundamentally the same while on shift.
Think about that. The system demands that the individuality of the prisoner be removed – same uniforms, numbers instead of names. And yet, it seems as though those same demands are made of the men and women who stand guard as well. It’s one of the many thought-provoking and challenging juxtapositions put forward by “Barker House.”
That isn’t to say there are no distinct characters here. There are – Moloney has assembled an engaging collection of personalities. Do-gooders and get-byers, sadists and Samaritans. We see those people throughout these stories. We learn about their coping mechanisms for surviving the job from witnessing their actions and hearing their thoughts while outside the walls. But once that Rubicon is crossed, they are all one.
(It should be noted that there are also a few short interstitial scenes – conversations between two of the inmates that serve as connective tissue. These dialogues are offbeat, funny and quite sad.)
Over the course of this year, we’re privy to the vast array of struggles that come with this job. These men and women are dealing with their own personal tragedies – deaths and illnesses and divorces and suicides – all while confronted daily with the everyday reality of Barker House. Their job forces them to tamp down their own sense of humanity, but the sad truth is that one can only flip that empathetic switch so many times. Eventually, those nihilistic impulses are going to start bleeding into their regular lives, making the compartmentalization of work and home almost impossible. These are not fundamentally bad people (well, most of them aren’t), but the grinding bleakness of the setting ensures that any redemptive moments that arise are both exceedingly small and exceedingly rare.
Moloney is writing from experience here – he spent some time as a corrections officer himself – and that verisimilitude reads clearly throughout. There’s a vividness to the people and places rendered in “Barker House,” a constant tug of veracity that turns his already-strong gifts for language and narrative into something percussive, yet somehow gentle – a club wrapped in velvet.
This is an intricate and incisive work, one that is unafraid to confront the harsh truths inherent to the realm of mass incarceration. But Moloney seeks not to condemn the men and women of Barker House, flawed though they may be, but rather to provide context into the world in which they live. It’s a look at how even the most well-meaning can be worn down by the relentless grind of a broken system.
“Barker House” isn’t an easy read, but it is an excellent one.
The notion of crime and punishment has long been a subject of artistic expression. Those who commit misdeeds and those tasked with exacting retribution for those misdeeds allow for a wealth of character and thematic exploration. A society’s treatment of those it imprisons often serves as an effective lens through which to view the rest of that society.
Those grand ideas writ small are what make up “Barker House,” the debut novel-in-stories of David Moloney. Through a series of interconnected looks at some of the corrections officers at a New Hampshire prison over the course of one year on the job, Moloney explores some of the grim realities of mass incarceration. By delving into these people on an individual level, he assembles a broader and much more vivid picture of the system as a whole.
What makes this book compelling – and it really is compelling – are those extended character studies. We learn about these people and what makes them tick. We find out about the circumstances that landed them in this job and the motivations that keep them there. There are rookies and lifers, each with their own ideas about how this job works. Some seek to better the system, others are content to simply get along.
And all the while, the machine grinds on … and the prisoners are not the only grist for the mill.
Here’s the fascinating thing – while there are clear distinctions between the handful of officers that flow through New Hampshire’s Barker County Correctional Facility, those differences are often worn away by the unrelenting and uncompromising system in which they operate. We meet these men and women – Tully, Mankins, Menser, O’Brien, Brenner, Big Mike and so on – and live their experiences alongside them. Each of them has their own reasons for holding this job and for doing it in the manner they choose. And yet, in ways both overt and subtle, they are fundamentally the same while on shift.
Think about that. The system demands that the individuality of the prisoner be removed – same uniforms, numbers instead of names. And yet, it seems as though those same demands are made of the men and women who stand guard as well. It’s one of the many thought-provoking and challenging juxtapositions put forward by “Barker House.”
That isn’t to say there are no distinct characters here. There are – Moloney has assembled an engaging collection of personalities. Do-gooders and get-byers, sadists and Samaritans. We see those people throughout these stories. We learn about their coping mechanisms for surviving the job from witnessing their actions and hearing their thoughts while outside the walls. But once that Rubicon is crossed, they are all one.
(It should be noted that there are also a few short interstitial scenes – conversations between two of the inmates that serve as connective tissue. These dialogues are offbeat, funny and quite sad.)
Over the course of this year, we’re privy to the vast array of struggles that come with this job. These men and women are dealing with their own personal tragedies – deaths and illnesses and divorces and suicides – all while confronted daily with the everyday reality of Barker House. Their job forces them to tamp down their own sense of humanity, but the sad truth is that one can only flip that empathetic switch so many times. Eventually, those nihilistic impulses are going to start bleeding into their regular lives, making the compartmentalization of work and home almost impossible. These are not fundamentally bad people (well, most of them aren’t), but the grinding bleakness of the setting ensures that any redemptive moments that arise are both exceedingly small and exceedingly rare.
Moloney is writing from experience here – he spent some time as a corrections officer himself – and that verisimilitude reads clearly throughout. There’s a vividness to the people and places rendered in “Barker House,” a constant tug of veracity that turns his already-strong gifts for language and narrative into something percussive, yet somehow gentle – a club wrapped in velvet.
This is an intricate and incisive work, one that is unafraid to confront the harsh truths inherent to the realm of mass incarceration. But Moloney seeks not to condemn the men and women of Barker House, flawed though they may be, but rather to provide context into the world in which they live. It’s a look at how even the most well-meaning can be worn down by the relentless grind of a broken system.
“Barker House” isn’t an easy read, but it is an excellent one.
March 11, 2020
I felt as if I were there. In prison. David Moloney wrote this powerful, relentless, and heartfelt tale of life 'inside' from experience. In fact, it is as if you were listening to actual conversations in prison, where he served as a guard for several years. His writing makes you see the degradation, not just of prisoners but of those who are there with them, the guards. Not just see, but sense every smell, react to every smirk, or smile, or touch each bit of filth thrown in frustration. It is as if you could not be elsewhere. Even when I wanted to lay the book aside, I couldn't. Every single act of a person's day becomes a potential confrontation. From eating, to shaving, even to going to the toilet. Kindness? It means one thing elsewhere, but in prison? Moloney keeps you on edge, because in prison, life remains in this peak of tense mental and sometimes physical battle-readiness all the time. You follow the experiences of a group of guards, their interactions with the prisoners, each other, but above all themselves. It is a story. It reveals, somewhere in these misbegotten lives, there might be an element of hope. But this tale shows us what life is like behind the bars. Think of this novel if the topic ever turns to prison reform.
September 27, 2020
I read Barker House over a period of two days and couldn't put it down. The effects of these stories accumulate as you read, and as I got to know some of the recurring characters, I found myself waiting for the next mention, hoping to learn more about their personal dramas beyond the correctional facility where they work as COs. It's these moments on the outside that make you realize how life inside changes the lives of these characters. There's an external numbness in many of these tellings that magnifies the deeper, often excruciating pain of these men's lives. We rarely get a deeper look at the inmates, and this seems intentional, a way the characters try to disassociate and even dehumanize. As a reader, I found myself setting the book aside to think more about the US prison system, about the men and women who wind up either as inmates, or as COs, about the many with family members inside.
At times the prose reminds me a little of Tim O'Brien and of Thom Jones. It's spare, clean, unflinching, and revealing through details. Moloney's characterization is first-rate, and there were a few stories I would have liked to read as novels. I loved so many of these stories, especially the ones of Big Mike and his father, and of Kelley, guarding a hospitalized prisoner at the end of his life. These are heavy stories, but there's life here too and a hell of a lot of heart. I'm looking forward to reading David Maloney's next book.
At times the prose reminds me a little of Tim O'Brien and of Thom Jones. It's spare, clean, unflinching, and revealing through details. Moloney's characterization is first-rate, and there were a few stories I would have liked to read as novels. I loved so many of these stories, especially the ones of Big Mike and his father, and of Kelley, guarding a hospitalized prisoner at the end of his life. These are heavy stories, but there's life here too and a hell of a lot of heart. I'm looking forward to reading David Maloney's next book.
July 7, 2020
I found everything about this book to be shallow and it felt more like an extended writing assignment than a novel.
I picked this up with the hope that Moloney's experience could shine light on the interesting and largely untold story of what goes on in the American prison system. Instead, what's presented is a jumble of individual stories that do give some insight about prisons and the people who work there (I have no doubt that the characters as presented are composites or complete representations of people the author has known in real life on the job), but fail to deliver any kind of coherent message or even narrative.
Of course, there is a place and value for a kind of 'as is' presentation in literature, especially if the subjects are everyday people just going about their lives. Not all novels need a narrative arc to be compelling or insightful. Perhaps this is the meta message Moloney is trying to deliver about prison guards, but the presentation seems tangential rather than deliberate. There are entire back stories that should have been left on the edit floor that seem to have been included only so that this could reach novel length.
All that said, I do not think Moloney is a bad writer. This just seems like it needed to go through a few more rounds or structural editing.
I picked this up with the hope that Moloney's experience could shine light on the interesting and largely untold story of what goes on in the American prison system. Instead, what's presented is a jumble of individual stories that do give some insight about prisons and the people who work there (I have no doubt that the characters as presented are composites or complete representations of people the author has known in real life on the job), but fail to deliver any kind of coherent message or even narrative.
Of course, there is a place and value for a kind of 'as is' presentation in literature, especially if the subjects are everyday people just going about their lives. Not all novels need a narrative arc to be compelling or insightful. Perhaps this is the meta message Moloney is trying to deliver about prison guards, but the presentation seems tangential rather than deliberate. There are entire back stories that should have been left on the edit floor that seem to have been included only so that this could reach novel length.
All that said, I do not think Moloney is a bad writer. This just seems like it needed to go through a few more rounds or structural editing.
September 12, 2020
Let me start by saying that I was never a fan of prison fare. Most stories of incarceration seem to focus solely on the prisoners. This one draws attention to the day-to-day existence of those who work in a corrections facility - the CO's. Its a bleak job and Mr. Moloney does a terrific job of taking the reader into the minds and souls of nine corrections officers assigned to work in a maximum security prison in NH. He writes with an accomplished voice. Very surprised that this is his debut...his ability to get into his characters emotions with just the right tone speaks to a very talented young author.
What I enjoyed about this book is the peek into the daily lives of the eight men and one woman who work in Barker House. The mundane, dreary nature of a prison job that slowly starts to shape their existence in and out of it, is at once sad but hopeful. I found myself rooting for these characters. Barker House begs the question "who really are the prisoners?"
I might add that its not all seriousness--there's humor and friendship injected into these CO's. They grow on you. So-much-so that it would make a riveting television series. Such memorable characters that I already miss - Big Mike, Brennan, O'Brien to name a few. They stay with you long after reading.
Highly recommend...
What I enjoyed about this book is the peek into the daily lives of the eight men and one woman who work in Barker House. The mundane, dreary nature of a prison job that slowly starts to shape their existence in and out of it, is at once sad but hopeful. I found myself rooting for these characters. Barker House begs the question "who really are the prisoners?"
I might add that its not all seriousness--there's humor and friendship injected into these CO's. They grow on you. So-much-so that it would make a riveting television series. Such memorable characters that I already miss - Big Mike, Brennan, O'Brien to name a few. They stay with you long after reading.
Highly recommend...
July 1, 2020
I don’t usually write too many reviews, but I was struck by the fact that this was a debut novel. Mr. Moloney writes like a seasoned author. The novel revolves around a number of correctional officers, who work at the fictional prison, Barker House. Their experiences and day-to-day life are presented in such an intimate way that I feel like I know these people. The author writes about the human condition in such a way that the reader can relate. I felt all of the feelings that the COs felt – anxious, lonely, scared, harassed, and the feeling that the prison is slowly sucking the life out of them in different ways. That said, it is also hopeful. Bravo to Mr. Moloney. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from him.
July 11, 2020
Unflinching look at the prison system thru the bleary eyes of its anti-heroes: the Correctional Officers. Deftly interwoven tales of personal woe matched up with institutional indifference and the real human struggle of those suffering in our inhuman penal system. This book is written with great empathy for the personal struggles and difficult circumstances of the guards, staffs, and prisoners. Moloney has a great eye for detail and ear for language. Echoes of Denis Johnson, Raymond Carver, and Andre Dubus.
June 10, 2020
This is a well-written novel about the lives of corrections officers. As expected, the stories were dark, characters were troubled, violence and oppression abound. Good, but it just didn't trip my trigger.
September 29, 2020
This novel is a collection of vignettes about the lives of corrections officers at a prison in New Hampshire. While the writing is a bit uneven in this debut novel, it provides a new and welcome view into the world of mass incarceration. Recommended.
July 2, 2020
Full of beautiful prose and intriguing characters, the interconnected stories all make for a wonderful read. Terrific stuff!
September 22, 2023
Scenes from the life of a New Hampshire prison guard.
The prison in this case is a fictionalized version of Manchester, New Hampshire’s Valley Street Jail. The author once served as an officer there, and drew upon that experience for these stories.
All nine characters portrayed in this novel work at that lockup. Must be a pretty grim life, as alcoholism and suicide loom large here. Grim life for the prisoners, too. As one inmate’s mother tells her son following his attempt to hang himself, “Such a damn waste you were. I could have birthed you straight into a casket and it would’ve made no difference.”
Some interesting plot points here. One guard has to strong arm a colleague to collect on a high-stakes betting ring. Another finds he has a urological disorder during a tryst with a stripper.
As these stories flit from one life to another, many juicy lines disappear just as soon as they arise. This shifting focus makes it hard to care for any single character.
Many readers will surely relate to these stories of good people struggling to cope with the drudgery of life in a thankless job.
This particular reader would have preferred less focus on the prison guards, and more on the prison(ers).
The prison in this case is a fictionalized version of Manchester, New Hampshire’s Valley Street Jail. The author once served as an officer there, and drew upon that experience for these stories.
All nine characters portrayed in this novel work at that lockup. Must be a pretty grim life, as alcoholism and suicide loom large here. Grim life for the prisoners, too. As one inmate’s mother tells her son following his attempt to hang himself, “Such a damn waste you were. I could have birthed you straight into a casket and it would’ve made no difference.”
Some interesting plot points here. One guard has to strong arm a colleague to collect on a high-stakes betting ring. Another finds he has a urological disorder during a tryst with a stripper.
As these stories flit from one life to another, many juicy lines disappear just as soon as they arise. This shifting focus makes it hard to care for any single character.
Many readers will surely relate to these stories of good people struggling to cope with the drudgery of life in a thankless job.
This particular reader would have preferred less focus on the prison guards, and more on the prison(ers).
February 25, 2021
A well-written, if not exactly enjoyable, set of vignettes set (mostly) inside a prison and told from the viewpoints of correctional officers.
Maybe it's not fair to say it isn't "enjoyable", as that is more of a subjective determination. But this book is like watching a pitcher's duel in baseball that ends 1-0 after 10 innings.
I had trouble keeping the characters separated in my mind (was this the Workout Guy, or was this the Married Dude, or...) as I was reading. Plus, because I am not very smart or whatever, I prefer the typical straightforward narrative with a "problem" & a resolution, as opposed to shifting points-of-view and really nothing getting resolved. This is just a slice of life, dropped into a town and a prison for a while, and then *poof* -- there's the last page. The end. So??
Maybe it's not fair to say it isn't "enjoyable", as that is more of a subjective determination. But this book is like watching a pitcher's duel in baseball that ends 1-0 after 10 innings.
I had trouble keeping the characters separated in my mind (was this the Workout Guy, or was this the Married Dude, or...) as I was reading. Plus, because I am not very smart or whatever, I prefer the typical straightforward narrative with a "problem" & a resolution, as opposed to shifting points-of-view and really nothing getting resolved. This is just a slice of life, dropped into a town and a prison for a while, and then *poof* -- there's the last page. The end. So??
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