Earlier this year I read a short novel by Tobias Wolff, Old School. It was the first thing I had read by him; I enjoyed it thoroughly and was very impressed. So I bought another, put it on the shelf and recently picked it up. The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff is a novella. Based on what I have read so far, Tobias Wolff writes shorter works, but The Barracks Thief made up in power what it lacked in weight. Clean, crisp prose that I loved. The story of three young men, all recently having joined the army and on the verge of going to Vietnam. The narrative is straightforward but made interesting by some events being told from more than one point of view. The story was full of sadness and anger and frustration and yet I could not expect the characters to feel any differently. And when I was done, it was not a story I could quickly or easily put away. ( )

Flawless novella that quickly yet throughly develops three interesting characters and presents a very believable situation. There's a lot of think about and discuss concerning the motivation and psychology of each, but they are complex enough not to simply be categorized. Fans of Wolff like me only regret that the writer didn't expand further on this subject. On the plus side, this makes for an excellent read for courses in literature or would be good for a book club that needs a quick read. ( )

I've been a fan of Tobias Wolff for years now, so was pleased to find this hardback first edition of Wolff's second book, THE BARRACKS THIEF, at a recent library sale. It's a quick read, not even a hundred pages, and I read the whole thing in just a couple hours while enjoying my morning coffee.

The story is a simply told one - of a young man from a broken home who joins the army, goes to jump school at Ft Bragg, then awaits his orders to Vietnam. While waiting, an uneasy friendship develops between three 'outsiders,' and goes to pieces from there. There are pre-echoes in this 1984 novella of works to come from Wolff - his now-classic memoirs THIS BOY'S LIFE and IN PHARAOH'S ARMY, both books I have read and enjoyed tremendously.

Thirty years later, this book still works, particularly for anyone who has served in the military. Even in 1984 Wolff was already in full possession of the formidable storytelling skills which would make him famous. Highly recommended. ( )

This book is the one that brought Wolff the Pen/Faulkner award and I dare say that this is a typical case of the "wrong-book-got-the-award" scenario. I'm not saying the book is bad (actually it's a good two-hour casual read) but it's obvious to me that it doesn't reach the standards of "Old School" and most importantly the memoir "This Boy's Life" (one of the best books I've read so far this year and one to remember for a long time).

What we have here is a short novel (120 pages) with typical Wolff characters - dry, cynical and on the loser side of things - that have volunteered to the US Army at the beginning of the Vietnam War. The three of them are the noobs of one of the barracks' company and they suffer both from the harsh conditions of the military life and also from the contempt of the older soldiers. Their weaker status brings them together. At the same time a series of small crimes start happening in the barracks. Wallets stolen, someone gets punched in the face while getting a shower, everybody's suspicious. Who is responsible? Is he an outsider? Is he "one of us"? ( )

My first Tobias Wolff book - and it is a very good book. Only 100-odd pages it is certainly a quick read, but that in no way diminishes the impact or the power of its story. Wolff gives you just enough subtlety for your brain to get into top gear as you fill out the picture of the three main characters' lives. The story is very simple - of mid-1960s recruits at the end of training and waiting in the limbo that surrounds them before posting to Vietnam.

The three bond after their shared guard duty of a remote ammo dump and their cavalier behaviour there. As the characters' lives are filled out the plot develops with some mysterious thefts.

The attention to detail in this slim volume is remarkable, and I wanted to know more about where these boys were going and what happens to them in the future. The atmospheric descriptions really put you there - right into their lives. I almost gave it the full 5 stars, only I really felt like I was left wanting more! Maybe that is the best way? I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Wolff's writing. ( )