On the Yard (New York Review Books Classics) [Paperback]

Malcolm Braly (Author), Jonathan Lethem (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2002 | Series: New York Review Books Classics

A major American novel, and arguably the finest work of literature ever to emerge from a US prison, On the Yard is a book of penetrating psychological realism in which Malcolm Braly paints an unforgettable picture of the complex and frightening world of the penitentiary. At its center are the violently intertwined stories of Chilly Willy, in trouble with the law from his earliest years and now the head of the prison's flourishing black market in drugs and sex, and of Paul, wracked with guilt for the murder of his wife and desperate for some kind of redemption. At once brutal and tender, clear-eyed and rueful, On the Yard presents the penitentiary not as an exotic location, an exception to everyday reality, but as an ordinary place, one every reader will recognize, American to the core.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Life in prison is the subject of Braly's 1967 classic On the Yard, now back in print with an introduction by Jonathan Lethem. Braly, who wrote the book while doing time in San Quentin, has an uncommon ear for the rhythms of big house speech. The expertly drawn ensemble cast and institutional insight may remind readers of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Braly does for prisons what Kesey did for the insane asylum.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Surely the great American prison novel" — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

"Life in prison is the subject of Braly’s 1967 classic, now back in print with an introduction by Jonathan Lethem. Braly, who wrote the book while doing time in San Quentin, has an uncommon ear for the rhythms of big house speech. The expertly drawn ensemble cast and institutional insight may remind readers of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—Braly does for prisons what Kesey did for the insane asylum." — Publishers Weekly

"A handful of authors have portrayed the human condition of prison life with the indelible stamp of authenticity—Dostoevski, Alexander Solzhenitisyn, Brendan Behan, and Genet are among them. Now in the same genre comes Malcolm Braly’s On the Yard…His eye is true and his writing faultless." — The Times (London)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: NYRB Classics (January 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094032296X
• ISBN-13: 978-0940322967
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a lost masterpiece, February 12, 2007

By 

Phil Myers (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Yard (New York Review Books Classics) (Paperback)

The NYRB lost classics series strikes gold again-- a rich, masterful, deeply authentic journey through prison life in the 1960s. With arresting imagery, and captivating characterization, Braly, himself a long-time con, leads us on a labyrinthine tour of the world behind the walls. His powers of empathy render every character as a tormeted, struggling, human soul.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do not read Lethem's Introduction until AFTER you've read the book, September 11, 2008

By 

Z. Kuhn "zook11" (ChicagoBurbs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the Yard (New York Review Books Classics) (Paperback)

A great work. Do yourself a favor---save Lethem's introduction for an epilogue. He gives details of the plot that, in my opinion, would have changed the way this great prison novel reads.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars forget raymond chandler & jim thompson. this is the real deal., August 18, 2007

By 

fluffy, the human being. (forest lake, mn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Yard (New York Review Books Classics) (Paperback)

on the back of my copy there is a blurb from kurt vonnegut jr that says this is "surely the great american prison novel." well, i haven't read a whole lot of prison literature, but i would love to find another book of this kind and calibur. "on the yard" soars with a strong narrative drive and a large cast of interesting & fully developed characters. in my life's reading, edward bunker's memoir "education of a felon" is the only comparable peer that this book has in american crime writing. great stuff. i now very much look forward to reading mr braly's memoir "false starts."