- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (Aug 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312321864
- ISBN-13: 978-0312321864
- Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.3 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #126,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Convicted of perjury in 2001, Archer, a bestselling novelist (Sons of Fortune) and member of the British House of Lords, penned this memoir about his first three weeks in prison, focusing on his daily life, the prisoners' lives and the state of the British penal system. An old hand at plotting novels and developing stories, Archer moves his memoir at a captivating pace, a credit to his storytelling skills considering the book's characters are in their cells for 22 hours a day. Deftly using mundane hour logs, he relates the slow passage of time without falling into the trap of recounting events minute by minute. Knowing that his story as a wealthy, educated celebrity with high-powered attorneys pales in comparison, Archer focuses on the sad, strange and even silly tales of his fellow inmates, a cast of hardened criminals and smalltime crooks. Concentrating on others also serves to help Archer avoid extended fits of melodramatic and self-serving prose (as when he compares himself to Oscar Wilde), which occur when he writes about his own case. But balancing this small flaw with his humorous descriptions of prison food and listening to a cricket match that seems as long as his four-year sentence adds a needed bit of humanity to this controversial politician. Of course, some of Archer's observations and the inmates' tales can't be taken as gospel since Archer is a convicted perjurer and his secondhand stories come from the mouths of murderers and other felons. But those caveats do not override the strong narrative and good writing that make this memoir an intriguing and engaging version of the often-trite prison journal.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
On July 19, 2001, following a conviction for perjury, international bestselling author Jeffrey Archer was sentenced to four years in prison. Prisoner FF8282, as Archer is now known, spent the first three weeks in the notorious HMP Belmarsh, a high-security prison in South London, home to murderers, terrorists and some of Britain's most violent criminals.
On the last day of the trial, his mother dies, and the world's press accompany him to the funeral. On returning to prison, he's placed on the lifer's wing, where a cellmate sells his story to the tabloids. Prisoners and guards routinely line up outside his cell to ask for his autograph, to write letters, and to seek advice on their appeals.
For twenty-two days, Archer was locked in a cell with a murderer and a drug baron. He decided to use that time to write an hour-by-hour diary, detailing the worst three weeks of his life.
When A Prison Diary was published in England, it was condemned by the prison authorities, and praised by the critics.
On the last day of the trial, his mother dies, and the world's press accompany him to the funeral. On returning to prison, he's placed on the lifer's wing, where a cellmate sells his story to the tabloids. Prisoners and guards routinely line up outside his cell to ask for his autograph, to write letters, and to seek advice on their appeals.
For twenty-two days, Archer was locked in a cell with a murderer and a drug baron. He decided to use that time to write an hour-by-hour diary, detailing the worst three weeks of his life.
When A Prison Diary was published in England, it was condemned by the prison authorities, and praised by the critics.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a candid and sometimes brutal insight,
This review is from: A Prison Diary (Paperback)
I had already enjoyed several of Jeffrey Archer's novels and when I saw these diaries were available on kindle (my new christmas toy) I thought these would be ideal to try the system. I read straight through them without stopping. These diaries give an important insight into the British gaol system 10 years ago. I do not know if the system has changed much since, although it should have done so to make re-insertion more successful, especially in the light of Jeffrey Archer's sensitive account. Mr Archer seems sometimes very shocked at the lifestyle or life stories of some inmates "on the out". I am surprised he did not know such ways of life, or vile abuse did exist in his own country, for a man who stayed in main stray politics for all these years. I am a doctor, and sadly am well aware of this just through my work.These books are a deviation from his novels, but for me they are a better read. I enjoy diaries because they keep the freshness of the unknown and these are no exception. Mr Archer is a very good story teller and, as usual, reality surpassed fiction. I recommend them with no reservations.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insight into the prison system,
By Alistair Gates (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Prison Diary (Hardcover)
Jeffrey Archer gives a great insight into the UK prison systems which is certainly a punishment.For anybody wishing to learn about prison and have an interest in this subject I highly recommned it. Those fans of Jeffrey Archer or even to those that do not have any interest I recommened this book. It reaffirms that prison are a suitable punishment for crimes however there can be improvements. Read this first book and a I guarantee you will get hooked and read all 3 that will be published.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Archer's usual fare.,
By Mary Frances (Montreal, Qc, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Prison Diary (Paperback)
Reading this particular series is like candy for the brain, instantly pleasing, if not satisfying, and with no long-term benefits. I appreciated Archer's insight into prison life and, since I read the three books, I was sufficiently engaged to carry on reading through the tedium of his repetitious daily grind. He seems aware of his rambling at times when he explains that small details may appear insignificant to the reader, but are monumental when one is locked up for days, weeks, months... I had the feeling that Archer deliberately dragged out his incarceration into three books when his entire experience could just as easily have been made into one well-edited memoir. Overall, an entertaining read, just not Archer's usual fare.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
