Books
by Jeffrey Archer
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A Prison Diary: Belmarsh: Hell; Wayland: Purgatory & North Sea Camp: Heaven |
This bleak and clinical account of Archer's two years in various prisons, following a travesty of inverted class justice, is not only on the level of Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn but is an important contribution to British literature. With cogent remarks on prison life and the vagaries of British justice in general, he advocates three reforms which would make a huge difference at little extra cost to a system that is close to breaking point. Lacking self-pity and completely non-judgmental, with many thumb-nail sketches of the inmates. A truly monumental achievement.
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 62 Autumn 2011) |
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A Prisoner of Birth |
Archer's own experiences in prison give a depth and sense of reality to this fast paced thriller. If Danny had proposed to Beth one day before or one after, he would not have been charged with the murder of her brother, his best friend. Innocent, sentenced to 22 years, he is sent to Belmarsh prison, from where no-one had ever escaped. How he did so, his quest for rehabilitation and revenge makes for brilliant entertainment.
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 58 Autumn 2010) |
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Twelve Red Herrings |
These twelve short stories by this impertinent and impenitent author, based on his own experiences in both Houses of Parliament and his two years in prison, have ingeniously plotted storylines with delightfully unexpected endings. Written with a light touch, they cleverly conceal how difficult it is to write a really good short story. The third in the series, it is certainly recommended as a good read for distraction, on holiday perhaps or in the bath?
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 57 Summer 2010) |
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