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A review by tospeakordie
A Bit of a Stretch: The Diaries of a Prisoner by Chris Atkins
5.0
I cannot give enough awe-struck stars to this book. I'd been on a non-fiction low, struggling to find books that interested me with topics I'd actually want to learn about. When I saw this book in a bookshelf tour on Youtube, it appealed to me for many reasons and I immediately got my hands on a copy and started reading. As someone who wants to study Law in university and has a lot of interest in politics and the flaws of our society, learning about the HM Prison system through Chris Atkin's fautless recollection of his experience behind bars has provided a massive insight into the real issues people are facing and why the reoffence percentage in the UK is so high.
I finished A Bit of a Stretch through the course of two days, unable to put it down and I found myself longing to get back home or into my room to carry on reading. I found the book the perfect length for a memoir of it's intensity, long enough to provide all the neccessary information at a good pace and narration style while realistically long enough to captivate the reader. Chris also paints the friends he makes during his time in HM Wandsworth and HM Ford in such a interesting and casual light that you find yourself rooting for them almost as much as you root for Chris. I will say, however, that the way he rises into the high prison classes and slides almost effortlessly into jobs wouldn't be the case for a majority of prisoners and it is worth it to keep in mind that Chris is a mentally well, educated and white man.
Not everyone is going to get as much from this book as I did, but I sincerely hope everyone reads it.
I finished A Bit of a Stretch through the course of two days, unable to put it down and I found myself longing to get back home or into my room to carry on reading. I found the book the perfect length for a memoir of it's intensity, long enough to provide all the neccessary information at a good pace and narration style while realistically long enough to captivate the reader. Chris also paints the friends he makes during his time in HM Wandsworth and HM Ford in such a interesting and casual light that you find yourself rooting for them almost as much as you root for Chris. I will say, however, that the way he rises into the high prison classes and slides almost effortlessly into jobs wouldn't be the case for a majority of prisoners and it is worth it to keep in mind that Chris is a mentally well, educated and white man.
Not everyone is going to get as much from this book as I did, but I sincerely hope everyone reads it.