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A review by vikingwolf
Hell by Jeffrey Archer
4.0
I read Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel when I was about 12 after seeing the mini-series on TV and I loved both. I was curious about these prison diaries as I do remember the perjury trial being on the news and being surprised by the length of the sentence he got. I honestly don't remember any details of that trial so I certainly can't share any thoughts on his guilt and for legal reasons I imagine, there is not much about the content of the trial, only what Archer regards as the tainted evidence of his former secretary and the bias of the trial judge. What I can comment on is how good an author the man is both in his works of fiction, and in these prison diaries. It takes a good writer to make being locked up for most of each day, stuck in the same routine, yet make it so compelling to read.
What I liked about Archer here is how he made every effort to settle into the routine and get to know his fellow prisoners. There are no demands for special privileges, no lording it over everyone, and he is also happy to help other prisoners with letters, basic legal advice, and he shares the stories of these individual prisoners with empathy yet is pragmatic about the truth of what he is told. The story of Fletch is truly horrifying yet there are moments of great humour in amongst the misery. Prisoners and guards alike are happy to share their complaints about the system with Archer, knowing he is writing a book and there was no attempt to stop him doing so. I was also interested in the routine, shocked by how little money was spent on food for each prisoner and interested in the day to day grind. It was a fascinating read.
What I liked about Archer here is how he made every effort to settle into the routine and get to know his fellow prisoners. There are no demands for special privileges, no lording it over everyone, and he is also happy to help other prisoners with letters, basic legal advice, and he shares the stories of these individual prisoners with empathy yet is pragmatic about the truth of what he is told. The story of Fletch is truly horrifying yet there are moments of great humour in amongst the misery. Prisoners and guards alike are happy to share their complaints about the system with Archer, knowing he is writing a book and there was no attempt to stop him doing so. I was also interested in the routine, shocked by how little money was spent on food for each prisoner and interested in the day to day grind. It was a fascinating read.