771 - 2013Sebenarnya... agak boring sih dibandingkan dua buku sebelumnya. Tapi dengan buku ini kita jadi bisa membandingkan kondisi-kondisi penjara di Inggris untuk terpidana kategori A sampai D.Di buku ini Jeffrey Archer menceritakan pengalamannya selama berada di penjara terbuka North Sea Camp, benar-benar heaven deh kalau dibandingkan Belmarsh dan Wayland, meskipun Archer kepinginnya sih dapat penjara Spring Hill yang lebih dekatr rumah. Para tahanan bisa kabur kapan saja, kalau mau dan kalau bisa jangan sampai tertangkap lagi. Kalau tertangkap, selain ditambah masa tahanannya bisa jadi dikirim ke penjara kategori A.Pada saat Archer berada di NSC, ia sedang mengedit draft keenam novel Sons of Fortune (dengan tulisan tangan!) dan draft Purgatory: Wayland, sementara buku pertama prison diary, Hell: Belmarsh diterbitkan.Di akhir novel, Archer yang selama ini menjadi tahanan teladan terpeleset ke penjara kategori B, gara-gara sewaktu mendapat jatah kunjungan keluarga sempat mampir makan siang di rumah teman dalam perjalanan pulang ke NSC, sehingga dianggap melanggar peraturan. Meskipun setelah 14 hari status Archer dikembalikan ke kategori D, dan ia ditempatkan di penjara terbuka lain, tapi Archer menamatkan diarynya tanpa menuliskan ceritanya di penjara terakhir, karena dianggapnya redundant dengan kisahnya di NSC.
The closer I got to the end of this book, the more frustrated I became with the Home Office - it seemed like they were "out to get" Archer - and maybe they were and maybe they weren't - but certainly someone was willing and able to treat him unfairly by telling him after the facts what the rules of his limited release were. He had been an absolutely model prisoner and person or persons unknown just kept screwing him over (keeping him from going to a prison near his family, allowing him to teach in the prison education system, doing school visits about drugs, etc.)Now I did not follow the trial and I am not in Britain, but it seems to me that the evidence that the judge was prejudiced against Archer was pretty obvious to sentence him to 4 years when drug and violent crimes were getting 18 months. But of course I have only read the diaries so perhaps there is something I'm missing.I ended up hugely frustrated on Archer's behalf, and then on my own, as my volume borrowed from the library was missing the 'post-script' indicated in the index. Strange!
What do You think about Heaven (2006)?
i have read a lot of jeffrey archer, i should just say that you need to read this author when you have a chance.these 3 books are when he was in prison.... yes, you have read that correctly, jeffrey archer famous writer was in the Queen's Prison System. if you are worried about how the inmates treated archer, there is nothing to worry about. the stories about the other prisoneers whom he has met are fascinating and the description of the prison system is interesting to say the least. the first two books were definitely easier to read than the last book.
—Leslie
Well I am glad I read all three of them. It was interesting to read what he had to go through and to learn what others prison sentences were for far more serious crimes. I suppose there are legal reasons for his not spelling out what exactly the judge had against him. I was especially impressed with his ability to write three books and not refer to his crime in any meaningful way, ie what it was nor how innocent or guilty he was. In the end I was left with more questions then answers concerning the "Crime" and the "Sentence" always loving to hear some good gossip:) but he did what he set out to do and that was write about his experience in prison which most of the time was that interesting.
—Karen
I never thought a prison diary could be so interesting. The set of three captures what none (hopefully and luckily) of us would ever go through. Archer's insights into the daily life of prisoners, relationship / bonds formed on the inside, as well as the importance of support from outside (family & friends) are fascinating. His critical and non biased observations on the drug problem is refreshing. The style of writing remains crisp as ever and borders on entertaining. After-all prisoner's autobiographies may be common but a writer's diary from prison is rare. Do read!
—Gautam Mathur
