Interesting, if dry account of Archer's first few weeks in bang up. He is appalled by everything he sees and his reaction is sort of funny. Hasn't he watched Oz or Shawshank? Hasn't he read Papillion or other novels of prison life? Not even a good documentary passed his lily white test apparently and as a result, he finds everything utterly shocking. Sheltered and privileged about sums him up. But he's gracious and brave with it.

To keep his sanity and to fill the days, he writes. This is also a built-in platform for taking nice little jabs at those who he feels have wronged him. Without knowing the story outside of what Archer tells, I don't know if he's justified or not.

Instead of retreating from this harsh environment and its inhabitants, he puts forth an effort to be sociable and helpful and it is rewarded fivefold. The majority of the cons he meets are reasonable people trying to do the best with their situation. Some own up and bear through. Others are adamant about innocence. Some just hang on in quiet desperation as is their English way. Archer tries to be bald, but he romaticizes all of them.

Overall, it's an interesting opinion piece, but not much of a real-world prison experience. His fame alters his treatment (some for the better, some for the worse) too much for that. ( )

What a self-serving bucket of drivel. Apparently, the toughest thing about being in a British prison is the difficulty of getting chocolate biscuits. ( )