A Short List Of Great Fictional Prison Book Ever Written

By Debra Wood


When speaking of literature, it contains many branches and genres that are each identified by definitive qualities it contains. As the years go by, more genres are added to that growing list, some combinations of two genres and others a new one altogether. One of those is called prison literature, wherein the person who created the book was trapped or confined in a specific location against their will.

Furthermore, this includes authors who were trapped in prisons, jails, or even house arrest. The contents of their writing may be about the establishment they are trapped in like their musings and experiences. It could also be anything at all, as long as it was coincidentally written in jail. In line with this, stated below is a definitive list of the best Fictional Prison Book.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a popular and prominent author in genres of philosophy, religion, and politics. A novel he wrote that stands out is The House of the Dead, which recounts tales based on convicts who spent some time in the infamous prison camps based in Siberia. It contained many elements of Realism, and referenced events and facts, but were not confirmed by Dostoyevsky himself.

Orange is the New Black is known mostly as a popular series, available in major streaming sites. However, what most people are not aware of, is that it was actually a book written by Piper Kerman. It is considered to be her memoir, following the experience of being imprisoned after being convicted of money laundering and drug trafficking.

A book that garnered some controversy is Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. It gained some notoriety during its time of release because it contained some implications and heavy references to the trials that took place in Moscow. Koestler has not made any comments towards it but nevertheless, the work received high praise and was even enlisted as his best work ever published.

Margaret Atwood became nominated for many awards and went on to win a few after publishing Alias Grace. While based on a real murder that took place, it focused more on the serial killers rather than the victims. Two servants who worked for Thomas Kinnear conspired to kill him and one of his housekeepers. When they were found out, they faced heavy prison sentences.

While most often remembered as a work of science fiction, The Star Rover still contained many elements of this kind of literature. Jack London is responsible for this work of art and elaborates on Darell, a man who used to work as a professor in a popular university. However, he was sentenced to prison after discovering that he killed a person. During which, he is subjected to torture by means of wearing a tight jacket that compresses all his body organs. As a means of escapism, he teaches himself to go into a trance state, where his soul and mind travels to different dimensions and planets.

Jean Genet is a French novelist and political activist who is the mastermind behind Our Lady of the Flowers. Its prose relies heavily on poetic influences and takes into account the journey of a man who goes travels through the Parisian underworld. Majority of its characters are homosexuals, who the main character meets while living on the outskirts of conventional society.

Nawal El Saadawi is a prominent figure in feminism and art forms that focus on this subject matter. A popular novel she wrote about it is Memoirs from the Women Prison. It contained some firsthand witness accounts from different people regarding the feminist movement and their struggle to break free from state violence and male white corporate oppression.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire