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Sunday, October 1, 2017

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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.

It generally encompasses all books that were written by authors who were trapped in a jail cell or in house arrest during the time of writing. The contents of these books often range from the experience of living in such condition, or are based on actual events that took place in a similar setting. For more information regarding this, you will find a short list of great Fictional Prison Book ever written below.

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.

Arthur Koestler wrote Darkness at Noon, which focused on the real life event of Moscow show trials. Koestler is a Hungarian author and critic regarded this particular book as his best one yet. Even though he neither confirmed or denied it, the content was an obvious reference to the tragedies that took place in that event, but did not state any names or locations.

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.

Jack London wrote the novel titled The Star Rover, which is essentially a science fiction work but contains elements of prison genre as well. The story focuses on Darell, a professor who works at a University who is required to serve a life imprisonment sentence because he killed someone. The appointed officials then began to torture him by forcing him to wear a torture jacket that was so tight that it compressed his body painfully. To withstand this, he learns to force himself into an astral projection state to escape the pain he felt.

Jean Genet has a reputation for being an activist for politics and human rights. However, he was also a novelist who wrote many books and poems, including Our Lady of the Flowers. The prose itself is reminiscent of poetical prose and focuses on a character who resides in the undergrounds of a Parisian society. While he resides here, the encounters a bunch of people who are accustomed to such bleak lifestyles and most of them are homosexuals.

A feminist, activist, and author named Nawal El Saadawi authored Memoirs from the Women Prison. As the name suggests, it contained some stories based on women who spent some time in jail. While they were there, they were often the victims of violent physical abuse due to the paternal voice and leadership. The book is often considered a reflection of what kind of voice women have in society and the discrimination and sexism they are subjected to on a regular basis.




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