2008-11-13 Very well observed

I don't know why, but I spend a lot of time defending Jeffrey Archer from people who for some reason or other dislike the man. "He's a convict and he can't write" I've been told frequently. Lord Archer, was certainly convicted of the crime perjury in 2001, as to his guilt, well that is another matter. I once looked out over the harbour in Monte Carlo at a huge yacht owned by an arms dealer. Ah, but being an arms dealer is legal, allegedly telling lies under oath is a crime. Surely everyone who has pleaded not guilty and is then later convicted, is guilty of perjury.
Can Jeffrey Archer write? Well I think he can. I know he can. His books might not be regarded as high literature, but they are certainly very readable, and I've never seen a guard being employed by Waterstones to force people to read his books. On holiday in France, I found a copy of "Hell", volume one of his prison diaries, read it and was gripped, I ordered "Purgatory" soon afterwards.
If everything in "Purgatory" is true, then it is an indictment of the prison service. If it is untrue, then Archer continues to write entertaining fiction. I suspect that it is true, although perhaps a little embellished. As is normal with Archer's books, "Purgatory" is a page turner. I wouldn't expect everyone to like "Purgatory" but it should be required reading for anyone involved in the criminal justice industry(sic).
Buy it, read it, and get angry about those things done in our name. Highly recommended!