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Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist
by
,
"A book of rare power and beauty, majestic in its structure, filled with the truth of imagination and the truth of actuality, emphatic in its declarations and noble in its reach."—Bayard Boyesen, Mother Earth.
"No other book discusses so frankly the criminal ways of the closed prison society."— Kenneth Rexroth
In 1892, Alexander Berkman tried to assassinate Henry Clay Frick ...more
"No other book discusses so frankly the criminal ways of the closed prison society."— Kenneth Rexroth
In 1892, Alexander Berkman tried to assassinate Henry Clay Frick ...more
Paperback, 550 pages
Published
January 3rd 2017
by AK Press
(first published 1912)
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Dante López
yeah. she was the love of his life at one point.
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Oct 30, 2011
David
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
misery-loves-company,
nyrb
The punishment is certainly cruel and unusual in Prison Memoirs. The guards arbitrarily beat, torture, and starve the inmates, including Alexander Berkman—one of the marquee names of early twentieth-century American anarchism. Okay, I take that back. There was only one marquee name of American anarchism, and that was Emma Goldman, but Berkman was (fortunately enough) fucking her so he basked in her white-hot afterglow. Berkman is sent to a Pennsylvania penitentiary for a ridiculously botched att
...more
Alexander Berkman was born in 1870 in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire. He emigrated to the United States in 1888 and soon became active in the anarchist movement. After a failed attempt on the life of Henry Clay Frick on the occasion of the failure of the Homestead strike against the Carnegie Steal Company, Berkman was sentenced to twenty-two years in prison, of which he served fourteen years before his release in 1905. His prison memoirs are a powerful account of the horror of the Pe
...more
Some quick thoughts: A gorgeous bildungsroman, illustrating the evolution of radical thought in one individual while intertwined with the so called "immigrant experience". What is ultimately so splendid about the text is Berkman's realization of the inherent value found in all social actors, let them be the lumpenproleteriat of the prison or the authoritative gaze of the prison guard. Although many would argue Berkman's time in prison effectively instilled the dominant bourgeois ideology of soci
...more
Nov 14, 2008
Ryan Mishap
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
personal-writing,
anarchy
In prison for shooting an industrialist coal factory owner, Frick, Berkman regrets that the bastard wasn't killed, writes of daily life, some of his past, and on anarchism, naturally. I prefer autobiographies and memoirs to people's actual political texts, so I wasn't too disappointed here. I mean, we can all grasp the core beliefs of anarchy in about five minutes, but how people put them into practice is far more interesting.
Berkman gives a very real account of his time in prison and how it transformed from super-idealistic martyr to more troubled but realistic hardened anarchist. Parts of the book drag, as it feels the reader is in the prison cell with the author, but parts shine brightly, such as his very exciting and daring escape attempt. An amazing life.
In 1892, a Russian-born anarchist named Alexander Berkman walked into the office of Carnegie Steel executive Henry Clay Frick in Pittsburgh during the imfamous Homestead Steel lockout and tried to shoot Frick to death. His attempt failed, and Berkman eventually was sentenced to several years in prison in Pittsburgh. This piece of local history is fairly well known around here, but what is virtually unknown is the book Berkman wrote after his release from prison.
It is astoundingly good, sounding ...more
It is astoundingly good, sounding ...more
When he was 22, in July of 1892, Alexander Berkman attempted the assassination of Henry Clay Frick in retaliation for his attack on the Homestead strikers. He served 14 years of a 22 year sentence in Pennsylvania's Western Penitentiary outside of Pittsburgh. This book is a record of his life in the prison and the first months after his release.
While Berkman's writing is often painfully melodramatic and baroque, the intensity of his experience carries through and makes this book an emotionally en ...more
While Berkman's writing is often painfully melodramatic and baroque, the intensity of his experience carries through and makes this book an emotionally en ...more
Jun 17, 2007
c(g) starling
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
This is popular anarchist philosopher Alexander Berkman's (Emma Goldman's lifelong best friend) account of what happened preceding his assassination attempt on Louis Frick (a greedy capitalist, who sicked Pinkertons on an innocent group of picketing workers, killing many of them) and takes you behind prison walls with him to confront the evils of incarcerated life, the guards and warden, as well as those within himself and his actions (mainly his failing to kill to Frick).
This book was colorf ...more
This book was colorf ...more
The book covered many topics with the central issue being the prison system. Berkman did a great job describing the prisoners, the prison system and his experience within this system as an anarchist. One of the disturbing things was that even though the book was written in the early 1900's there are many similarities with the way prisons are run now. The book takes a little while to get into but after the first quarter it is very interesting.
Long, grim. Berkman's politics broaden and become less stilted through the experience of prison. Interesting reflections on sexuality.
Probably a better use of time to read "Nestor Makhno - Anarchy's Cossak".
Probably a better use of time to read "Nestor Makhno - Anarchy's Cossak".
Couldn't finish this. Berkman = insufferable and disappointing.
Berkman is one of the most humble and consist figures in early 20th century anarchist circles.
Found it rather disappointing
Alexander Berkman’s ‘Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist’ is a harrowing account of survival in the American prison/justice system, but also the beautiful account of a committed revolutionary maintaining his humanity in the worst conditions possible. Berkman is sent to prison following his attempt to kill Henry Clay Frick for his role in crushing the homestead strike.
The book begins with Berkman reading of the homestead strike and the killing of workers. He vows to gather funds, a gun, and to find F ...more
The book begins with Berkman reading of the homestead strike and the killing of workers. He vows to gather funds, a gun, and to find F ...more
At his worst, Berkman is dark and broody: he is nothing but a dogmatic ideologue. At his best, he is compassionate, well-intentioned, and shines the light on both the harsh conditions and the few moments of pleasure obtainable in prison life in the early 20th century.
When talking about his own antics in prison to escape, including renting a house outside the prison grounds and having a pianist play loud music while like-minded anarchists dug a tunnel that he could use to escape, I found the writ ...more
When talking about his own antics in prison to escape, including renting a house outside the prison grounds and having a pianist play loud music while like-minded anarchists dug a tunnel that he could use to escape, I found the writ ...more
This book was wonderfully capturing and from beginning to end eye-opening. I used to blindly believe in our legal system and barely gave any thought to prisoners and their humanity. They are people, more often than not oppressed that have ended up in such a position due to the errors in our society. What makes this book specially worthwhile are the last 300 pages which I enjoyed way too much, towards the end I barely could put it down. Overall though this book brings a certain comprehension of t
...more
This book took me an awful lot of time to read. I guess it was because of the way it was written. The last two sections though I read at once. The ending was very interesting to read, and it is a definately food-for-thought book
I was curious about this book for awhile. Mostly for how it would describe prison conditions and sexualty a hundred or so years ago. The morality of political violence, as explored in Camus' Les Justes, or The Just Assasins also interested me.
Unforunately, the writing is so preposterously awful that I couldn't get through more than a quarter of this book. As for Berkman's description of his action, his utter lack of reflection let alone remorse, as well as his nonchalant ignoring of morality and ...more
Unforunately, the writing is so preposterously awful that I couldn't get through more than a quarter of this book. As for Berkman's description of his action, his utter lack of reflection let alone remorse, as well as his nonchalant ignoring of morality and ...more
Berkman describes the miserable abuse suffered in a Pennsylvania prison in the 1890s. He finds solace in the friendship of his fellow prisoners, and hatches an escape plot, but ultimately serves out his sentence. During the brief conclusion after his liberation, Berkman tours the country to speak to his fellow anarchists, but slips into a profound depression. His spirit is lifted by a friend who discusses Schopenhauer, and life as its own justification. Thanks to my friend Terence for recommendi
...more
Jul 18, 2007
Drew Gordon
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
masochists
The writing is mostly luke warm, unless he's talking about anarchism, then it gets blubbery. Read it for the fact that it is an interesting account of ole' prison life from an over-educated Russian radical.
I wish Berkman had succeeded. Frick was a monster. In this book Berkman makes a clear the difference between violence for violence sake ( which he is firmly against) and ridding the people of a an enemy to their well being.
only in prison and alot of time, can an anarchist be broken & turned into a scared man of society. j/k, crisp writings of the inhumanities of man...
One of the books which changed my life. Berkman discovers real freedom in a circumstance George Orwell could have described.
kindle
Incredibly depressing, but still inspiring example of what those who came before us had to go through (and, in may cases, still go through to this day).
alexander berkman was a pompous dickhead but strangely loveable.
Could not finish this book - was expecting a memoir in sorts of events happening and conditions of prison during that period, but it was more about anarchism and self-righteousness than criminology.
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Alexander Berkman (November 21, 1870 – June 28, 1936) was an anarchist known for his political activism and writing. He was a leading member of the anarchist movement in the early 20th century.
Berkman was born in Vilna in the Russian Empire (present-day Vilnius, Lithuania) and emigrated to the United States in 1888. He lived in New York City, where he became involved in the anarchist movement. He ...more
Berkman was born in Vilna in the Russian Empire (present-day Vilnius, Lithuania) and emigrated to the United States in 1888. He lived in New York City, where he became involved in the anarchist movement. He ...more
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“Inhumanity is the keynote of stupidity in power.”
—
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“In an absolutism, the autocrat is visible and tangible. The real despotism of republican institutions is far deeper, more insidious, because it rests on the popular delusion of self-government and independence. That is the subtle source of democratic tyranny, and, as such, it cannot be reached with a bullet.”
—
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