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I Am (Not) a Number: Decoding The Prisoner Paperback – May 1, 2018

by Alex Cox (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 279 ratings
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The enormously puzzling TV series The Prisoner has developed a rapt cult following, and has often been described as “surreal” or “Kafkaesque.” In I Am (Not) a Number, Cox takes an opposing view. While the series has surreal elements, he believes it provides the answers to all the questions which have confounded viewers: who is Number 6? Who runs The Village? Who—or what—is Number 1? According to Cox, the key is to view the series in the order in which the episodes were made, not in the order of the UK or US television screenings. In this book he does exactly that, and provides an entirely original and controversial “explanation” for what is perhaps the best, and certainly the most perplexing, TV series of all time.
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  1. Print length
    160 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Kamera Books
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.7 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0857301756
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0857301758
  8. See all details
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  6. Not a Number: Patrick Mcgoohan - a Life
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book by Alex Cox will give you great insights into the filmmaking process, from idea to production to cinema." —Lock and Load, Brides of Christ on Introduction to Film

“The book will be of interest to both die-hard fans of The Prisoner and to curious first-time viewers keen to start exploring this perennially fascinating piece of cult TV.” —PopMatters

About the Author

Alex Cox is responsible for directing a host of acclaimed films from Repo Man, Sid & Nancy, Straight to Hell, Walker, and Highway Patrolman to Death and the Compass, Revenger’s Tragedy and Searchers 2.0. He’s also the author of X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker, and has written on the subject of film for publications including Sight and Sound, The Guardian, The Independent, and Film Comment.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kamera Books (May 1, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0857301756
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857301758
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.7 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 279 ratings

About the author

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Alex Cox

Alex Cox

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Maverick British filmmaker Alex Cox is responsible for directing a host of acclaimed films from Sleep Is for Sissies, Repo Man, Sid & Nancy, Straight to Hell, Walker and Highway Patrolman to Death and the Compass, Revenger’s Tragedy and Bill, The Galactic Hero. From 1987 to 1994, he presented the acclaimed BBC TV series ‘Moviedrome’, bringing unknown or forgotten films to new audiences. He’s also the author of X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker, 10,000 Ways To Die (a history of the Italian Western) and The President and the Provocateur (the story of the parallel lives of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald). He has taught film at UCLA and the University of Colorado, and written on the subject for Film Comment, Sight and Sound, The Guardian, The Independent and the New York Times.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
279 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and thoughtful, saying it's enjoyable to contemplate. They also appreciate the interesting analysis of an enigmatic series and plausible explanation for the series. Readers also mention the synopsis of each episode is good.

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Reading valuePlot
6 customers mention "Reading value"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, thoughtful, and well worth reading. They say the chapter-by-chapter commentary is interesting and enjoyable to contemplate. Readers also appreciate the great analysis and unique interpretation.

"...contention, which I won't spoil here, but must admit he makes some very interesting points." Read more

"...at Cox himself, who has given us an engaging & thoughtful book, well worth reading — no, it's more about the overall need of so many to pin down the..." Read more

"...final conclusions, but the episode-by-episode analysis and commentary are a good read...." Read more

"...And we find that the mysteries of The Prisoner are themselves enjoyable to contemplate, without requiring detailed dissection a la universe-..." Read more

3 customers mention "Plot"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the plot interesting, with a plausible explanation and good synopses of each episode. They also appreciate the background to the production.

"...his findings clearly & from them deduces a smart, quite plausible explanation for the series...." Read more

"Interesting analysis of an enigmatic series." Read more

"Likes: Good synopsis of each episode, and a look into the behind-the-scenes production that went on to make it...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Ex Machina
5.0 out of 5 stars Great analysis, not sure I completely buy it
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed reading this while I rewatched the episodes. I chose to watch the episodes in the order the book suggests, and then read the chapters afterwards. Lots of tidbits about the production and the business of selling the episodes to the US I found fascinating. Not sure I completely buy the author's final contention, which I won't spoil here, but must admit he makes some very interesting points.
6 people found this helpful
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Tim Lukeman
4.0 out of 5 stars "Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself."
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2018
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With the 50th anniversary of the PRISONER now here, there's extra interest & fascination with one of the most challenging & entertaining TV series ever made .. and quite a few new books to delve into its mysteries & secrets. Maverick director Alex Cox has written one of the more interesting ones, tackling the question of "What's it all about?" with intelligence & wit. He approaches this question by looking solely at the episodes themselves, in the order that they were filmed, and nothing else. Along the way he examines them with a director's eye & the mind of a detective.

His conclusion? I won't spoil that for the prospective reader, except to say that he lays out his findings clearly & from them deduces a smart, quite plausible explanation for the series. I find it just as valid as any, and even more so than many earlier attempts ... and yet, I'm left with a certain nagging unease. It's not directed so much at Cox himself, who has given us an engaging & thoughtful book, well worth reading — no, it's more about the overall need of so many to pin down the contradictory, ambiguous richness of THE PRISONER to The One Right Answer.

To me, the power of the series lies precisely in its refusal to be reduced to mere literalism. It's a little ragged & all of the pieces don't always fit neatly together ... but where some see that as a weakness, I see it as a strength. As Cox himself notes, Patrick McGoohan's style always favored intensity & feeling over what's now become the prevailing mode of geek minutia. His roots were in a more allegorical, poetic style of storytelling, one that's out of favor today & often not even recognized by many who encounter it. They tend to see only sloppiness & logical imprecision, while missing the very real & complex ideas & emotions at play. They want a puzzle needing to be solved & resolved, whereas McGoohan wanted an experience that stayed with the viewer, rich in both feeling & rich in thought. And that includes paradoxes, questions leading to more questions, and no final, definitive Answers From On High — that would have been the kiss of death for THE PRISONER.

So ... is this a book worth reading for fans of the series? Most definitely! Cox can never be dull or boring, and he certainly appreciates the allegorical & cultural depths of the story he's decoding. Just keep in mind that this is one of many possibilities, and that the true power of the series is that it can encompass all of those possibilities. With that caveat, it's recommended reading ... be seeing you!
36 people found this helpful
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John Bull US
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique interpretation
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2019
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Interesting analysis of an enigmatic series.
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John Wolnisty
3.0 out of 5 stars Good synopsis of each episode and background to the production
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
Likes: Good synopsis of each episode, and a look into the behind-the-scenes production that went on to make it. Lots of semingly trivial tidbits that you may have missed are exposed.

Dislike: Not a deep-dive into the story, myths, legends, psychology of what's REALLY going on. I didn't expect everything explained, but hoped for a deeper analysis of the legendary series.

Worth it? Sure. I bought a used copy from a linked seller.
Be seeing you.
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Amanda Young
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived early. Am very pleased!
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
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I recieved this item the second week of April, several weeks earlier than I was expecting it, and I've not been disappointed. This book is one of several that have been invaluable to me in my research on The Prisoner. I'm so glad to have this added to my collection of research books. 10 out of 10!
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RobertaMc
5.0 out of 5 stars Takes a unique approach to understanding The Prisoner: production order
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2020
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Alex Cox, a respected film director, took a director's approach to finding answers to Patrick McGoohan's still-compelling, enigmatic 1960s series' puzzles. I thoroughly enjoyed Cox's thought processes, as he took me through his unique deconstruction of The Prisoner's 17 episodes.
2 people found this helpful
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B. King
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read and Companion Piece
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2021
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I don't know if I fully buy into the author's final conclusions, but the episode-by-episode analysis and commentary are a good read. McGoohan obviously had insider knowledge on the machinations of secret societies and intelligence agencies and was getting out that knowledge in allegorical form
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A. S.
2.0 out of 5 stars That's certainly a take.
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023
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Bought this for my partner. He mostly appreciated the technical, behind-the-scenes information, but did not enjoy the process of reading "I Am Not A Number" -- it has mostly whetted his palate for "The Official Prisoner's Companion."

My impression from him is that Cox presents his hypotheses as definitive rather than as one of many possibilities, and fails to adequately support his arguments. Which is a departure from our experience of the series (and life in general), as there are many plausible reads. And we find that the mysteries of The Prisoner are themselves enjoyable to contemplate, without requiring detailed dissection a la universe-encompassing conspiracy or fandom thinking that ignores inconvenient facts. That's a stylistic choice, so Cox's 'voice' doesn't appeal here, but ymmv.

Neither of us agree with the author's conclusions (or his methodology, foregrounding shooting order!), but it's always interesting to experience the world from a different perspective.
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Top reviews from other countries

Dighton Forrest
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, and startling read!
Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2019
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For those who know, and love, the 1967 TV series 'The Prisoner' (as I do) this is an easy, yet fascinating read. Part of Alex Cox's 'decoding' of the mystery surrounding this series requires viewing the episodes in their original production order, rather than in the order they were screened (or assembled on DVD/BluRay for that matter). This, supposedly, creates a more logical sequence of events throughout the series, though, at the time of writing, I have yet to try this. Each chapter describes the seventeen episodes of 'The Prisoner' in detail, and at the end of each chapter, Cox asks 'what have we learnt', picking out salient points from the episode to support his case. His conclusions in the two final chapters (sorry, no spoilers) are startling, perhaps revelatory, and bound to cause much debate between 'Prisoner' afficionados.
100% recommended reading for any 'Prisoner' fan, regardless of whether you buy into Cox's approach and, in my mind, his highly plausible interpretation of this magnificent series.
Be seeing you!
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John B
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a film maker's view. It is easy to read and is both informed and informative.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2020
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By tracing the order in which the scenes from the Prisoner were shot Alex Cox brings a valuable insight into the way the project, which seems to have started with a number of well meaning and very talented people at cross purposes, unfolded. This book is a professional's view of the work of fellow professionals. I strongly recommend it. It is also the first book in which I have seen a fair appreciation of the work of Nigel Stock who had the unenviable, if not impossible, task of standing in for Patrick McGoohan in a somewhat contrived episode, although seemingly necessarily so. A professional performance by any standards. But the Prisoner - it is like quicksand. The more one becomes drawn into the Prisoner the greater the suction. Yet unlike quicksand the greater the depth of penetration, the greater the appreciation for a quite magnificent piece of performing art. It does more than merely entertain. It challenges an awakened mind like little else has done. Alec Cox's contribution to this process is great. I owe him a debt of gratitude for it.
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David Bonsor
4.0 out of 5 stars Leave your theatre chewing gum under your chair.
Reviewed in Canada on October 3, 2019
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A reasonable read with much room for exposition. Some passages do challenge the reader especially those who have viewed the original tv series to understand what the writer(s), director(s) actor(s) had in mind as if the production was more free form than the usual tv fare of the time. That said, there is enough material to provoke the reader to consider alternative POV’s for viewership is just the start, and discussion (with self and others) means you take away from the project all that you need to see your world with a different gaze. To the series and portent of real dystopia, what else,...”be seeing you”.
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Riccardo Warner
4.0 out of 5 stars In defence of an entertaining and enlightening read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2017
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Just as the success of Danny Baker's wonderful talk-radio format is founded on the input of "people that never usually call radio phone-ins", so I feel that I should also mount a verdict in this book's defence, as I never normally post reviews. In fondly recalling Alex Cox from his BBC 2 'Moviedrome' days - and even more fondly recalling my DVD box-set of 'The Prisoner' - I was prompted to this book's existence by a thought-provoking Radio 3 interview by Cox, with the excellent Matthew Sweet. Consequently, this title's prose reminded me of the way that Cox used to cue up his cult films during each compelling introduction to 'Moviedrome' - sharp, pointed, pithy and provocative. Not only an informed analysis of each individual 'Prisoner' episode, this brief but memorable volume also goes for broke in a bold final coda, attempting to crack the series' supposed (and long-hidden) final secret. I personally feel that Cox's ultimate conclusion may not be entirely on-beam, but disagreeing with him is one of this book's - which absolutely rattles along, incidentally - many joys.
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Lunar
5.0 out of 5 stars Solved!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2022
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Watched the series on numerous occasions. Always wondered why no 6 was imprisoned in the village and who was no.1. The book gives definitive answers; though you have to decide
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