The Relation of My Imprisonment [Mass Market Paperback]

Russell Banks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 1987

The Relation of My Imprisonment a work of fiction utilizing a form invented in the seventeenth century by imprisoned Puritan divines. Designed to be exemplary, works of this type were aimed at brethren outside the prison walls and functioned primarily as figurative dramatization of the test of fait all true believers must endure. These "relation," framed by scripture and by a sermon explicating the text, were usually read aloud in weekly or monthly installments during religious services. Utterly sincere and detailed recounting of suffering, they were nonetheless highly artificial. To use the form self-consciously, as Russell Banks has done, is not to parody it so much as to argue good-humoredly with the mind it embodies, to explore and, if possible, to map the limits of that mind, the more intelligently to love it.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a marvelously written little book, fascinatingly intricate, yet deceptively simple. Well worth reading more than once." -- --New York Times Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Russell Banks is one of America’s most prestigious fiction writers, a past president of the International Parliament of Writers, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous prizes and awards, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. He lives in upstate New York and Miami, Florida.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345330765
• ISBN-13: 978-0345330765
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

Russell Banks is the author of sixteen works of fiction, many of which depict seismic events in US history, such as the fictionalized journey of John Brown in Cloudsplitter. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous international prizes, and two of his novels-The Sweet Hereafter and Affliction-have been made into award-winning films. His forthcoming novel, The Reserve, will be published in early 2008. President of the International Parliament of Writers and former New York State Author, Banks lives in upstate New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book, especially as a work of SF, January 15, 2001

By 

Dan Seitz "cinnatusc" (Somerville, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Relation of My Imprisonment: A Fiction (Paperback)

By SF I mean speculative fiction. This is an alternate history, where an entire religion has sprung up around the worship of the dead. Banks has invented a Bible and theology that's highly interesting, and this book is worth reading for just his creation of an interesting world.

The book itself is a form of Puritan works, sent by the jailed practitioners to the congregation. Banks manages to capture the austere yet somehow elaborate Puritan method of writing, while at the same time keeping the book interesting for modern readers.

The only point I'm really not clear on is...well...his point. This is obviously intended as some sort of allegory; why go to the lengths he did just for his own amusement? But I'm not sure WHAT this allegory is about? Email any suggestions, I'm genuinely curious as to theories.