Review by Choice Review
The literature on the death penalty could fill an entire library, and the debate continues, particularly since the prohibition of the death penalty in Canada, Mexico, and countries of the European Union. This book presents writings by the condemned themselves but prescinds from the debate. The table of contents reveals this extraordinary book to be unique. Part expose, part anthology, it includes writings from death-row prisoners and empathetic outsiders, correspondence, information about access groups, and a filmography. Mulvey-Roberts (literary studies, Univ. of the West of England) presents the viewpoint of the convicted and condemned in their own words and in various genres: essays, poems, short stories--some matter-of-fact, some polemical. She makes no mention of the conditional causality of the authors, thus allowing the reader to grasp--accurately, forcefully, and often frighteningly--the plight, the grisly ritual, of the condemned, the executed, and the exonerated. A few contributions by particularly articulate inmates analyze their sequestered lives with particularly deep sensibility. Anyone seeking to make an informed, balanced decision on the issue should read this book. Summing Up: Essential. All readers; all levels. E. J. Zimmermann emeritus, Canisius College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
