Tony Parker (1)

I can't disagree with William Golding's opinion that this is "one of the most fascinating social documents I have ever read" - and I write as a female with no interest or knowledge of the topic! Written in 1975 (the appendix of book implies the lifestyle was about to be modernized), the author visits various lighthouses of the three different varieties, interviewing keepers, their wives, children, the boatmen who ferried them out there, the maintainence crews who work on the buildings.... It's a total collage of views: from factual info on the structures, the job, the pay, through to experiences on the job...and the psychological side of two monthly postings.
Some are utterly caught up in it, yearning to return when on leave; for others it's a terrible penance. Some wives relish the free time while others pine. The social interaction between the four men assigned to each house (three working, one stood down) has a huge part to play, with a hugely positive morale with a cheery PK (principal keeper) in charge.
Parker visits land lights (on mainland, often with adjoining family housing), rock lights (on rocks/islands) and towers (out at sea..where staff have to be winched into building, and when bad sea conditions might mean the deferral one's end of shift till the boat can make it out.)
Quite fascinating read.… (meer)

Interviews with lighthousekeepers and their wifes, from around 1975. The books begins with with so called 'land' lights, which enable a relatively normal life for the keepers and their family, and works to the 'tower' lights, which are the massive towers in the middle of the sea, with three man tucked away in for two months at a time. Crazy stuff.

The difference in life and technology between then and now is very interesting to see. Some lights are still paraffin based, never mind the fact that the towers need to be continually occupied to keep working.

All the interviews are transcribed recordings, which needs a bit of time getting used to, but it does give distinct characters, and works well in the end.… (meer)

I suspect that this would have been a ground breaking book in 1963. It describes the gap between ideals of reform and the reality of men just released from prison, and one of those men who fell repeatedly into it. It is unusual in that it spends a lot of time with that man and is told in his words, and in interviews with those around him. Tony Parkerś eponymous unknown citizen is not particularly mysterious or exotic, this isn´t the story of men at the very depths of depravity or despair. Rather it is the story about a life of unremarkable failure and lack of awareness. Parkerś deftest touch though, is to let the reader find their own way to the conclusion that the failure and lack of awareness is shared equally between his unknown citizen, and the society in which he lives. This is a very slight book now; the passage of time has eroded its bite. But it is a good accompaniment to any study of penal reform - and a useful gauge to how far (or not) we´ve come in that field.… (meer)