Book review and reflection "The damage done : twelve years of hell in a Bangkok prison" by Warren Fellow

"The Damage Done: Twelve Years Of Hell In A Bangkok Prison": A true story about hell on earth and how a man can get through it and survive.

In 1978, the author of the book Warren Fellows was sentenced to life imprisonment at the disreputable Bangkwang prison, in Thailand. Fellows was caught red handed when smuggling a large amount of heroin from Thailand to Australia. The only way to avoid the death penalty was to plead guilty and accept a lifetime in prison.

The book starts by giving exhaustive background on the main character, his friends and his loved ones and how he betrayed them. He continuously seemed for thrills and adrenaline rushes, which lead him deep into the dark path of drugs.

Bangkwang prison’s nickname is "Big Tiger" because there is no mercy left for anyone in this prison. The book describes in detail how all prisoners undergo both physical and mental abuse from the guards on daily basis. The only food given to the prisoners was rice, and the rumors are that the guards let it sit until maggots started growing before they served it to the prisoners. 

Fellows is not looking for forgiveness in this book nor is he looking for pity. He only wants the world to know that such a place exists. A place where such brutal abuse is a part of daily life, abuse you do not even wish for your worse enemy. The words “human rights” have never been inside the walls of Big Tiger.

This book gives a perspective on life from an angle, in which most of us cannot even imagine.

To have the newest phone or some other material thing seems inconsequentially when people only last a couple of days in the Big Tiger before they commit suicide. Since they realize this is a place not seen by any God or higher power, this is all darkness, pitch black darkness. 

You realize that having your health, not wake up nor go to bed hungry and have our loved ones close is worth everything. Take care of ourselves; the ones that are important to us and seize the day, every day! You cannot live in the past and not in the future; you can only live now, today!

Use the time you have to fulfill your dreams and also enjoy the little things in life. Do not forget to tell your loved ones what they mean to you.

When Fellows at one point was standing up to his nose in feces, I imagine that he would like to have changed many things in life. But at that point he could only focus on surviving and hoping to see another day.

Over and over, it is described how people’s good could have saved others from certain death. Never look away and realize that the person you see could be you in a not distance future.

Maha El Khalil