kudos to Netflix — Orange is the New Black book review (***)

In Orange is the New Black, we follow Piper’s 16 months in prison. Although it shares its name with the top-rated Netflix series, there’s little overlap between the two — some names are similar (such as Piper and Larry), the setting is the same prison, and her charges are the same.

Anyone who has seen the Netflix series will be disappointed by the lack of depth found in the book. That doesn’t mean the book is all bad, but it lacks the character depth we know from the series. This makes sense: Netflix took seven seasons and 91 episodes to tell the story, and they stretched the story beyond what is acceptable.

Piper’s real-life account is worth reading. She talks about how she ended up in prison, how she feels betrayed by her friend Nora, and how she only participated in the drug smuggling for the rush, thrill, and money.

It also feels, however, that she was privileged, and this is particularly present near the end of the book. Piper has an extensive apparatus of people behind her on the outside: her fiancé visits her regularly, her parents visit her regularly, she’s in touch with her lawyer, and she gets out when she’s supposed to get out. There are moments in the book where Kerman comments on this herself. She’s not a ‘Spanish mommy’ with children on the outside. She’s unlike Pop (a.k.a. Red in the Netflix series) who has been in prison for 13 years and whose husband still has a long way to go.

I’m not surprised by the sense of privilege that Piper’s account portrays. She’s a white upper-middle-class woman, so it is pretty obvious. But it feels like she’s sometimes a bit insensitive towards those who really struggled in prison.

Overall, the book is a nice addition to the Netflix series. The points that overlap are interesting hooks the reader can use to link things together. But don’t expect anything eye-opening. Don’t expect in-depth character descriptions or analyses. It’s a superficial light read and not more than that. The real kudos go to the Netflix writers who were able to create a few excellent seasons with this.

Get your copy of Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman here (affiliate): https://amzn.to/3CzID50