Fritz Peters is a writer new to me, perhaps to many, but now thanks to publisher Hirsch Giovanni five of his most acclaimed works have been republished. I’ve now read all five of them, and what a fascinating discovery it has turned out to be. This one is a particularly harrowing read. Largely autobiographical it tells of the complete breakdown and a severe psychotic episode of the protagonist David Mitchell, suffering from PTSD after his experiences in WWII. He’s taken to a VA mental hospital where he is treated brutally – at least to our more enlightened ideas. Originally published in 1949 it’s very much an exposé of the treatments and methods available at the time – insulin therapy, electric shock, wrapping in wet sheets. Life within the walls of a mental institution is graphically described. It’s a fictionalised account of the authors own stay in such a hospital. The novel opens with a stream of consciousness narrative of the thoughts plaguing David the night before the onset of the acute phase which leads to him being taken away by the police and admitted to the hospital. Although his thoughts are confused and delusional there’s a certain logic to them, and his agitation and lack of comprehension are vividly portrayed. Although many of the staff seem incapable of understanding and helping him, he does meet some more empathetic doctors and eventually reaches some degree of recovery. Although times have changed, much of the book is still relatable and relevant, and we can still learn from it.