“A Prison Of Lies” By Robert Thomas Doran Review

“A Prison Of Lies” By Robert Thomas Doran

The psychological fiction mirrors the authors own struggle with mental illness and is a remarkable piece of heroic journey to sanity…….

In his novel, A Prison of Lies, Robert Thomas Doran portrays a troubled youth, who confronts a world of sadness and hopelessness and comes to question the existence of God.

Beset by challenges on every quarter: unable to fit in with his peers, shamed by his sexuality, ill equipped for emotional intimacy and unable to express himself with girls; he slips from a depression into full blown mental illness.

In the depths of his illness, he battles internal demons that threaten to steal his innocence with evil thoughts and hallucinations.

In “A Prison of Lies,” Doran presents a story of anguish, breakdown, and recovery with the hope that this journey through mental illness might raise our consciousness; kindle a common understanding and most importantly, facilitate the recovery of individuals who may be similarly afflicted.

As he offers this compelling glimpse into a man’s personal crisis that includes the reasons why he loathed himself and developed a massive inferiority complex, Doran illuminates an intriguing and often frightening path into what exactly motivates suicides and fuels crimes of passion.

Highlighted in his story are insightful poems and compelling conversations therapists and hypnotists.

With it’s brutal honesty, witness one man’s odyssey into the darkness of mental illness and his slow emergence out of that darkness where a broken spirit is healed and a life begins anew — in A Prison of Lies.

A Prison of Lies offers a candle in the cave for those seeking to understand and for those who are themselves, lost and unable to find their way.

Buy the book from…

Author’s Site, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

My Review:

This is a book that one will find easier to read if they have some knowledge and experience with mental illness. At least that is the feeling that I got when first diving in. Writing this novel in the 3rd person gave a unique approach to living the life through Tom, how he functions, how he thinks, and most importantly how he sees situations.

I felt a connection almost immediately, as he reminded me of my older son. Having this personal connection made Prison of Lies a very fast read. I do understand that those that have not had the privilege of knowing someone with a “different way of thinking”, may struggle through the terminology and the trying to find the rational thought in how Tom lives in experiences and daily life. I found through Tom’s growth and perseverance in his life that there will always be a glimmer of hope. This is at times hard to see when watching loved ones go through something like this.

I recommend this book to everyone, as it gives one true account of what it is like to deal with mental illness. There is so much that one could say about this wonderful insight into ones life experience, but it would be best if you took the time to truly read Prison of Lies to gather your own understanding. Each person will take something different away from this book.

About the Author

As this fiction is inspired by his own struggle with mental illness, Robert Thomas Doran is grateful to god for helping him recover from mental illness. Today he lives in Pennsylvania with his wife of fifteen years. A Prison of Lies was written as an act of faith and with the hope of helping others afflicted with mental illness.

Follow the Author

Website Book’s Facebook, Author’s Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

“A Prison of Lies is a powerful and eye opening novel. In reading it, I was compelled to imagine myself and my loved ones in Thomas Doran’s shoes. It was painful to experience his struggle to break free of the demons that engulfed him, and to witness that inner war, much of which was fought without any outside system of support. Having read this book, I hope to be more aware of my own words and actions. We are often unaware of how deeply our words and actions are impacting others. Definitely a good read for the soul.” – Cheryl Snoha

“Robert Doran has painted a gripping, detailed mural of the progression of mental health illness. He depicts a torn canvas of a damaged youth, the downward spiral that ended in a nervous breakdown during his early adulthood, and his courageous yet painstaking road to recovery. The dark world Doran portrays within the mind of the protagonist and about mental health illness will introduce people to ways of thinking that are rarely spoken of out loud. Moreover, the book promises the idea that such problems can be overcome.” – Chad Coren, PsyD

“I would recommend this book for anyone who has a loved one suffering from mental illness who would like to know what is going on. I would also hope that it could be offered to young people. If I had read this book at 18 I might have known what the signs were and had a better idea of how to offer help. I would have been better prepared for life and been of more use to people who were dear to me.” – Robert C. La Mont