Fathom - Lisa Dart

Fathom, an experimental memoir, explores the hinterland of the narrator's mind. The narrative of Fathom focuses on a tantalising fragment from the past. `I think I saw a lot of blood' and other odd surfacings from memory are explored through the work of psychoanalysis. Much like a kind of detective work to begin with, the narrative unravels the depths that appear in psychotic breakdown. Identity is evoked through three personas of the self: the puppet, the puppet-master and She-who-knows. Poetic in style, though something of a detective story, the first-person narrative is richly layered - Plath, Shakespeare, Sophocles and pop songs all have their place. Highly concentrated, structured in three parts, non-linear in chronology and highly metaphoric, Fathom appeals to those with a deep interest in mental health and all types of therapy.