The Memory Artists, Jeffrey Moore

[Seiichi]

Noel Burum has hypermnesia and synaesthesia: his memory is unrelentingly exact and when people speak he sees their words as vibrant explosions of colour, often leaving him befuddled and bewildered. His mother Stella, on the other hand, is slowly sinking into the quicksand of Alzheimer's. A man who remembers too much, and a woman who remembers too little---both struggle to make sense of their worlds in a house bloated with memories.

 

Norval is Noel's double: a one-time novelist and full-time Lothario whose memory is tainted by an unfinished love story. He, along with Samira, who is trying to escape a former identity, and JJ---who is trapped by nostalgia for his childhood---all have a role to play in Noel's sometimes heartbreaking, and often hilarious quest to find a cure for his mother's condition.

 

You would expect a book dealing with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) to be bleak, but this isn't the case with The Memory Artists. Yes, the tragedy of Noel and Stella's situation is presented, but Jeffrey Moore takes care not to linger on the heartbreak for too long, instead opting for a humorous approach to the subject. Above all, we're reminded that, with the right support, the life of an AD sufferer need not be all doom and gloom.

 

At the beginning of the book Noel deals with his mother's problem alone. He can't even confide in Norval, his one and only friend, out of fear that his mother might be on the receiving end of Norval's caustic wit. In Norval's eyes Noel is a genius: it's only a matter of time before Noel creates his own great work of art. Sadly, Noel knows that he lacks the creativity and that Norval's prediction will never become true. The turning point for Stella and Noel comes when JJ, arrives at their home, followed by Samira. The later arrival of Norval completes the mix: the "memory artists" bring with them their own creative input on how to treat Stella, and effect a renewed richness to her life. The characters are unique in their own way, Norval and JJ being the two extremes. Under normal circumstances JJ's seemingly unending and insufferable joking would test anyone's patience, yet you can see why a character with his qualities is integral to the book. Norval's irreverence would also be testing, but for me he's the most engaging character---someone who fiercely guards the secret of his past, unable and perhaps unwilling to let go of his memories.

 

Some people may find the book gimmicky in parts and the structure not to their tastes, but it doesn't take away the fact that there's an intriguing story behind it all.