It is not unusual to find a work of
fiction that provides a more profound description of the experience of illness
than that provided in scientific or medical literature. Think of Chekov’s Ward
Six; Maupassant’s The Horla, or Hesse’s Rosshalde. Kafka’s Metamorphosis
can be read as an allegory that powerfully conveys the experience of
psychosis. Sandra Sabatini is in good company in using fiction as a
medium to portray the disintegration of a life of a man with dementia. What is
unusual in The One With the News is that Sabatini has used ten linked
short stories to tell the story of Ambrose; each story showing either a period in
the unravelling of his life, or the same period from the perspective of
different players in the drama.

Ambrose is a jeweller, known for
his meticulous attention to detail. When he forgets how to make the tea, and
takes to using a notepad to remind himself of day to day things, his wife Peggy
knows there is something wrong. With each story we share different aspects of
dementia, through the eyes of Ambrose, Peggy, daughters Alice, and Connie, the
paper boy, and a caregiver. Each story is complete in itself, although as you
progress through the book your understanding is enriched by deeper and deeper
understanding of the web of Ambrose’s life. What makes the book memorable is
how Sabatini, while holding Ambrose at the centre of the narrative, provides
glimpses into the lives of so many others. Gord, the caregiver at the Health Centre,
rides his motorcycle to ‘look for something good’. Connie is Ambrose’s adopted
daughter, and in the title story we learn of the special relationship she
shares with Ambrose. The concluding story, a collection of reflections on
Ambrose’s and others’ dementia, Sabatini introduces Iris Murdoch and John Bayley,
marveling at Bayley’s endurance as Murdoch became progressively removed from
him. By exploring the lives of those close to Ambrose, Sabatini shows
dimensions of Alzheimer’s not normally covered, even in biographical accounts
of children and spouses. In a story called ‘Collecting’, Sabatini shows how the
changes of dementia are experienced by someone on the periphery of Ambrose’s
life, the boy who collects his paper money. As Ambrose becomes disorganized and
forgetful, the youngster becomes afraid of the old man, and finally feels
rejected by him. There is no resolution to this, as there is with family
members closer to Ambrose. It is the attention to these more peripheral
characters that is one of the central insights of these stories. Like the web
of neurons that becomes tangled and dysfunctional in dementia, the social
relationships of the individual also begin to break down and disintegrate.

Sabatini is a good storyteller.
While the subject matter of dementia carries an inevitable bleakness, this is
not overstated, and Sabatini does not sentimentalize Ambrose or patronize
readers by gratuitously plucking at their heartstrings. Sadness and tragedy are
conveyed with warmth and pathos, but Sabatini is equally adept at conveying the
moments of humour that are part of any fully described life. When Ambrose
ad-libs to cover up his misunderstanding about the purpose of a toaster, Sabatini
allows the reader to enjoy the moment. Nor is the interest of the book confined
to dementia or illness; rather, the experience of illness becomes the occasion
for exploration of love, identity, hope and faith.

For a health practitioner the book
is of interest for its sensitive and closely observed account of dementia. But The
One With the News is also a fine piece of writing. Sabatini shows an
assured use of language, and deft handling of a range of characters. The book
is a pleasure to read for the restrained yet powerful way Sabatini works with
what is a somewhat unforgiving plot. A highly recommended read for caregivers
and professionals working with people with dementia, and for those who like an
accomplished literary treatment of everyday life.

© 2005
Tony O’Brien

Tony
O’Brien M Phil., Lecturer, Mental Health Nursing, University of
Auckland

Categories: Fiction