The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey (2009): A Review

Title: The Wilderness

Author: Samantha Harvey

Publication Year: 5 February 2009

Pages: 372

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Literary fiction

Source: eBook

Awards: AMI Literature Award (won), Betty Trask Prize (won), Guardian First Book Award (shortlisted), Man Booker Prize (longlisted), Orange Prize for Fiction (shortlisted)

Opening sentence: In amongst a sea of events and names that have been forgotten, there are a number of episodes that float with striking buoyancy to the surface. There is no sensible order to them, nor connection between them.

I believe Samantha Harvey captures the essence of the entire book and the experience of Alzheimer's disease within the very first sentence. I must warn you that “The Wilderness” is not an easy read, but if you persevere, it opens up—and in some ways closes—many perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease, both for those who suffer from it and for the caregivers of these patients.

To summarize, “The Wilderness” tells the story of Jake, who is battling Alzheimer's. Through his struggle with this disease, we learn about his life, his job, his parents, his family, his losses, his romantic relationships, the concepts of home and homeland, and other philosophical issues.

Next, I want to discuss the narration and structure. I dare say that Harvey has done an exceptional job representing the experience of a patient with Alzheimer's, illustrating the struggle with memory loss and the descent into oblivion both thematically and structurally. The narrative alternates between Jake’s point of view and a third-person perspective that reveals how his memories actually occurred—or didn’t. It's like discovering puzzle pieces one by one, both for Jake and the reader. While reading, I often felt that I had skimmed over key parts and may have missed important events or information. However, as the story progressed, I realized this narrative technique was intended to evoke the exact frustration, mystery, and puzzle-like quality of Jake’s memories. I often found myself exclaiming, “Where did this character come from?” or “Who is this character?” only to realize that this uncertainty mirrored Jake’s own feelings as he tried to recall his past.

This novel prompts deep reflection on one’s own life. Its strength lies in how it compels the reader to consider: What if I were to suffer from the same disease? Let me tell you, it is one of the most horrific challenges one can face—losing your sense of self and your ability to communicate. Furthermore, one might wonder what it would be like to care for someone with this disease. I remember watching my grandfather descend into memory loss, regressing to childhood and eventually fading into nothingness. Simply observing this process was incredibly difficult.

If you can endure such a profound and disturbing experience, I highly recommend reading this book. But if you feel you cannot handle it, it might be best to refrain, as it could leave you feeling hollow.