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Iris and the Friends |
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 Iris and the Friends byJohn Bayley Gerald Duckworth & Co. 208 pages, 1999 ISBN 0715629328 Reviewed by Faith Leslie - South Africa adams.west@saol.com John Bayley's book which can be regarded as a sequel to his Iris: A Memoir is more of an exploration of his personal feelings and mental escape from the trauma of his wife's illness - the dreaded Alzheimer's disease. The "Friends" of the title are initially his memories of his youth and early years, and then of his later life, which seem to have been released by the fact that communication with his wife had ceased except in the most basic ways. His intrinsic gentleness of character is evident as is the verity of his love for Iris, which makes for many moving passages: "I am not exactly lonely.... when so close to Iris, every hour of the day and night. Yet that closeness without communication, however, loving it may be, is also its own kind of loneliness." The book moves on to its inevitable conclusion when Iris has to be cared for by others in her last days and the writer has to come to terms with life without her. John Bayley's sensitive, poignant wiriting and unexpected touches of humour will provide readers with much to admire. |
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