Abstract
What happens to our memories as we grow older? How well do we remember things and events? Do our memories remain as frozen moments in time, waiting to be recalled, or are they reshaped by our life experiences into something else entirely, never to be truly remembered again? Or do we modify our memories as we grow older? In The Nostalgia Factory, Dutch psychologist Douwe Draaisma sensitively writes about the fragile topic of memory, focusing on the changes it goes through over time, and shedding light on some interesting pleasures old age has to bestow upon our memory.
Following an introductory chapter, this book is divided into eight chapters, each of them poignantly named. Chapter 1 (‘The Longest Stage’) discusses old age in general, and the overwhelmingly negative attitude towards it. For example, Draaisma discusses advertisements tailored for the elderly, encouraging them to receive health check-ups and various supplements and hearing aids. He even illustrates his words by analysing related 17th-century art, and humorously picks apart some negative preconceptions regarding old age, lightening up a topic that has been darkened by prophecies of impending ailments and cognitive decline.
Chapter 2 (‘Forgetful’), as the title suggests, focuses on the increased forgetfulness associated with old age, with Chapter 3 (‘The Forgetfulness Market’) picking apart the strongly held public belief that mental training can improve memory, reassuringly showing that old age is not an ‘illness’ that needs a cure, but rather, a normal stage of life. Chapter 4 (‘Reminiscence’) introduces the concept of the ‘reminiscence effect’, the phenomenon of older people tending to recall many more memories than they used to, with the proceeding chapters including further discussions of memories, an interview with the renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks, the way memories change over time and the power of nostalgia.
The Nostalgia Factory is a thoughtful, beautifully written study on memory in a human context that is all too familiar, making it a very accessible read and thoroughly interesting up to the last page. However, it is at times slightly unfocused and repetitive, which is surprising considering its sparing word count. On the other hand, this could be seen as homage to the dynamic nature of memory, with Draaisma staying true to the topic to the end. The Nostalgia Factory is recommended to all those working closely with people, especially those of later years, such as psychologists, doctors, nurses and carers. It is also recommended to anyone who wishes to learn more about the topic, to find focus and meaning in the pool of memories we are consistently submerged in as time progresses; after all, ‘the real nostalgia factory is time, which makes emigrants of us all’.