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Still Alice

by Lisa Genova (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 75,184 ratings · 9,887 reviews

Alice Howland - Harvard professor, gifted researcher and lecturer, wife, and mother of three grown children - sets out for a run and soon realizes she has no idea how to find her way home. She has taken the route for years, but nothing looks familiar. She is utterly lost. Medical consults reveal early-onset Alzheimer's.

Alice's slowly but inevitably loses memory and connec...more

Paperback, 292 pages

Published July 13th 2007 by iUniverse (first published June 13th 2007)

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Jun 22, 2011 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, psychology, issue, favorites

After you read this, you will never look at Alzheimer's the same again. Nor will you ever forget it. Oh the irony.

I'd always correlated Alzheimer's disease with old age and heard the best way to combat it was to exercise your brain. I do my fair share of reading, can solve a Sudoku puzzle faster than 98% of the population, and I shun mindless chick flicks for your more intelligent thrillers, but I'll never be as brilliant as Alice, a 50-year-old Harvard professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzhe...more After you read this, you will never look at Alzheimer's the same again. Nor will you ever forget it. Oh the irony.

I'd always correlated Alzheimer's disease with old age and heard the best way to combat it was to exercise your brain. I do my fair share of reading, can solve a Sudoku puzzle faster than 98% of the population, and I shun mindless chick flicks for your more intelligent thrillers, but I'll never be as brilliant as Alice, a 50-year-old Harvard professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. If she had been a little shallow to begin with or 20 years older. If my own aunt weren't suffering from an advanced stage of the disease right now. If I weren't feeling a little hazy myself when I'm up half the night with an infant. Maybe then I could have put another barrier between me and Alzheimer's, but I can't. Alice's story scared me. A lot. After all, what are we without the identity of our thoughts? So much for those Sudoku puzzles.

I lived Alice's story right along with her, crying when she cried and smiling at her accomplishments. Telling your story from such an unreliable witness is a tough job and Genova handles it beautifully. As the book progresses, the scenes feel more and more misplaced. As a reader I was thrust into the situation along with Alice, unsure of the setting or the time or what had happened five minutes before. Genova also offers some poignant scenes where we the reader know what Alice has forgotten and our heart breaks for her. When she forgets her daughter, her husband, the layout of her house, how to lick an ice cream cone, we mourn the Alice lost right along with her and her family. I can't imagine losing everything I learned, all the way back to basic needs like how to walk, feed, or even use the bathroom. I felt Alice's frustration at forgetting words and people and most of all being shut out because she was stigmatized with this disease as though she were already dead.

Because the narration is told through Alice, there are a few plot points that get lost, but I think we gain more than we lose from her perspective. And those lost points add to all she loses. Sometimes the descriptions of Boston get a little lengthy and the medical descriptions cold and drawn-out, giving the novel a little bit of a medical journal instead of novel feel, but I was still captivated by Alice and her plight, and I loved that Genova had the background to give us a real look into Alzheimer's, to make it come alive in the pages. (view spoiler)

Even though the story is told through Alice's unreliable eyes, I felt for each of the characters in her family as well. When I wanted to be angry at John for avoiding the disease, I couldn't. I felt for him. Having a spouse go through Alzheimer's must be one of the hardest things. Not only do you watch your spouse suffer and take on the role of full-time caretaker, a major life-changing physical and financial burden, but you lose your partner and confidante. And to experience early-onset when you should be experiencing some of the best of life is devastating. I could see why he didn't want to deal with it.

I wouldn't want to see a parent go through this either. (view spoiler) I don't know. It's hard to think about. I hope I never have to.

I can't stop thinking about Alzheimer's and hoping they come up with a cure soon. Genova has done a fabulous job bringing attention to this debilitating disease and I love that she self-published because it was too important to wait. Kudos, Genova.(less)

74 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2009 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fifty year old Alice Howland, a world-renowned expert in linguistics and a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Still Alice is the story of the unraveling of Alice's life as her disease progresses.

I started out not enjoying this book. The author's main character wasn't very likeable – she seemed too focused on how smart she was and how important and prestigious her job was, but I was quickly won over. Lisa Genova wrote from Alice's perspect...more

39 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Noeleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating 4.5 Stars

It's difficult to write that I really enjoyed Still Alice considering the subject matter, which is not an easy one to read about. Lisa Genova has provided a really insightful and intuitive account into the world of the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease. This is a very well written book and rather than it being told in an overly dramatic way, which could have been the manner some authors may have approached the story, Genova related it in a most respectful, considerate and compas...more Rating 4.5 Stars

It's difficult to write that I really enjoyed Still Alice considering the subject matter, which is not an easy one to read about. Lisa Genova has provided a really insightful and intuitive account into the world of the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease. This is a very well written book and rather than it being told in an overly dramatic way, which could have been the manner some authors may have approached the story, Genova related it in a most respectful, considerate and compassionate manner.

In all honesty, I was quite hesitant about reading this book, although I had read many great and positive reviews about it from friends. Personally this disease is one of my worst nightmares and I think because I am a few years away from the age when Alice was diagnosed with the disease, it kind of hit home with me even more and was probably the reason I put off reading this book for so long. I found myself asking, what if? what would you do? how would you cope? how would your family cope? A lot of these questions were addressed in this book by both Alice and her family and friend’s experience of dealing with the disease. Really, at the end of the day, there is nothing you can do, it is a disease which is out of your control, in the end, unfortunately you just have to accept and hope that someday, with research, a cure will be found.

It was upsetting to read about the slow digression of Alice's state of mind both in connection with her work and her family and friends. Every time Alice checked back to her five answers on her list, to see how far the disease was affecting her, I found myself willing her to remember, it was like a silent shout out loud to her, hoping and wishing for her to recover. It was heartbreaking reading, how Alice, who was such a learned, esteemed and highly regarded academic at Harvard, had to give it all up and sacrifice herself, her family and career to this horrible disease. It was distressing to read how Alice slowly began to not recognise her husband or children as the disease got progressively worse.

Lydia's character, Alice's youngest daughter, in particular, stood out for me in the book. It was emotional and uplifting to see how Alice and Lydia, who initially had a rocky mother-daughter relationship, in the end, found a lot of support, encouragement, comfort and friendship in one another. Initially I thought that Genova should have allowed John, Alice's husband, a voice in the book, allowed him to give his side of the story, tell us how the disease affected him and share his thoughts with us as he made this journey with Alice. However, upon reflection, I think that Genova did actually give John a voice, not directly to the reader as such, but in a more subtle way. We never really knew how John was feeling, never really knew his thoughts. We saw his frustrations and in some ways he appeared to carry on as normal as possible. I think now, that Genova actually got this right in her portrayal of John. John's world was turned on its head by Alice's disease. I would imagine that his thoughts and feelings were a mixture of disbelief and perhaps he didn't fully believe that this disease could just come out of the blue, reach into his world and shatter it...I got the impression that he was trying to avoid reality for as long as he possibly could and continue as normal, because if he let his guard slip, for one moment, then Alice’s situation and therefore his situation, would become a reality, a reality which he would have to face and accept. In my opinion, outwardly he tried to ignore this for as long as he could but on the inside I think he was just shocked and devastated. I felt that John's twisting of his wedding ring many times in the book was quite significant and symbolic. For me, Alice's diagnosis was, in essence, soul-destroying for John. It meant that his marriage, his relationship with his life-long partner, his family life, his world as he previously knew it, was slowly slipping away from him, slowly becoming something he didn't recognise and there was nothing he could do about it. That is something that is difficult to come to terms with for any human being.

I only had an issue with one aspect of the book and that was all of the medical jargon, mostly near the beginning of the book. I realise it was absolutely necessary in the telling of this story and telling the story accurately, but quite honestly, most of it went over my head, due I suppose, to my own ignorance. I became a little bit bored with it, especially when John and the doctor were discussing the different options, trials and medications available to Alice.

In summary, this is a book that you will find hard to put down until you reach the end. You will go on Alice’s journey with her and it is not a pleasant one. It was very educational and I learned a lot. It was an extremely thought-provoking read. I admire anyone going through this illness, their family, friends, those who care for them and those who continue to research for this cause. Hopefully, some day soon, studies in research will find a cure for this most awful disease.(less)

22 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2009 Petra X rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Still Alice reads like a memoir of Alzheimer's disease written by a family member but is in fact the first novel by a neuroscientist who, apart from being a great deal younger, lives the successful life of a top academic, as does Alice.

The book is unputdownable. I read through the night; dawn came and went and still I couldn't put it down but I don't really know why. The writing was ok, a bit heavy-handed at times, the denoument was predetermined and inevitable but still the book was as gripping...more

43 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2009 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I give this book 5 stars not because its an amazing piece of literature but because of its impact on me. I can't stop thinking about it and when I was reading it I couldn't put it down. It is the story of Alice, a brilliant professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics who discovers she has early onset Alzheimer's disease. This book is beautiful and terrifying - ringing true in every word. To quote a reviewer, "with a master storyteller's easy eloquence,...more

50 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2009 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was great. If you have gone through Alzheimer's Disase before with a loved one, you will recognize and love this character. The twist is that she has early-onset AD, so she is only 50 years old, her children are grown and she has a successful career. This was a great book. The story was great, the characters seemed real and believable, the writing was clear and direct. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Kite Runner because there too I just loved the story and the characters, but the writ...more

17 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2009 Kimberly Whitney rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: yes

Recommended to Kimberly by: my mother

Having this diease affecting my husbands mother (frontal lobe dementia; onset at age 58) this book shed a lot of light on some things for me. I do not have a medical background, and I had not spent much time with my mother-in-law because we have not lived close to each other, this book helped me to understand better what exactly she is going through.
Some of the situations Alice experiences brought back some memories of things my mother-in-law had done in the past, signs that possibly we chalked...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Averil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have never, in all my reading years, sobbed quite so much or ached as deeply as I did while reading Still Alice. I am sobbed out, hollowed out.

My beloved Nanna was only diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the last year or so and thus, the reading of this novel took on an even more personal meaning for me.

Lisa Genova's expert and exquisite depiction of Alzheimer's disease (in Alice Howland's case - early onset) is riveting, enthralling, and breathtakingly tragic. This book reads as a thrille...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2012 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone with even an inkling about Alzheimer's Disease

Recommended to Judy by: YLTO monthly read

Shelves: fiction, usa, 2012-reads, massachusetts, science

Dear potential reader of Still Alice,

You are considering reading this book for one or more reasons. Perhaps, a friend recommended it. Maybe you are hoping to learn more about Alzheimer's Disease. It might be you just want to know why everyone is talking about it. I don't know your reason(s), but if you want to know the answers to the following questions, read it.

*Can genetic testing determine if you will get Alzheimer's?
*Does Early-onset Alzheimer's differ from Alzheimer's Disease?
*What is it li...more

15 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2010 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, four-star-fiction, health-nutrition, domestic-and-relationship-fiction

Alice is a Harvard professor, published author, and nationally respected expert in her field of study. Early-onset Alzheimer's disease nails her in mid-career and is especially devastating to her self-esteem because so much of her identity is wrapped up in her intellectual gifts and stellar memory. The story follows the gradual deterioration of Alice's mental capacity, and the attendant frustration and heartache for Alice and those who love her. There are also small triumphs along the way. Alice...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 LemonLinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reread this in 2011 for a local book club discussion and can honestly say my opinion and review as written in 2010 stands as follows:

Dr. Alice Howland is a highly respected Harvard professor in the Psychology Department specializing in psycholinguistics. She is also the much loved wife of Dr. John Howland, also a Harvard professor, and mother of three, Anna (a Harvard educated lawyer), Tom (a Harvard educated doctor) and Lydia (an actress who thus far has chosen not to attend college). Alice i...more I reread this in 2011 for a local book club discussion and can honestly say my opinion and review as written in 2010 stands as follows:

Dr. Alice Howland is a highly respected Harvard professor in the Psychology Department specializing in psycholinguistics. She is also the much loved wife of Dr. John Howland, also a Harvard professor, and mother of three, Anna (a Harvard educated lawyer), Tom (a Harvard educated doctor) and Lydia (an actress who thus far has chosen not to attend college). Alice is at the top of her profession and is sought after for conferences all around the world. Alice realizes that the episodes of missing objects and words as well as getting lost in her own neighborhood are not normal behaviors for a 50 year old intellectual. She is then diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and struggles to maintain as much normalcy for as long as possible.

Told from Alice's perspective inside the mind of an Alzheimer's patient, this book gives us a first hand look at the initial frustrations of both the patient and the family caregivers and also takes us further into the disease as Alice begins to lose language skills, short term memories and even the names of her loved ones. Written by a Harvard educated neuroscientist, one might expect this to be a dry analysis of life as an Alzheimer's patient. That is definitely not true. It gives us a look into the disease and its progression while telling the story of an energetic and accomplished professional woman who learns to cope with a frightening disease as well as how her family and colleagues deal with her diminished capacity. All, including Alice, must learn that even as the disease ravages the innermost parts of her brain she is still Alice, still their loving wife and mother and still deserves to be treated with honor and respect.

This book is a great one for anyone to read but should be required reading for Alzheimer's patients when they are initially diagnosed and for their family, friends and/or caregivers. Highly recommend.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2009 Rhonda Rae Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Moving and compassionate...I wanted to know more about Alice...I grew to love her and found myself cheering her on!

This was written beautifully and from the mind of one who has early-onset Alzheimer's. Wow, I was taken back and couldn't put this one down. Very realistic and informative as well as moving.

The family portrayed was so real that I had to remind myself that it was Fiction. The author did a wonderful job getting into the mind of someone with this disease and her presentation of the cli...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2009 Kathy Kilen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has changed me. Lisa Genova's writing style is wonderful- I feel more informed, aware, sensitive and moved by being engrossed in Alice's life and experience. As a nurse, I am a better caregiver from reading this book. As a nurse educator, I will use some brief passages from the book to help my students' understand and develop caring approaches to their clients and families. And sadly, as a niece, granddaughter and great-grandaughter of women who have suffered from Alzheimers Disease,...more

12 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2009 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down. And, I agree with other reviews of this book that it was heartbreaking. But, I saw something else in this story. Pain and heartache and change comes into everyone's life in some form and not everything that comes from that is bad. Genova does a good job of showing the devastation in Alzheimers but also the beauty in redefined relationships.

20 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2009 Sharon Ader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The subject matter of this book (Alzheimer's Disease) made it a very difficult book for me to read. The author, who is a Harvard trained neuroscientist chose to write this fictional book from Alice's point of view. Most books written about Alzheimer's is from the caregivers point of view. I believe that because of her background, and the book being recognized by the Alzheimer's Association, her description of what life is like for a victim of early-onset Alzheimer's is as close to factual as one...more

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2009 Lee Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-not-bought

Before I read a page of this, knowing it was about early-onset Alzheimer's, from the victim's point of view, I imagined it would be like Flowers for Algernon, like by the end of the book, there would be nothing, text-wise. Wrong.

Then, I started reading, and I have to say, it starts a little clunky: places are over-explained, there's a lot of awkward phrasing. So I figured it would read like what it was: a formerly self-published book by a neurological wonk who'd never written fiction before. Wr...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, 2010, bets-on, favorites, indie-next-list

I almost cried when this book ended. And I knew it had to end because Alice has early onset Alzheimer's Disease. This book is beautifully written with such graceful style with heartbreaking compassion. I listened to the audio version and it was read by the author. I felt at times as though I was Alice, thinking as she did. One of the best books for me in 2010.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2009 Jenna Woodbury rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book will stop you in your tracks. Whatever you had been doing before you started reading Still Alice, will have to be put off until you finish...It is that good. Genova draws the reader quickly into the story of 51 year old Alice, a highly driven Harvard professor with 3 grown children. At the novel's opening Alice is travelling all over the country and world, giving lectures and attending conferences, but the foundations of her solid and successful world are starting to crumble. After she...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2009 Joy (Thoughts of Joy) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-book

You can read my thoughts here. (4.75/5)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Olga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

As highly recommended as this book is and as much as I wanted to read it, it took me a good while to muster the courage to actually do it. I was intimidated by the subject because I lived for a year with a family where the elderly grandmother had Alzheimer's, and even though there was much I didn't understand I witnessed first-hand how traumatic her condition was for the entire family. Finally I decided to just go for it, and when the novel was over I sat there for a while, heartbroken, not know...more As highly recommended as this book is and as much as I wanted to read it, it took me a good while to muster the courage to actually do it. I was intimidated by the subject because I lived for a year with a family where the elderly grandmother had Alzheimer's, and even though there was much I didn't understand I witnessed first-hand how traumatic her condition was for the entire family. Finally I decided to just go for it, and when the novel was over I sat there for a while, heartbroken, not knowing where to begin thinking back on it like I usually do after finishing a book. There was so much there. There was Alice's love for her family, her bitter-sweet feelings for her husband, her fear of losing herself, of losing all the time she thought she had. There was her husband's pain and the decisions he had to make, her children's fear and strength, the relationships between them all, and the impact of Alice's diagnosis. All this tore at me and demanded attention, all the questions that stemmed from the story being told by a person with Alzheimer's begged to be answered, and I couldn't begin anything else for several days because I was still living in Alice's world, trying to come to terms with a question that resonated with me because reading, books and words are an enormously important part of my life, just like they were for Alice - how does one cope with the knowledge that meaningful reading is no longer possible?
How does the author do this in a volume of less than 300 pages? It's simple, really. Lisa Genova has a gift. She does it with writing like this:

"She sat in the passenger seat and waited for John to say something. But he didn't. He cried the whole way home."

What else does the reader need to understand the depth of feelings, the gravity of the situation? Nothing at all, it's all there in three short sentences.
Another aspect that made the book work is the authenticity of everyday feelings and surroundings. I don't know this for a fact but I think that Ms. Genova is a runner, and I think she has a house somewhere at the beach in New England. I think that she has a passion for the world of academia and a complicated parent-child relationship in her life in one way or another. I think she drew on all those parts of her own life and experiences in crafting Alice's story and through her own familiarity she made the story even more personal than it already is.
I cried while I read this novel. I cried for Alice, for her husband and for their children. I cried for the losses of memories, dignity, conversations and truly meaningful time together. I also laughed through tears because of Alice's irrepressible spirit, intellect and sense of humor that shone through till the very end. This book may not affect you as it did me, there is a lot to be said about timing after all. I thought it was excellent, heartbreaking but truly excellent, and I highly recommend it.

P.S. I have not been able to use the word "thingie" without immediately looking for a more articulate alternative for weeks now. Thought you should know.

Read more of my reviews at Bibliophile's Corner (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2009 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

The main character of this book is a 50 year old woman who has a very successful and fulfilled life as a Harvard Cognitive Psychology Professor, a Husband with as many credentials and 3 grown well adjusted children. She is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's disease. She slowly loses her thoughts and memories and is aware at first that this is happening. As the disease progresses, she is forced to give up lecturing and working all together. Each famiy member relates differently to the person...more

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Mar 27, 2009 Medora rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a sensitive and optimistic narrative about a Harvard professor who is a victim of early onset Alzheimer's disease. It is certainly a timely topic, though at first I felt some trepidation about even thinking about it. The author, much like the title character, is a Dr. of neuroscience at Harvard, and well informed on her topic.
She shows great insight into the changing mental state of Alice as well as describing some of the same events from the perspective of those who observe Alice, incl...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Christina White rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wow! This is an incredible read. Still Alice is so well written that you don't even realize what the author is setting you up for until the loss hits you. In the beginning the writing is full of complicated scientific descriptions that are hard to digest. Alice is brilliant and it's a little intimidating. I want to skip over the scholarly explanations. Then Alice is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As her memory starts to fail I notice that now the pages are full of uncertainty and shame instead of d...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, 5-star-books, the-syndicate, love-the-cover

I'm at the age where Early Onset Alzheimers comes closer to my radar. This book is the fictional story of a Harvard professor with the disease.

I appreciated that the point of view was that of the affected person and not by a caregiver. It gave me a better understanding of how devastating it is as your life and dignity is slowly stolen from you. I think people often erroneously think that the disease is harder on a family member than it is on the victim (for lack of a better word).

I've read revi...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't even begin to say how much I loved this book. It follows Alice Howland, a 50-year-old cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics. And then, she's diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

This book is a very fascinating look at what someone with this horrible disease is going through. And it shows us that Alzheimer's doesn't discriminate. Reading this book is like reading a memoir because it shows us Alzheimer's from the point of view of th...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 23, 2011 Tasos Anastasopoulos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

It's the really first time that I actually run into an Alzheimer case... more or less everyone is aware how it is, but it seems that at least talking about myself I was missing so many things about it.

I loved the book (it should be obvious by my rating) it is so hard to think that this is not a true story... Lisa Genova gives me the impression that she herself was suffering from dementia and miraculously managed to get herself back together... and it's a fictional novel not even based on a true...more It's the really first time that I actually run into an Alzheimer case... more or less everyone is aware how it is, but it seems that at least talking about myself I was missing so many things about it.

I loved the book (it should be obvious by my rating) it is so hard to think that this is not a true story... Lisa Genova gives me the impression that she herself was suffering from dementia and miraculously managed to get herself back together... and it's a fictional novel not even based on a true story (the author was just inspired by her 80+ year old grandma but ok it's a totally different case...), everything seems to be so realistic like it did happen.

Alice a 50 year old psychology professor in the university of Harvard is a very bright person, sets the perfect example of how hard is to fight the Alzheimer syndrome... She uses several techniques and tricks to be able to remember certain facts about her life, the really important ones, she "checks" herself about her progress, she does her best not trying to affect her beloved ones, her husband, her children but at some points it is impossible not to get lost and start acting in a way that she can't help it... She tries to keep her job since it means so much to her but it also affects her lecture, she has "black outs" forgetting each week's themes and finally decides to step aside...

For an average person diagnosed with Alzheimer in his/her early 50s right would cause panic, for Alice and her family it's not exactly like that... Her husband ,being a scientist himself having devoted his whole career and also most part of his life finding a cure for cancer, tries first of all to exclude all the chances that it is in fact dementia hidden behind Alice's change of behavior and "black out" moments... there are many moments that the reader is not really sure if John puts his work over his love for his wife, it's like he's confused and of course since we look at things through Alice's perspective it has to be confusing in order to look more real.

If it wasn't for her story I would be completely unaware that there is this chance that dementia can strike you from an early age and not when getting really old, and it's even much worse when that occurs then cause you have total consciousness of what's been happening to you... The memories that you lose are not particular ones, one moment it can be something that happened over 30 years ago the next one 30 minutes or even 30 seconds.. this whole confusion is really described perfectly... Writing the same things over and over again this self check control makes it far more understandable about how those symptoms tend to grow and grow as time goes by.

Apart from Alice it is brilliantly shown how Alzheimer can affect not only the person that is suffering from but also the others that are close... the family the colleagues at work... even the general idea of how other people can see this phenomenon... I was warned that due to my not so perfect understanding of English and moreover since this novel was written by a scientist and describes the life of a university professor (that is even related with linguistics which normally would make everything even harder) i may face difficulties with the vocabulary used... but it wasn't like that at all. Everything made perfect sense I was imagining every scene, I could tell whenever there was a character shouting or crying or feeling happy and laughing frustrated, Genova has a talent passing on those scenes in such a way that I thought they actually took place in front of her, they really looked so so real...

The purpose of this book was for people to know, to become aware of more details about the Alzheimer on early stage, how all those people need mostly our support our understanding to what they are going through and most of all our love... There are many meaningful quotes inside that indicate how Alice feels about her beloved ones knowing that soon she won't be able to express those things again..she won't even be in a position to be aware of who her beloved are...of who she is herself...

I was happy to know that this book was promoted by a support group for people that suffer from Alzheimer at early stage, that it made more and more people to join this group, it united all those that in some parts of the book actually saw part of themselves and all those might not have happened since Lisa Genova couldn't find a way to publish it... well thank God she did though since it made a huge impact to many people and it was not just because they enjoyed reading it... it was way more than this... that's what makes it so unique and different from any normal book :)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 12, 2011 Ellen Isabella rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, 2011, love-the-cover, realistic-fiction, terminal-illness, e-book

The first reason I read this book was that I wanted to know more about Alzheimer’s disease since now I am working on my thesis that somehow related with Alzheimer’s.

Alice was diagnosed with early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 50. At first she didn’t know what was wrong with her. She kept on forgetting things but she just suspected that it might be a symptom her menopausal period. Until one day she went to a neurologist and found out the truth...

This book gives quite a clear image o...more The first reason I read this book was that I wanted to know more about Alzheimer’s disease since now I am working on my thesis that somehow related with Alzheimer’s.

Alice was diagnosed with early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 50. At first she didn’t know what was wrong with her. She kept on forgetting things but she just suspected that it might be a symptom her menopausal period. Until one day she went to a neurologist and found out the truth...

This book gives quite a clear image of how the disease looked like. Genova must have been making a thorough research about this topic. The journey of the disease was described with such a well detail. It also told about how Alice felt about her disease. I could tell how Alice feared that one day, she would forget about everything, she wouldn’t be able to take care of herself, she would lose all her cognitive functions, she wouldn’t recognize her loved ones, and that one day… she would turn into a stranger…

Those thoughts depressed her even more than the disease itself. She felt the fright, anger, denial, sadness and conflict inside herself. She was a professor of Psychology at Harvard University, she had a superior cognitive ability, but nothing she could do about her disease. She realized that she would soon lose everything she had – her career, her family, her life…

Although she had her husband, John as a loyal and loving caregiver, that fact instead broke her heart. Alice’s disease has made John so defensive and he couldn’t really accept the fact that he was losing Alice. It affected his behavior towards Alice. The family conflicts were also illustrated really well of how one problem in the family could impact the other family members. Alice also felt guilty about the possibility of her children would inherit the same disease as hers.

Alzheimer’s surely changed Alice’s life, but not entirely in a bad way. Alice finally learned something, that she could have a better relationship with her youngest daughter, Lydia after many years of fight. Alice always wanted Lydia to pursue her study and get a University degree – in other word, to be like Alice – but Lydia chose her own way becoming an actress. It disappointed Alice so much, the more when her husband was proven to be supportive about Lydia’s choice.

It was a heart-breaking story, such a struggle to finish reading it. I shed tears several times during the touching moments between Alice and her husband as well during Alice and Lydia’s.

**********************************

Alice looked at Lydia in pieces, close-up snapshots of her features. She recognized each one like people recognized the house they grew up in, a parent’s voice, the creases of their own hands, instinctively, without effort or conscious consideration. But strangely, she had a hard time identifying Lydia as a whole.

“You’re so beautiful,” said Alice. “I’m so afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are.”

“I think that even if you don’t know who I am someday, you’ll still know that I love you.”

“What if I see you, and I don’t know that you’re my daughter, and I don’t know that you love me?”

“Then, I’ll tell you that I do, and you’ll believe me.”

Alice liked that.
The mother in her believed that the love she had for her daughter was safe from the mayhem in her mind, because it lived in her heart.
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Jan 27, 2011 Bridget rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: miadb, read-on-kindle

This book really affected me emotionally. Like, really affected me. Like, I very nearly cried on the Metro during one scene and I absolutely sobbed for the last 25% of the book. I'm not sure why, exactly. My mother's grandmother had Alzheimers disease for at least a decade, but while I loved my Grandma Rose, I wouldn't say I was especially connected with her at the time of her death. (To be fair, and so I don't seem like a total dick - I was 14 and living at boarding school. Wait, I'm not sure t...more

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Jan 08, 2010 deLille rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People living with Alzheimer's

Recommended to deLille by: Theone Rutledge

Shelves: medical

The biggest problem with self-published work is the lack of an editor who tells you how to go from good to great. “Still Alice” has a wonderful premise: let’s tell the story of Alzheimer’s from the patient’s point of view, but somehow the book sounds like a professor telling you the Alzheimer’s story from a patient’s point of view, rather than having the patient tell her own story. (Using first person rather than third would have been more effective.) I felt that I was reading nothing more than...more The biggest problem with self-published work is the lack of an editor who tells you how to go from good to great. “Still Alice” has a wonderful premise: let’s tell the story of Alzheimer’s from the patient’s point of view, but somehow the book sounds like a professor telling you the Alzheimer’s story from a patient’s point of view, rather than having the patient tell her own story. (Using first person rather than third would have been more effective.) I felt that I was reading nothing more than an extended patient case study in a research journal.

Additionally, the character of Alice blurred with the author’s identity at times… I found myself asking, “Who’s really telling the story here, Alice or Lisa Genova?” Or, one minute you felt like you were inside Alice’s head, you really knew what she was thinking, but then the frame of reference would shift to being outside of her observing from someone else’s perspective. I never totally felt connected with Alice as a real person.

I thought that the supporting cast around Alice could have been better developed, but her children were fairly one dimensional people and her conversations with them were about one subject only given that the children had only one thing that defined each of them (i.e., having a baby, auditioning for a play). The one relationship that rang partly true was the one she had with her husband, who waffled between wanting to do his best to support his wife but also feeling that he needed to look after his own interests given that Alice might not be around in his future. His practicality tended to overrule his emotions, which is typical in many men.

Having lived with Alzheimer’s in my family, I felt that the book glossed over some really hard-hitting aspects of Alzheimer’s. While it touched on the concept of suicide, the book sidestepped the issue by making Alice unable to find her pills when she (momentarily) realized that the time had come. Therefore, the book was able to end with Alice presumably slipping away into oblivion in the arms of a warm, loving, happy family. Ha. My own personal experiences with Alzheimer’s would suggest that this is not an accurate portrayal of what it feels like to actually DIE of Alzheimer’s. I felt bad that Alice had been unable to find her pills and therefore would have to go through something that she -- when she was still lucid enough to write her thoughts down -- had adamantly expressed that she did not want to have to deal with.
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May 07, 2010 Lyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

Lisa Genova has earned her stripes and proven her skill with the well-researched masterpiece that is Still Alice.

However, this book confirmed for me that I am far more afraid of loosing my ability to think than I am of pain or infirmity. I will try to bare well any challenge that is thrown my way, but I crave the luxury of retaining my memories and ability to think and reason throughout. I place a lot of value in the minds of older people. I would like to serve future generations the same way m...more Lisa Genova has earned her stripes and proven her skill with the well-researched masterpiece that is Still Alice.

However, this book confirmed for me that I am far more afraid of loosing my ability to think than I am of pain or infirmity. I will try to bare well any challenge that is thrown my way, but I crave the luxury of retaining my memories and ability to think and reason throughout. I place a lot of value in the minds of older people. I would like to serve future generations the same way my predecessors have served me.

After watching my own sweet grandmother fight a loosing battle with dementia and Alzheimer's I found myself nodding my head a lot throughout this book. I drew many parallels and have gained a greater appreciation for my grandmother's experience.

Watching Alice go through this and realize her own uselessness was horrifying to me, because I thought of how helpless my grandma must have felt while her disease was progressing. I've honestly never considered what Alzheimer's must have been like for her. I've calculated what it meant to my parents, their relationships with siblings, and other relatives and situations. But what must it be like to watch your independence fade and realize what a burden you are becoming and will be to your loved ones? I pray I'll never know.

Another common experience I shared with Alice's family is how much communicating can take place without thinking, through feelings alone. In the later stages of my grandma's experience I remember that even though my grandma couldn't remember anything or anyone from the present, it wasn't hard to figure out if she was being treated with respect or condescension because of the way these incidents affected her mood and self-confidence.

My grandma didn't need to remember any part of a bad or good experience for it to affect her. These experiences drove home to me exactly how important it is to not allow these people to slip through the cracks in our attention.

One important positive feature of Alzheimer's that the book brought out is the unreserved love these people can offer the world. They love like few others can.

Likewise, I remember well, that as my grandmother's expectations and ability to evaluate my decisions dwindled, the love she showed for me increased and multiplied over and over. That love was sincere and fully accepting. It never felt false or inappropriate to me. It was beautiful and so meaningful during my teenage years.

I'm so glad that the end of the story brought Alice's family together and peace to her life. Her family worked hard to help her maintain her quality of life and demonstrated several ways she could add value to their lives.

There are some valuable lessons to be found in this book. Anyone who's life was/is touched by this cruel disease should pick this one up.(less)

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About Lisa Genova

I'm a Harvard-trained Neuroscientist, a Meisner-trained actress, and an entirely untrained writer!

My first novel, STILL ALICE, winner of the 2008 Bronte Prize, nominated for 2010 Indies Choice Debut Book of the Year by the American Booksellers Association, and winner of the 2011 Bexley Book of the Year Award spent over 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. It has been translated into 25...more

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“She liked being reminded of butterflies. She remembered being six or seven and crying over the fates of the butterflies in her yard after learning that they lived for only a few days. Her mother had comforted her and told her not to be sad for the butterflies, that just because their lives were short didn't mean they were tragic. Watching them flying in the warm sun among the daisies in their garden, her mother had said to her, see, they have a beautiful life. Alice liked remembering that.” — 94 people liked it

“You're so beautiful," said Alice. "I'm afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are."
"I think that even if you don't know who I am someday, you'll still know that I love you."
"What if I see you, and I don't know that you're my daughter, and I don't know that you love me?"
"Then, I'll tell you that I do, and you'll believe me.” — 65 people liked it

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