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Still Alice / Left Neglected
Enjoy the best of Lisa Genova’s powerful, poignant storytelling with this set of her two New York Times bestselling novels, Still Alice and Left Neglected. STILL ALICE An accomplished professor diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease learns that she is more than what she can remember. Now a major motion picture from Sony Pictures Classics. LEFT NEGLECTED A busy multitasking mother in her thirties learns to pay attention to what matters most in life after a car crash leaves her with a traumatic brain injury and a bizarre neurological condition called Left Neglect.
752 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2011
56 people are currently reading
1528 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Genova
20 books11.2k followersLisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University.
Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neurological conditions and our shared human condition. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, LOVE ANTHONY, INSIDE THE O'BRIENS, and EVERY NOTE PLAYED.
Her first work of nonfiction, REMEMBER: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, published March 2021, became an instant New York Times bestseller.
STILL ALICE was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and
Hunter Parrish. Julianne Moore won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland. Film adaptations for INSIDE THE O'BRIENS, EVERY NOTE PLAYED, and LEFT NEGLECTED are in development.
STILL ALICE was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford and premiered at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago in April 2013. It has since toured worldwide.
In 2015, Lisa was named one of the U.S. Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. She has appeared on Live with Kelly &Ryan, the TODAY show, CNN, PBS Newshour, Dr. Oz, and NPR and has been featured in the PBS specials Build a Better Memory Through Science and Supercharge Your Brain, as well as the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg.
Her first TED talk, "What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's" has been viewed over eight million times. Her most recent TED talk, "How Memory Works--and Why Forgetting is Totally OK" was the sixth most watched TED talk of 2021. A sought-after speaker/edutainer, she has headlined in speaker series alongside Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Gloria Steinem, Jay Leno, Malala Yousafzai, and Goldie Hawn.
She received The Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square, for "distinguished storytelling that has enriched the public dialogue," The Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award, The Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award, and The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Media Award for "informing the public about treatment and ongoing research in medical illness."
She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bates College, The Alzheimer's Association's Rita Hayworth Award, The Huntington’s Disease Society of America Community Awareness Award, and the Grubby Award for literary excellence.
She serves on the Advisory Boards for The Women's Alzheimer's Movement, HFC (Hilarity for Charity), and Compassionate Care ALS.
www.lisagenova.com
www.Facebook.com/authorlisagenova
www.Instagram.com/authorlisagenova
Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neurological conditions and our shared human condition. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, LOVE ANTHONY, INSIDE THE O'BRIENS, and EVERY NOTE PLAYED.
Her first work of nonfiction, REMEMBER: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, published March 2021, became an instant New York Times bestseller.
STILL ALICE was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and
Hunter Parrish. Julianne Moore won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland. Film adaptations for INSIDE THE O'BRIENS, EVERY NOTE PLAYED, and LEFT NEGLECTED are in development.
STILL ALICE was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford and premiered at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago in April 2013. It has since toured worldwide.
In 2015, Lisa was named one of the U.S. Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. She has appeared on Live with Kelly &Ryan, the TODAY show, CNN, PBS Newshour, Dr. Oz, and NPR and has been featured in the PBS specials Build a Better Memory Through Science and Supercharge Your Brain, as well as the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg.
Her first TED talk, "What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's" has been viewed over eight million times. Her most recent TED talk, "How Memory Works--and Why Forgetting is Totally OK" was the sixth most watched TED talk of 2021. A sought-after speaker/edutainer, she has headlined in speaker series alongside Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Gloria Steinem, Jay Leno, Malala Yousafzai, and Goldie Hawn.
She received The Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square, for "distinguished storytelling that has enriched the public dialogue," The Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award, The Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award, and The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Media Award for "informing the public about treatment and ongoing research in medical illness."
She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bates College, The Alzheimer's Association's Rita Hayworth Award, The Huntington’s Disease Society of America Community Awareness Award, and the Grubby Award for literary excellence.
She serves on the Advisory Boards for The Women's Alzheimer's Movement, HFC (Hilarity for Charity), and Compassionate Care ALS.
www.lisagenova.com
www.Facebook.com/authorlisagenova
www.Instagram.com/authorlisagenova
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
April 1, 2012
Left Neglected, if anything, even more telling than Still Alice. Being something that could happen to any of us makes it more compelling.
Also, in discussing it with friends, I found out that two of them had spouses who are affected. on by an accident, and the other by a stroke at 43!
Lisa Genova is a terrific story-teller, and I am looking forward to her next book.
Also, in discussing it with friends, I found out that two of them had spouses who are affected. on by an accident, and the other by a stroke at 43!
Lisa Genova is a terrific story-teller, and I am looking forward to her next book.
February 9, 2013
Such a good story! I really felt as if I have a better insight into what goes on in the mind of an Alzheimer patient and what the family goes through trying to figure out how to manage and deal with their loved one. There were a couple of times I thought I knew how the story would end and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. This is a story that will linger in my mind for a while.
July 29, 2023
I have finally read a Lisa Genova book. I had heard good things and debated which book of hers to read for my first experience of her writing and I am glad I went with this one. I really enjoy her writing style, which means I'll be reading her other novels. This story was very well done, but could have been enriched with multiple viewpoints and/or a full-circle ending. Definitely worth the read, but I have to warn other readers that it is very hard to get through due to its subject matter.
February 12, 2013
STILL ALICE - 4.5 stars
So I absolutely loved Still Alice. The perspective the main character is haunting and beautiful. The story of a strong, independent,and intelligent professor losing the one thing she loves about herself the most - her mind.
Reading about this wonderful woman losing herself to the disease Alzheimer's was heart-breaking to me. I lost my grandfather the the same disease, so I may be biased in my review.
The relationship between John and Alice will make you laugh and cry in Alice's fight for dignity. There is heartbreak as there is little hope for Alice due to the degenerative nature of her disease. You'll still find yourself rooting for her!
A book I would recommend to all, even with such a serious and heart breaking topic.
LEFT NEGLECTED 3 stars
Similar to Still Alice, Left Neglected once again dives into the realm of neurological disorders. One again, the main character is a strong successful woman. Before the accident, Sarah, the main character, is a annoyingly superficial over-achiever. After the accident, you'll sympathize with her neurological disorder.
While there is little to no hope at the end of Still Alice, I found this book the opposite. Because Sarah does not have a degenerative disorder, there is hope that her condition will improve. What I found the most interesting was society's treatment of her post accident.
While I did prefer Still Alice to Left Neglected, both in the subject matter and the main characters - they were both great reads. I love when you learn something from a book. Lisa Genova, who studied Neuroscience, and holds a PHD will give you a pretty detailed inside look. A doctor that can write? That's pretty cool. Her view on what happens to those with these neurological disorders, allows an inside look.
So I absolutely loved Still Alice. The perspective the main character is haunting and beautiful. The story of a strong, independent,and intelligent professor losing the one thing she loves about herself the most - her mind.
Reading about this wonderful woman losing herself to the disease Alzheimer's was heart-breaking to me. I lost my grandfather the the same disease, so I may be biased in my review.
The relationship between John and Alice will make you laugh and cry in Alice's fight for dignity. There is heartbreak as there is little hope for Alice due to the degenerative nature of her disease. You'll still find yourself rooting for her!
A book I would recommend to all, even with such a serious and heart breaking topic.
LEFT NEGLECTED 3 stars
Similar to Still Alice, Left Neglected once again dives into the realm of neurological disorders. One again, the main character is a strong successful woman. Before the accident, Sarah, the main character, is a annoyingly superficial over-achiever. After the accident, you'll sympathize with her neurological disorder.
While there is little to no hope at the end of Still Alice, I found this book the opposite. Because Sarah does not have a degenerative disorder, there is hope that her condition will improve. What I found the most interesting was society's treatment of her post accident.
While I did prefer Still Alice to Left Neglected, both in the subject matter and the main characters - they were both great reads. I love when you learn something from a book. Lisa Genova, who studied Neuroscience, and holds a PHD will give you a pretty detailed inside look. A doctor that can write? That's pretty cool. Her view on what happens to those with these neurological disorders, allows an inside look.
January 16, 2023
I was recently diagnosed with Alzhiemer's. My realization before the diagnosis was that I drove in a part of a major city that I have driven for the past 10 years. And yet that day I could not figure out where I was, how to get home (60 miles away). I was bewildered and began panicking. I finally realized I needed to use the GPS in the car. When I read "Still Alice" I cam across her description of being lost in the city where she did her graduate and post graduate studies and was serving as professor. And she experienced exactly the same thing. That was the first time I felt like someone understood what I had experienced. This book was well written, clear, and so insightful. It came into my life at exactly the right time.
June 24, 2013
Excellent Book about a woman with her PHD and who is a teacher in a prestigious college who develops Early Onset Alzheimers. Book picks up the story a few months before she is diagnosed and follows her throughout her disease. The only book I've ever read that must describe what it is really like to have this disease. Easy read. Highly recommend it.
July 22, 2014
This book caused such an emotional reaction from me, that I had to blink back the tears on more than one occasion. It's not even that I felt "sorry" for Alice, I was more impacted when it was playing out a scene when she wasn't aware of what was happening, who anyone was, etc. The innocence of needing to be told things and reminded things over and over was heart wrenching.
Such an amazing read!
Such an amazing read!
January 13, 2015
I liked this book very much and look forward to seeing Julianne Moore play the role of Alice in the current movie. Some of the symptoms she was having came a little too close to home and made me think about my own mental accuities. Overall, I found the book informative, well-written and interesting character development.
August 1, 2013
Loved the book. Although Was convinced I had Alzheimer's afterwards. Interesting seeing it from the other side, since I work with Alzheimer's patients. And believe me they are getting younger!!!!
December 4, 2013
Both books were amazing! You really have to stop and refocus our lives!
Couldn't put them down! When I read a book I'm so absorbed in it, that I can't put it down!
Couldn't put them down! When I read a book I'm so absorbed in it, that I can't put it down!
Read
March 28, 2012 Still Alice and Left neglecte are fabulous books!!
Read
October 21, 2017Wonderful
January 20, 2015
Still Alice and Left Neglected are wonderful, insightful and important books. Must reads!
February 9, 2018
No words, but I do know Alice will stay with me forever. Well done Lisa Genova
February 23, 2023
The human brain and mind as a whole are two things that wildlyyy fascinate me. What they can do and what they are capable of. How they work and the endless ways they are working nonstop. I think that's why when I read the true story of Susannah Cahalan, in her autobiography, "Brain on Fire" - I totally got freaked out.
I could've probably freaked a tad reading Still Alice, though not a true story, it is a story about something that affects an estimated 5.5 million Americans. Alzheimer's Disease. A nasty, cruel, and completely unfair disease that just happens - that's all there is to it, it just happens. And when it happens, it rips a person from their true selves. I hope in my lifetime to see a cure be found for this!
I DO recommend this book, and I'm sure the movie is great, though I haven't seen it yet myself. Still Alice - the book, was a good story, though rich with medical jargon, and not enough of the personal story of the characters, I still recommend giving it a read!
I could've probably freaked a tad reading Still Alice, though not a true story, it is a story about something that affects an estimated 5.5 million Americans. Alzheimer's Disease. A nasty, cruel, and completely unfair disease that just happens - that's all there is to it, it just happens. And when it happens, it rips a person from their true selves. I hope in my lifetime to see a cure be found for this!
I DO recommend this book, and I'm sure the movie is great, though I haven't seen it yet myself. Still Alice - the book, was a good story, though rich with medical jargon, and not enough of the personal story of the characters, I still recommend giving it a read!
August 23, 2023
Having an aged Mother with Parkinson’s and some cognitive decline, Still Alice was an eye opener. It gave me perspective of what it must be like for her when she struggles to find the word, or loses a thought mid sentence. It brought up thought provoking questions, would I want to know and be tested if I had a genetically transmitted disease.
Left Neglect was a whole new concept to me, I had no idea this condition existed. I thought Sarah’s personal transformation was believable. I appreciated the whole family dynamic at play, as this would impact not just the patient, but the entire family and their dynamic.
Left Neglect was a whole new concept to me, I had no idea this condition existed. I thought Sarah’s personal transformation was believable. I appreciated the whole family dynamic at play, as this would impact not just the patient, but the entire family and their dynamic.
August 5, 2017
I really like that this book was told by the perspective from Alice who had early onset Alzheimer's. It gave such a personal voice to this story. Her struggles with losing her memory and how she and her family dealt with such a sad disease were written very eloquently. I very much liked this book. (Note, I read Still Alice recently so I rated that book. I believe I've read Left Neglected but it's been years ago and I don't really remember it so I'm not rating it)
February 28, 2018
This is the second book I have read of Lisa Genova. I can honestly say it's One of the best books I have ever read. Lisa is so passionate when she writes and you feel like you are in the book as well. Such a beautiful read and so much thought has been put into this book. This subject is so close to my heart and once I started to read it, it showed me I wasn't alone. Fantastic read.
Read
July 22, 2023Lovely novel and such a beautiful yet tragic story. I found I never really understood just how much a disease like Alzheimer’s is viewed in our current society, and how much it impacts not only the person with the disease, but the family and those surrounding them. This book taught me to never take for granite, the health of my self, but also the adults in my life.
August 22, 2024
Lisa Genova is a master storyteller and this collection of 2 of her novels is a must have.
Both books are meticulously researched and gloriously plotted.
If you want to know how someone could possibly respond upon receiving these diagnoses, this is as close as you could possibly get in fiction.
Lisa Genova is amazing and I highly recommend each of her books.
Both books are meticulously researched and gloriously plotted.
If you want to know how someone could possibly respond upon receiving these diagnoses, this is as close as you could possibly get in fiction.
Lisa Genova is amazing and I highly recommend each of her books.
December 18, 2018
Neurological chick lit, although it was interesting. Still Alice is insightful and compassionate. I had seen the movie some years ago, and I liked that better. I actually read another edition of Left Neglected, commented on elsewhere.
February 12, 2021
This book is engaging and heartbreaking. Creates a new empathy for those with memory diseases and their loved ones.
I've often wondered if people losing their mental acuity are aware of it. The answer is a horrifying yes.
I've often wondered if people losing their mental acuity are aware of it. The answer is a horrifying yes.
September 5, 2023
WHAT. A. READ. I have cried and laughed and contemplated and been upset and sad and happy for this family.
What a beautiful look inside a dementia patient's "brain". I will never look at someone with dementia the same again!
What a beautiful look inside a dementia patient's "brain". I will never look at someone with dementia the same again!
January 25, 2024
While the topic is important and the book is well written, there is a great deal of repetition. The author made a reasonable effort in narration of her own book but all the characters sounded alike. It was difficulty to discern who was involved in the dialogue at times.
May 31, 2024
Such a heartfelt and loving journey through an early onset of Alzheimer's Disease. It brought me to tears and made me smile while exposing areas you don't realize or think about unless you have experienced this disease.
September 11, 2017
Incredible book
October 13, 2017
this book was a great read better than the movie and the movie was fantastic
March 21, 2018
Two excellent books. Written intelligently and clearly.
February 5, 2019
May I never develop Alzheimer's Disease.
February 5, 2019
Oh a real tear jerker!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews