Still Alice [Paperback]

Lisa Genova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2007

"Powerful, insightful, tragic, inspirational…and all too true." Alireza Atri, Massachusetts General Hospital Neurologist

“Readers…are artfully and realistically led through…a window into what to expect, highlighting the importance of allowing the person with the disease to remain a vibrant and contributing member of the community…" Peter Reed, PhD, Director of Programs, National Alzheimer's Association

“With grace and compassion, Lisa Genova writes about the enormous white emptiness created by Alzheimer’s in the mind of the still-too-young and active Alice. A kind of ominous suspense attends her gathering forgetfulness, and Genova puts us, sympathetically, right inside her plight. Somehow, too, she portrays the family’s response as a loving one, and hints at the other hopeful, helpful response that science will eventually provide.” Mopsy Kennedy, Improper Bostonian

"An intensely intimate portrait of Alzheimer's seasoned with highly accurate and useful information about this insidious and devastating disease." Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, co-author, Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease

“Her (Alice's) thought patterns are so eerily like my own...amazing. It was like being in my own head and like being in hers.” James Smith, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, age 45

“...something for the world to read.” Jeanne Lee, author of Just Love Me: My Life Turned Upside-Down By Alzheimer’s

“A laser-precise light into the lives of people with dementia and the people who love them.” Carole Mulliken, Co-Founder of DementiaUSA

"A work of pure genius. This is the book that I and many of my colleagues have anxiously awaited. The reader will journey down Dementia Road in a way that only those of us with Dementia have experienced. Until now." Charley Schneider, author of Don't Bury Me, It Ain't Over Yet

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neuroscientist and debut novelist Genova mines years of experience in her field to craft a realistic portrait of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Alice Howland has a career not unlike Genova's—she's an esteemed psychology professor at Harvard, living a comfortable life in Cambridge with her husband, John, arguing about the usual (making quality time together, their daughter's move to L.A.) when the first symptoms of Alzheimer's begin to emerge. First, Alice can't find her Blackberry, then she becomes hopelessly disoriented in her own town. Alice is shocked to be diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's (she had suspected a brain tumor or menopause), after which her life begins steadily to unravel. She loses track of rooms in her home, resigns from Harvard and eventually cannot recognize her own children. The brutal facts of Alzheimer's are heartbreaking, and it's impossible not to feel for Alice and her loved ones, but Genova's prose style is clumsy and her dialogue heavy-handed. This novel will appeal to those dealing with the disease and may prove helpful, but beyond the heartbreaking record of illness there's little here to remember. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"After I read Still Alice, I wanted to stand up and tell a train full of strangers, 'You have to get this book.'" -- Beverly Beckham, The Boston Globe

"This book is as important as it is impressive, and will grace the lives of those affected by this dread disease for generations to come." -- Phil Bolsta, author of Sixty Seconds

"With a master storyteller's easy eloquence, Lisa Genova shines a searing spotlight on this Alice's surreal wonderland. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to read this book. It will inform you. It will scare you. It will change you." -- Julia Fox Garrison, author of Don't Leave Me This Way

"A work of pure genius." -- Charley Schneider, author of Don't Bury Me, It Ain't Over Yet

"A masterpiece that will touch lives in ways none of us can even imagine. This book is the best portrayal of the Alzheimer's journey that I have read." -- Mark Warner, Alzheimer's Daily News

"With grace and compassion, Lisa Genova writes about the enormous white emptiness created by Alzheimer's." -- The Improper Bostonian

"Heartbreaking." -- The Cape Cod Chronicle

"Heartbreakingly real.... So real, in fact, that it kept me from sleeping for several nights. I couldn't put it down....Still Alice is a story that must be told." -- Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (July 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595440096
• ISBN-13: 978-0595440092
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (982 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,495,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, and LOVE ANTHONY.

STILL ALICE spent 41 weeks on the New York Time bestseller list. It won the 2008 Bronte Prize and the 2011 Bexley Book of the Year, and it was nominated for the 2010 Indies Choice Debut Book of the Year by the American Booksellers Association. It was the #6 Top Book Group Favorite of 2009 by Reading Group Choices, a 2009 Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, a 2009 Indie Next pick, a 2009 Borders Book Club Pick, and a 2009 Target Book Club pick. There are over a million copies in print, and it has been translated into 25 languages. It was chosen as one of thirty titles for World Book Night 2013.

LEFT NEGLECTED, also a New York Times bestseller, was the #1 Indie Next Pick for January 2011, the Borders "Book You'll Love" for January 2011, and the #4 Indie Reading Group Pick for summer 2011. It was chosen by the Richard and Judy bookclub in the UK.

Lisa's third novel, LOVE ANTHONY, also a New York Times bestseller, was an Indie Next Pick for October 2012 and a People Magazine Great Read.

Lisa travels worldwide, speaking about Alzheimer's Disease, traumatic brain injury, and autism. She has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, the Diane Rehm Show, CNN, Chronicle, Fox News, and Canada AM and was featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary film, TO NOT FADE AWAY.

Lisa's fourth novel focuses on Huntington's Disease. She lives with her family on Cape Cod.

Find out more at www.LisaGenova.com.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#59 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#67 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#95 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#59 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#67 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#95 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

382 of 388 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Moving May 2, 2008

By drebbles TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

When Dr. Alice Howland first starts forgetting things like words when giving a speech, she thinks it might be because of menopause. But when she gets lost jogging near her house, on a route she has taken many times, she knows something is seriously wrong and seeks medical help. Not quite fifty, she is totally unprepared for the diagnosis - early onset Alzheimer's. As the disease progresses, Alice and her husband John learn everything they can about the disease and treatments, but Alzheimer's quickly takes its toll on both Alice and her family.

"Still Alice" is a beautifully written, heartbreaking novel about the devastating affect Alzheimer's has on its victims and their families. Author Lisa Genova's choice of Alice - young, in shape, and intelligent (she's a Psychiatry Professor at Harvard) - shows that Alzheimer's can strike anyone, not just the elderly. The book is written from Alice's viewpoint, but Genova does a good job of showing the affect of Alzheimer's not only on Alice, but how her family (John, and their children - Anna, Tom, and Lydia) struggle with the changes in Alice. Genova does an excellent job of describing what is going on in Alice's head as the dementia increases. In fact, Genova does such a good job that I sometimes forgot the book was fiction and not about a real person.

"Still Alice" takes place over a relatively short period of time (September 2002 to September 2005) and it is frightening how fast the Alzheimer's takes over Alice. Genova skillfully captures the bewilderment Alice feels and there are some moments in the book that are very moving - especially a moment involving a black rug and a moment involving a message a healthier Alice left for a sicker Alice. The reaction of Alice's family as they deal not only with her having Alzheimer's but the fact that her children may inherit the disease is very realistic. Inevitably, of course, life goes on and Genova expertly shows Alice's family as they move on with their lives, even if readers won't always agree with their actions. If I have any quibble with the book, it's that it is one chapter too long - the second to last chapter ended on a poignant note and I think Genova should have stopped the book there.

"Still Alice" is a moving tale about the devastating affect Alzheimer's can have on a family. (A portion of the sale of each novel will go to the Alzheimer's Association.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

88 of 88 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars art imitates life.....life in my home imitates art June 2, 2008

By Mary G. Longorio VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I read this book on a flight to Dallas, Texas to see my father. Through a series of small strokes he was showing the effects of progressive dementia. Family was trying to decide what we should do. I cried all the way through the book. I had seen my father twice beffore this trip and had observed enough to br concerned.

Alice Howland taught cognitive psychology courses at Harvard for over twenty-five years. Alice and her husband, John authored Molecules to Mind, she published papers, and lectured around the world. Her three children were grown and on their own paths (not that she was very happy about Lydia's choice of acting, but she hadn't given up trying to influence her to go back to real school). Her son Tom was doing well in school, daughter Annie and her husband, Charlie are attorneys trying to conceive a first grandchild.

Facing a busy schedule and travel and everyday stress, Alice isn't concerned when she begins to forget little things, where the keys are, names of acquaintances or a momentary sense of disorientation. After all she is fifty and that is part of menopause. .

A trip to her family doctor to get some suggestions for cognitive memory reinforcement and to see if medication is available does not help. Alice is stunned to learn that she has Early Onset Alzheimer's and that there is not very much available for treatment. Telling her husband and children is even harder to face. Eventually she has to face the loss of her teaching and life's work.

"Still Alice" is Alice's voice as she struggles with the advancement of Alzheimer's. As the disease advances, she is living more in the now, and often hurt by her interpretations of family member's words and actions. She reacts with anger and confusion as her world shifts and becomes more unfamiliar and frightening. Her family also has to deal with their emotions. The realization that their funny, loving accomplished mother and wife is slowly disappearing before their eyes are devastating, and they each react differently. Alice tries to stay aware of what is happening, but has the disease advances her voice becomes quieter and briefer. Lisa Genova has a Ph.D in Neuroscience from Harvard University and works with several Alzheimer's organizations as well as serving as the online columnist for the national Alzheimer's Association. Although "Still Alice" is a work of fiction, it is apparent there is much drawn from real life experiences and observations. Genova has given a voice to a population not usually listened to. The characters are facing uncertainty and struggling with Alice's decent into unknowing. There are moments of hilarity as well as heartbreak. This book will touch anyone who works with dementia patients, or who has a friend or loved one with Alzheimer's. (early 2008)

1/19/2009

Less than a year later finds me, the reviewer, caring for my own father in my home as he succumbs more and more to his organic dementia. We have had to uproot him from his home in Texas to move into our home in Utah where either my husband or I can be with him around the clock. We moved into a house and I have drastically cut back on my work load. I keep looking back to the pages where Alice tries to describe her confusion and tries to frame what she wants from those around her so I can somehow meet those same needs in my Father. I fear I am falling short.....there is so much anger directed at me and my husband for moving him away. No matter how hard I have tried I feel I am falling short. "It's nothing personal, Mary....I like your brothers more than you". It's not all gloom and doom. There are glimpses of his sly humor, Dad often says the blessing at dinner and is sure to add "Please bless this food especially since Mary has cooked tonight" that is if he can manage to say all that before we all get the giggles and just say "amen". I work with this type patient everyday at my job, yet it is different in my home caring for my own Father. I reread Still Alice as a roadmap. it is one of my best guides.....though the road is unknown and I feel completely unprepared to travel it. It reminds me that Dad is also traveling down a road that is unknown to him.

118 of 126 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Perceptively haunting February 20, 2010

By Erika (Jawas Read, Too)

Format:Paperback

Alice Howland is a respected Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. Her research has earned her a distinguished position in the literature of psycholinguistics; her publications have become cornerstones of knowledge in her field; her speeches and lectures are in high demand, allowing Alice to remain active in travel. She's married with three adult children, is 50 years old, at the height of her career, but can't remember simple words during lecture, forgets to board a plane, and loses her way on a run back home. In just a few short months Alice is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's Disease.

The rapid decline of Alice's condition is heart-breaking and alarming. Lisa Genova's expertise as a Neuroscientist gives her a unique perspective on the science of Alzheimer's; her personal experience with the disease gives her an emotional understanding. The narrative is painstakingly verbose with the language of neuropathy, cellular biology, and pharmaceuticals. It's clear from the beginning that Genova's own knowledge fuels Alice's scientific rationalizations. In fact, Alice's husband is a cancer cell biologist; her son, Tom, is a surgeon--what better excuse to exercise the clinical lingo of Alzheimer's than between fellow scientists and intellectuals trained around the words most of us feel we need a translator to understand? While these characters justify the liberal application of unforgiving, medical descriptions, I couldn't help feeling the narrative suffered more from this than it benefited.

As someone with personal experience with Alzheimer's, I appreciated the effort that went into the research for Still Alice. It's a merciless, brutal disease with exhaustive explanations and an overwhelming amount of treatment information. Genova put a lot of professional insight into her prose--it's educational, surely, and sobering to read, but does come off as detached and sterile as the biology itself. I hesitate to say this ruined the book for me because it didn't. It was surprisingly comforting to understand the mechanism of Alzheimer's, the knowledge that's still missing, the areas with vast improvement in research. These explanations, prompted by doctor visits, psychological testing, and exam results, reenforced the framework of Alice's Alzheimer's, rivaled the emotional aspect of the novel. Genova's strengths are clearly supported by her mastery of the science. Her dialogue, however, suffers under long-winded, rote conversations between characters.

Huge blocks of speech are delivered as if partitioned from the rest of the book--the voices of different characters begin to blend together in a unified Talk Of Alzheimer's that includes the same cadence and earnest explanations, the same scientific curiosity. I felt, quite empathetic with Alice. Everyone was participating in the same dissection without her, arguing over the best practical methods involved or what to do with vastly different interpretations of the results. These academic considerations are understandable--all but one of the Howland clan have post-graduate degrees--and, I suppose, necessary. I do feel, and I think I was meant to feel, the division of perspective between the medical and the emotional sides of Alzheimer's; the two always clash in reality.

There are some genuinely touching moments in the book, especially between Alice and Lydia, but also between John and Alice. Their love for each other is obvious at times, but most often, John comes across as resentful and angry--he never seems to catch up to his wife's diagnosis until the very end of the book. Even then, he seems selfish and preoccupied. Juxtaposed against Alice's fears that his work has and will always come before her, John's struggle to maintain a strong footing in his life and not let Alzheimer's ruin it more than it already has, I don't want to forgive his behavior as normal, but it could be.

Overall I can't say whether I enjoyed this book more because of my experience with Alzheimer's (one chapter at the end brought me to tears--I've never cried reading a book. Ever) or because Genova's writing was genuinely moving. I think it's a little of both. Her prose is heavy-handed for the most part, but there are passages that moved me beyond the experience I brought to the text. Sometimes I felt like Genova was having a one-sided conversation with her readers, telling us what Alzheimer's is, what it does, how it affects families and individuals, but isn't that the point? She does do an excellent job of mapping the progression of Alzheimer's. As Alice falls deeper into her own dementia, lines begin repeating themselves with a rhythm so easy it's frightening. I found myself being drawn into these cyclical diversions and marveling at how perceptive Genova is--and how talented--to bring the disease to a relatable level.

I could have done without some of the more detailed explanations and repetitious terms, but that's an opinion of style that other readers may find appealing, or even helpful. If anyone needs help coping, I do think Alice's fictional experience does help put the disease into perspective.