Fiction #9 in 2009 – Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

From Publishers Weekly (amazon.com):

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.

My thoughts:

• I don’t have a particular interest in Alzheimer’s, but had read some good reviews so I thought I’d give it a try. I mean, if I am really interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s, I probably would’ve picked a non-fiction to read, you know? Nevertheless, I want to keep reading some fiction (I used to read 99% fiction, but now it’s more like 33 since I got interested in reading non-fiction.)

• This book totally exceed my expectation. I just couldn’t put it down and was just sucked into the story. I admit I do cry when I read books or watch movies, so be warned. Luckily I was reading that part (really depressing) at home and not at work or on the bus!!

• The story definitely makes you think “what if” – not just “what if” if it happens to you, but “what if” if it’s your spouse, your parents, your grandparents, your siblings, your friends.

• I admired how Lisa Genova told this story – this is a serious disease and she raised awareness in a powerful way. As I was reading it, I felt that sometime I was being ‘tested’ as well to see if I remember the details… (omg, I don’t remember! Do I have it too?). It was so realistic that it almost read like a memoir.

• The author’s inspiration was man who mistook his wife for a hat:  “In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life“.

• I enjoyed the “conversation with the author” in the back of the book. Her blog also talked about her writing and self-publishing (this book was self-published!). Her website (FAQ) also talked about how she got into writing this book. Website: http://www.stillalice.com/ Blog:  http://www.stillalice.blogspot.com

• I can’t wait until her next book, LEFT NEGLECTED, that deals with traumatic head injury.

• HIGHLY Recommend this book. Moving and haunting. Will stay with you long after you read it.