Still Alice

By: Lisa Genova

Narrated by: Lisa Genova

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

What if every memory you've ever had will be erased from your mind, and you have no choice but to carry on...powerless to stop it?

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At 50 years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and the world - forever.

At once beautiful and terrifying, this extraordinary debut novel by Lisa Genova is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People.

©2009 Lisa Genova (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"After I read Still Alice, I wanted to stand up and tell a train full of strangers, 'You have to get this book.'" ( Boston Globe)
"With grace and compassion, Lisa Genova writes about the enormous white emptiness created by Alzheimer's." ( The Improper Bostonian)
"A masterpiece that will touch lives in ways none of us can even imagine." ( Alzheimer's Daily News)

A little to real

Excellently written. Gave you a real look at what a person must feel when going though having it. It also touched on feeling and behaviors of family members who are also dealing with a love one with dementia. Well written ad performed.

Raw and real and touching

I highly recommend... if you prepare yourself for some serious tears. I only gave 2 performance stars, because the author, who chose to narrate this book herself, was often robotic. Sometimes it was the auditory equivalent of watching a bad actor; a little painful and awkward. But such a moving book!

Lovely story, but the performance was flat

I thought Genova wrote a beautiful book. The characters were interesting and the medical component seemed well researched. I wish that I had actually read this book though, rather than listened. Moments that otherwise would have had me in tears just fell flat with the monotone delivery.

Real life

So many struggle with this disease in this book is informative as happy and sad that day and time

Excellent Book narration not so great

This is a book that brings out all of the readers emotions...made me smile and brought me to tears. The author narrated the book and although she has a pleasant voice I was not satisfied with her performance. Same voice for all characters makes it difficult to feel the characters.. Overall a very good book I would recommend to my family and friends.

Worth the read.

If you could sum up Still Alice in three words, what would they be?

A good read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Still Alice?

When she made it through her speech re: Alzheimer's and rec'd a standing ovation.

Which character ??? as performed by Lisa Genova ??? was your favorite?

3 books ago. don't remember.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Holy Mother of Depressing

Wow.
Talk about depressing.

Still Alice is about a 50 year-old woman being diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. You travel with her through her rapid decline and as she tries to cope with losing her mind, her family, and her life.

I'm one of those weird people that likes to watch documentaries that make me cry. I like to read books that invoke emotion. If you can make me cry, you've succeeded in your mission, because I'm not the type that cries on a whim. The story was heartbreaking and proceeded at a good pace to keep you enthralled. Characters were dynamic and their relationships with each other and as a family changed throughout the story.

I was initially worried when I started this book and realized that it is narrated by the author. I've had previous painful experiences trying to finish a book in the author's drab voice. Genova wasn't *terrible*. Although she read the story in that dull tone that all authors hear their stories in, she did a decent job of flexing a little when reading other characters. I also enjoyed how her voice got more and more whimsical as Alice started to lose her mind, but then serious when Alice was lucid.

This book made me sad, aware, and paranoid.... all in all I'd say that makes for a touching novel.

Alzheimer's- I could not put this book down!

Thank you for sharing this story! So insightful, so interesting, so real. I really enjoyed this book. Gives you insight to an Alzheimer's patient. The Reader was monotone but the story was AWESOME!

Incredible, thoughtfully constructed

LOVED this book, listened every second I could until the end. My dad has severe memory impairment so I found it easy to relate to.
Also accurate. I was amazed at Alice testing herself and planning ahead with the video. Her feelings of insecurity and self
Doubt- yet determination to continue on without making changes until she had to. All very real

Narrator did a wonderful job

The movie is also very good, I’ve watched it twice.

No inaccuracies to the parallels in our life with my dad

Single most Important lesson - the title- Still Alice

We all
Change as we
Grow, exper good and bad things in life. And as we continue to live and grow with any type of diagnosed medical condition Bottom line we are still the person we always were just a little different.

The kindest thing a friend or loved one can do I have found- be with your loved one in his/her ’present moment no matter this takes you. Back 30 years, go with it... and enjoy the moments. Takes prayers for guidance, and patience. Well worth the effort it is quite ‘gift of time’ for both involved.

Don’t quiz, do not laugh, or make
A big deal. This is hurtful. They are
Frightened -still want to live and still
Deserve our love as before.

On this I feel firmly -
Loved how this played out

Superb

I loved this. It was a memorable and thought-provoking book. Unforgettable. I am so glad that I read this.