Saxton Reads! & Reviews

We invite the public to post reviews to our catalog by logging into our online catalog. Reviews will then be posted to this blog. Comments can be added to existing posts or may be added as separate reviews on our catalog

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

Still Alice ~ Lisa Genova

*****ckubala
Still Alice
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was a book that always frightened me. I couldn't tell you why exactly, I just knew it did. It might have been something about falling down the hole and not knowing what to expect and perhaps the fear of loosing control of my life. In Lisa Genova's Still Alice, this Alice begins an adventure she never planned on taking. Alice Holland, Harvard Professor, finds herself forgetting words, loosing snippets of time, etc. Initially it's possible it's just stress. After all she has a full schedule, teaching and presenting lectures. When the lapses continue, medical exams confirm a grim diagnosis, early onset Alzheimer's. Alice is in her early 50's. It's a story that made me squirm with uneasiness. It paralleled that feeling of falling down the rabbit hole; falling, falling, with no end in sight. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. What made the book for me is that it is told from Alice's point of view, much more poignant this way. It will make a great discussion book and is bound to be hand sold by its readers. I know I'm going to recommend it to a few friends.

Add a Comment

Enter your comment below, then click Submit.

Nickname: (displays with your comment)

Comment:

Enter the letters you see on the left:

-------------------------------------------------------

Comments

bas bleu said, on Feb. 20 at 9:28AM
I loved this book and finished it in one day! What did you think of Alice's husband and how he handled her diagnosis and deteriorating condition?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ckubala said, on Feb. 20 at 2:59PM
Good question. I was oh, so very disappointed in him. I could understand his initial shock to see life plans changing. Is this love? I hope my husband or I would give each other more than this. Still, I'm not always quite certain how I'll handle what is dealt me and maybe I'm judging him too harsly. What do you think? This is a book for discussion if ever there was one. I hesitate to mention some of the ending of relationship issues of children and husband as I don't want to spoil any of the book for others.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bas bleu said, on Feb. 20 at 6:40PM
I thought he had more passion for his work than his marriage, even before Alice's diagnosis. Perhaps both of them did at that point. Post-diagnosis, he seemed to treat his wife like she was one of his scientific experiments. And when things didn't go the way he thought/intended, it seemed to me that he decided to cut his losses and move on with his life...at that point, I thought he viewed Alice as "excess baggage" rather than as his wife. He planned to move her around like he would move his favorite armchair...she became an inanimate object, someone to whom consideration did not need to be given. He had priorities in his life and for his future; Alice, unfortunately, did not appear to be one of them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PatG said, on Aug. 4 at 2:15PM
I too loved this book and have already recommended it to anyone who will listen. Also agree that Alice's telling of her losing battle with dementia is what makes it so compelling. I'm not so quick to condemn John's behavior regarding Alice and her deterioration though it did make me uncomfortable at times. They both defined themselves in terms of what they did and it was Alice's disease that made her see herself in terms of the other roles in her life, i.e., wife, mother, friend. Would make a fantastic book club selection even if you had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the discussion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CarolK said, on Aug. 4 at 4:13PM
PatG, It's always good to see it from another view point. Yes, both John and Alice defined themselves by what they do, not who they are. Perhaps John was in pure denial. I've certainly seen this when death is knocking at the door and one partner must face the demise of another. Easier to be in denial though it hits like a brick after the death. Agreed about a book discussion. Perhaps we'll be able to convince the fiction group next year.