Still Alice (novel)

Still Alice

Company type	Novel
Industry	Literature
Founded	2007
Founder	Lisa Genova
Products	Novel

Still Alice is a 2007 novel by Lisa Genova, a neuroscientist and writer, that centers on a woman diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This work marks Genova's first published novel.

Initially, Genova self-published Still Alice in 2007 through iUniverse. Beverly Beckham from The Boston Globe commended the book for its deeply personal viewpoint, stating: "This is Alice Howland's story, for as long as she can tell it."

Subsequently, Simon & Schuster acquired the rights and released it in January 2009 under Pocket Books (now Gallery Books). The novel stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 40 weeks, has been distributed in 30 countries, and translated into upwards of 20 languages.

Synopsis

Alice Howland is a 50-year-old professor specializing in cognitive psychology at Harvard University and an expert in linguistics. She experiences increasing confusion and memory loss, leading to a diagnosis that dramatically alters her career, family dynamics, and everyday life.

Writing style

The story unfolds solely through Alice's point of view, without access to other characters' inner thoughts. Alexis Gordon of the University of Toronto Medical Journal observed that Still Alice utilizes a "plain, unornamented, and sometimes even clinical style," which contrasts with the intense emotions depicted.

Reception

The novel received the 2008 Bronte Prize and garnered favorable responses from both general audiences and patients, as noted by Alexis Gordon. Sue Ransohoff of the Christian Science Monitor lauded Genova’s confident narrative voice that makes the topic approachable and less daunting. The book was included on the publication’s "reader recommendation" list.

While Publishers Weekly critiqued certain dialogue as "heavy-handed" and some prose as "clumsy," it acknowledged the story’s emotional resonance and importance for those impacted by Alzheimer's. Kirkus Reviews described it as "worthy, benign and readable," though occasionally lacking realism.

Adaptations

Christine Mary Dunford adapted the novel into a stage play performed at Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company, running from April 10 to May 19, 2013.

The movie adaptation, produced by Memento Films and Killer Films, features Julianne Moore in her Academy Award-winning portrayal of Alice Howland, alongside Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, and Kate Bosworth. The film notably relocates the setting to New York City where Alice teaches at Columbia University, and alters John's job offer from chairman at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to a role at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

Further reading

• Burkhardt, Joanna M. Review of Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Library Journal, May 1, 2009, Vol.134(8), p. 50(1).
• Clifton, Tanya. Analysis of Still Alice. International Psychogeriatrics, 2010, Vol.22(5), p. 846.
• Dempsey, Dianne. "A memorable portrayal of Alzheimer's." The Age, February 28, 2009, p. 23.
• Grodovich, Lorraine M. "STILL ALICE: A NOVEL by Lisa Genova." Educational Gerontology, 2009, Vol.35(9), p. 853.
• Harding – Price, Sharon. Review of Still Alice. Mental Health Practice, April 2011, Vol.14(7), p. 6(1).
• Wilkinson, Joanne. "Still Alice." Booklist, November 15, 2008, Vol.105(6), p. 27(2).
• Miceli, Barbara. “My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain”: Alzheimer's Disease and the Impossible Survivor Narrative in Lisa Genova's Still Alice", in Altre Modernità n. 24 (2020), pp. 66–78. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/AMonline/article/view/14515 - PDF version