I rarely ever have the opportunity to start and finish an entire book in one sitting, but I just could not put this one down. It completely captivataed me. I spent my entire snow day yesterday absorbing and devouring the story of Alice Howland and her life with Alzheimer's Disease. Still Alice has been on my "To Read" list for a long time, and I am so glad I finally got around to it.
Still Alice is the story of Alice Howland, a Harvard psychology professor, who develops Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 50. Something that I appreciated and loved most about this depiction of Alzheimer's is that it is told from Alice's perspective, a talented, well-educated, highly respected professional woman but unreliable because of an incurable and degenerative disease. The author's writing style takes us through the memory lapses, confusion, and progression of Alzheimer's evoking sympathy, compassion, and adoration for Alice. Reader's traverse through the decline in Alice's memory and sometimes experience confusion with her. The story also contains moments where you question whether or not Alice made particular decisions while she was coherent or while she was experiencing a gap in her thinking.
I believe it is an author's duty to provide their readers with strong character development, and Lisa Genova does not fall short of this obligation. Several passages of this profound and important story brought me to tears because I fell in love with Alice. She became my mother, my favorite aunt, my best friend, my sister. I felt happiness, confusion, frustration, and depression. I do not have any personal experience with Alzheimer's, but Alice's story brought me into the heart of its ugly effects on a person's mind and the inspiring spirit of the families involved.
Other books I've enjoyed regarding mental illness:
* Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
* The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
* Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
I LOVED this book. I too, read it in one sitting. Could not put it down.
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