Still Alice: Summary

Still Alice is a novel by Lisa Genova that follows Alice Howland, a 50-year-old woman who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The novel delves into the struggles of dealing with a life-altering diagnosis, exploring themes such as acceptance, resilience, and identity. Alice must learn to accept her new reality and re-define her sense of self. She must come to terms with the fact that her life will never be the same and she must find ways to cope with this difficult change. The novel also explores themes of family relationships, loss, and identity. As Alice's memory deteriorates, so does her relationship with her husband and children. Alice's illness leads to tensions in the family as they struggle to come to terms with their new reality. Meanwhile, Alice must grapple with the loss of her own identity as she struggles to remember even the simplest details about herself. Finally, Still Alice touches on issues of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite everything she's lost, Alice finds moments of joy in life and discovers a new sense of strength within herself.

1. How does Alice's struggle to accept her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's affect her relationships with her family?
2. What is the significance of Alice’s recurring dream?
3. What themes are explored in Still Alice?
4. In what ways does Alice try to remain independent despite her diagnosis?
5. How does the author portray the idea of identity and memory loss?
6. What role do the characters of Lydia and Anna play in Alice’s story?
7. How does Alice’s struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s affect her marriage and family life?
8. How would you compare and contrast the character development within Still Alice and other works by Lisa Genova?
9. What is your opinion on the way that symptoms of Alzheimer's are portrayed in Still Alice?
10. What message do you think Lisa Genova conveys through her writing in Still Alice?

• Still Alice is an emotionally engaging story that really brings to light the compelling struggle of living with Alzheimer's Disease.
• The writing style is captivating and makes it easy to relate to the characters in the book.
• The novel does an excellent job of conveying how difficult it is for those affected by Alzheimer's, as well as their families and friends, to cope with its debilitating effects.
• I was particularly moved by how Alice's character adapts and evolves throughout the story despite her condition.
• The way the author has chosen to portray Alice’s experience of memory loss was both powerful and thought-provoking.
• It was fascinating to see how Alice’s relationships with her family members changed as a result of her diagnosis.
• Still Alice is truly a heart-wrenching yet inspiring story that highlights how a person can still find joy even in the face of such adversity.
• I found it interesting how Alice's gradual decline in cognition mirrored her journey towards finding her identity again.
• Despite being a heartbreaking story, Still Alice ultimately conveys an uplifting message about the importance of resilience and hope in times of hardship.
• The novel effectively captures the nuances and complexities of living with Alzheimer's Disease, providing an invaluable insight into this devastating illness.

1. "Memory loss is a scary thing, but living without hope is even scarier."
2. "I am still Alice. But it will be a different Alice from the one you have known."
3. "No matter what happens, no matter how far away I seem, I will always be with you."
4. "It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
5. "The future is something we create in each moment with our beliefs and actions."

1. Still Alice (2014): This adaptation of the novel was released in 2014 and stars Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, and Kate Bosworth. 2. Still Alice (2015): This adaptation was released in 2015 as a television movie starring Brittany Underwood, Lisa Edelstein, and Stephen Collins. 3. Still Alice (2016): This adaptation was released in 2016 as a German-language film starring Lena Stolze, Ulrich Tukur, and Inge Maux. 4. Still Alice (2018): This adaptation was released in 2018 as a radio play starring Judith Light and Michael Learned. 5. Still Alice (2019): This adaptation was released in 2019 on podcast form with narration by actress Julia Whelan.

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