This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Ed. note: A previous version of this post appeared on Sleights of Mind.
“Everythingshedidandlove, everythingshewas, requiredlanguage.”
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― LisaGenova, StillAlice
Harvard-trained neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova couldn’t get agents or publishers interested in her debut novel StillAlice. So she decided to self-publish. The book became an overnight sensation that led to a six-figure advance from publishing house Simon and Shuster.
Still Alice describes the descent of Alice, a successful professor and researcher, into early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and the consequences for her family and career.
Genova followed up her Still Alice success with two more novels grounded in clinical neuroscience: LeftNeglected, about a patient suffering from hemineglect, and most recently, Love Anthony, about a child with autism (I haven’t read it yet).
Both Still Alice and Left Neglected are moving and well-written stories, but if I had to choose I’d go for the more restrained tone of Still Alice. As a fellow academic, I also found the protagonist very relatable. (Full disclosure: in one of the most poignant moments in the book, Alice forgets a critical piece of electronics inside the fridge, with vital consequences… well, I’ve done the same exact thing at least once, although with far less momentous results).
For extra credit, read “Elegy for Iris”, literary critic John Bayley’s memoir about his wife, novelist Iris Murdoch, and her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Or watch the Oscar-winning movie “Iris”.
Also, check out the Society for Neuroscience’s primer about Alzheimer’s disease.
