Still Alice

Still Alice by Lisa Genova


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just gobbled this book up. "Still Alice" was suggested by the Goodreads discussion group and I thank them for it. This was a story written from the point of view of a 50 year old Harvard professor with early onset Alzheimer's. Though we have lived with the long decline of a neighbor and friend, I felt I learned a great deal from this book. For instance, despite the loss of language and despite the confusion, Alice still felt very strongly the emotional climate of her family -- in fact was especially sensitive to physical clues of her loved ones and friends. She developed a closeness to her actress daughter lacking in her life before. Her daughter was able to learn things from her mother that helped her in her life and career. Yes, it's a sad story, but well worth reading -- simply written, clear, humorous and caring.


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July Book Group Reading

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my first time reading Margaret Atwood and I enjoyed the book. I don't think I would have chosen it if it hadn't been a Book Group selection -- which is one of the wonderful reasons to belong to a good book group. The book was a "grabber" which means in my lexicon that when you start it, you have to finish it. The writing was beautiful, leisurely and evocative. My favorite parts of the book were the scenes of life in the city and country in Canada in the 1860's. I loved one description of a maid's duties first thing in the morning -- emptying the chamber pot, starting the fire, pumping water from the well, feeding the chickens and horses, milking. With her descriptions of the weather, the scents of the countryside -- it was delightful. The mystery was well done, the characters all interesting and fully formed. There were enough layers of meaning and suggestion in the work to make for a good discussion and varying points of view.


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