The "Alzheimer's Movie"

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There are hundreds and hundreds of books on the topic of the Alzheimer’s disease, the brain and brain health. But there are few novels that feature the disease as its central plot.
One single novel stands out.
“Still Alice” is the best-selling book written by first-time author Lisa Genova, a Harvard-educated neuroscientist. Published in 2009, “Still Alice” is a moving, compelling and heart-breaking work of fiction that totally captures the experience of early-onset Alzheimer’s. If you have not read it, I highly recommend you do.
This book will move you to tears. But more than that, you will be transported on a journey that is Alzheimer’s disease. Well-written and accurate, the book never ventures into the maudlin, which would be an easy path to follow. Instead, the characters resonate and the story seamlessly unfolds.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but like every Alzheimer’s journey there are gifts and healing that emerge from the dark.

Even so, you will probably shed some tears. I know I did.

Here’s a brief description from the Amazon website:

“Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what’s it’s like to literally lose your mind…”

As you can obviously tell, I am a big fan of “Still Alice.” So when I heard several weeks ago that it was being made into a movie, with a 2015 release, I felt conflicted.On the one hand, I’m thrilled this novel will now reach an even wider audience. When a movie comes out, that usually results in a resurgence of book sales.

The flip side is more complicated.

I’m an avid reader and when I love a book — really LOVE a book — it becomes part of me.

If I see the screen adaptation, I usually have the weird feeling I’m betraying the book I adored.

If you are a serious book-lover you can certainly relate. If you are not, then you probably stopped reading after the word “plot” in the first paragraph.

In any case, you should read ‘Still Alice’ if you haven’t already. I’ll leave it to you if you want to venture out to see the movie. I hear it will feature some great actors — Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin and Kate Bosworth.

When “Still Alice,” the movie, is released, I’ll read the reviews and decide if I want to see it. If I do see the movie, I will inevitably feel like I’m cheating. However, at the end of the night I always come home to the book.

There are hundreds and hundreds of books on the topic of the Alzheimer’s disease, the brain and brain health. But there are few novels that feature the disease as its central plot.
One single novel stands out.
“Still Alice” is the best-selling book written by first-time author Lisa Genova, a Harvard-educated neuroscientist. Published in 2009, “Still Alice” is a moving, compelling and heart-breaking work of fiction that totally captures the experience of early-onset Alzheimer’s. If you have not read it, I highly recommend you do.

This book will move you to tears. But more than that, you will be transported on a journey that is Alzheimer’s disease. Well-written and accurate, the book never ventures into the maudlin, which would be an easy path to follow. Instead, the characters resonate and the story seamlessly unfolds.
I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but like every Alzheimer’s journey there are gifts and healing that emerge from the dark.
Even so, you will probably shed some tears. I know I did.

Here’s a brief description from the Amazon website:
“Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what’s it’s like to literally lose your mind…”

As you can obviously tell, I am a big fan of “Still Alice.” So when I heard several weeks ago that it was being made into a movie, with a 2015 release, I felt conflicted.On the one hand, I’m thrilled this novel will now reach an

even wider audience. When a movie comes out, that usually results in a resurgence of book sales.The flip side is more complicated.
I’m an avid reader and when I love a book — really LOVE a book — it becomes part of me.
If I see the screen adaptation, I usually have the weird feeling I’m betraying the book I adored.

If you are a serious book-lover you can certainly relate. If you are not, then you probably stopped reading after the word “plot” in the first paragraph.

In any case, you should read ‘Still Alice’ if you haven’t already. I’ll leave it to you if you want to venture out to see the movie. I hear it will feature some great actors — Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin and Kate Bosworth.

When “Still Alice,” the movie, is released, I’ll read the reviews and decide if I want to see it. If I do see the movie, I will inevitably feel like I’m cheating. However, at the end of the night I always come home to the book.

Nancy Wurtzel, a communications professional, is the editor of the blog DatingDementia.com, about midlife issues, including divorce, dating and caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s.