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Quick answer: Good book club questions for Still Alice focus on memory, identity and family. Below are 17 questions grouped by theme, with a spoiler-free summary, a characters-and-themes table, meeting ideas and a sample 90-minute plan.
Quick facts
– Book: Still Alice by Lisa Genova
– First published: 2007
– Setting: Cambridge, Massachusetts
– Adaptation: A 2014 film starring Julianne Moore, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress
– Content note: Early-onset Alzheimer's disease, decline and a suicide plan
Still Alice is a rewarding choice for a book club because it gives readers plenty to discuss without needing special knowledge. This guide gives you questions you can use as written or adapt for your group, plus ideas for running the meeting, so that a host with little time can still lead a good conversation.
Table of Contents
Spoiler-Free Summary
Alice Howland is a celebrated professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard, a wife and the mother of three grown children. At fifty, she starts forgetting words, missing appointments and getting lost in familiar places. Her diagnosis is early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and over the next two years she and her family must face what it means to lose memory, work and independence. The story is told from Alice's point of view, so readers experience her confusion and courage from the inside.
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Main Characters and Themes
| Character or Theme | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Alice Howland | A Harvard professor diagnosed at fifty |
| John Howland | Her husband, a scientist focused on his own career |
| Lydia | Their youngest daughter, an aspiring actress who clashes with Alice |
| Anna and Tom | Alice's older children, a lawyer and a medical student |
| Theme: identity | Who we are when memory fades |
Discussion Questions (Contains Spoilers)
These questions assume everyone has finished the book, so they discuss the ending. They are grouped by theme so you can move through them in order or jump to the topic your group cares about most. Feel free to rephrase them, add follow-up questions such as “why do you think so?” and skip any that do not suit your members.
Opening Reactions
- What was your first impression of Still Alice, and did it change as you read?
- Which scene or passage stayed with you most, and why?
Alice's Story
- How did reading from Alice's point of view shape your experience?
- Which moment of forgetting hit you hardest?
- How does Alice try to stay in control?
- What do you make of the plan she leaves for her future self?
Family
- How does each family member respond to the diagnosis?
- Was John's choice about his career understandable or selfish?
- How does Alice's relationship with Lydia change?
- Would you want to know if you carried the gene?
Memory and Identity
- Is Alice still Alice at the end of the book?
- What does the book suggest about love without memory?
- How does Alice's speech to the dementia conference change you?
- How does the film compare with the book?
Looking Back
- How did the ending of Still Alice make you feel, and was it the ending you expected?
- Would you recommend this book to a friend, and what would you tell them first?
- If you could ask Lisa Genova one question, what would it be?
Meeting Ideas
Invite members to bring a photo or object tied to a favourite memory, and consider sharing information about a local Alzheimer's charity.
A simple way to start is to have each person share a one-sentence rating of the book before discussion begins. It surfaces disagreements early and gives quieter members a chance to speak first. You can also ask each member to bring one question of their own, which often leads to the best conversations of the night.
Ways to Make the Discussion Richer
- Compare formats. If a film, series or stage version of Still Alice exists, discuss what changes and why.
- Share a favorite line. Ask each person to read a short passage that stood out and explain what it meant to them.
- Cast the book. Ask the group who they would cast in the main roles, and why.
- Rate the pace. Ask where the book felt fastest or slowest, and whether the structure worked for them.
- Pair it with a snack or drink. Food connected to the story gives guests something to talk about before the formal discussion starts.
Tips for Leading the Discussion
- Prepare, but stay flexible. Pick a handful of questions in advance and let the group's reactions guide you.
- Invite quieter voices. Ask someone who has not spoken to share a favorite line or scene.
- Welcome disagreement. A lively debate about a character is a sign that the book is working.
- Return to the text. Ask members to point to a passage in Still Alice that supports their view.
- Watch the clock. Move on when a question has run its course, and save extra questions for another time.
If your group has only an hour, choose one question from each theme and skip the rest.
Is Still Alice a Good Book Club Pick?
Still Alice is emotional, short and easy to discuss, a strong pick for groups ready for a moving story about illness and family.
Books Like This One
- Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey: a woman with dementia searches for a missing friend
- Left Neglected by Lisa Genova: a woman relearns her life after a brain injury
How to Structure Your Meeting
A 90-minute meeting works well in four parts:
- Welcome and quick ratings (10 minutes). Settle in and share a one-line reaction.
- Spoiler-free talk (20 minutes). Start with characters, setting and style before the plot.
- Spoiler discussion (45 minutes). Work through three or four of the questions above, letting the conversation wander when it is productive.
- Wrap-up (15 minutes). Share favorite lines, choose the next book and thank the host.
If the conversation is going well, it is fine to let it run long and skip some questions.
After the Meeting
Send a short follow-up message with the next title, the date and a link to any readings or articles that came up. Some groups keep a simple record of books read and ratings, which makes it easier to choose future picks and spot the kinds of books the group loves most.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions should we prepare for Still Alice?
Five to eight is enough for a 90-minute meeting. This guide gives seventeen, so you can choose the ones that fit your group.
Does Still Alice work as a first pick for a new book club?
Still Alice is emotional, short and easy to discuss, a strong pick for groups ready for a moving story about illness and family.
Is Still Alice a true story?
No, it is fiction, but Lisa Genova has a PhD in neuroscience and based the story on careful research.
Is the book different from the film?
The film follows the book closely but moves Alice's job from Harvard to Columbia University in New York.
Are there spoilers in this guide?
The questions after the summary discuss the ending.
What if some members have not finished Still Alice?
Start with the spoiler-free questions and a short plot recap, then move to the spoiler section only when most people have finished.