# Still Alice - Reading Log

###### tags: `NTHU`、`109033243 劉秉樺`

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## Book Information

### Introduction
Title：Still Alice
Author：Lisa Genova
>Lisa Genova (born November 22, 1970) is an American neuroscientist and author. She graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa from Bates College with a Bachelor of Science degree in biopsychology. In 1998, she received a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. Genova taught neuroanatomy at Harvard Medical School in the fall of 1996.She self-published her debut novel, “Still Alice”, in 2007. The novel became a bestseller and was later adapted into a film of the same name.

Genre：Psychology, Medical and Contemporary fiction
Publisher：iUniverse, Pocket Books
First Published：July 6, 2007

### Main characters
* **Alice Howland**
The story’s protagonist. At 50 years old, Alice has achieved tenure at Harvard University, made huge contributions to the field of psycholinguistics, traveled all over the world, and is looking forward to taking another sabbatical in the near future. Alice is married to John, another Harvard professor, and they have three children together.
* **John Howland**
Alice’s husband. John is also a tenured professor at Harvard, but he studies biology and spends many more hours working in a lab than Alice does in her office. Because of this and Alice’s hectic speaking schedule, Alice and John have grown pretty distant and don’t see very much of each other.
* **Lydia Howland**
Alice and John’s youngest child. Unlike her siblings Anna and Tom, Lydia does not immediately go to college after high school, instead opting for a gap year in Europe before moving to LA to pursue acting. Because of this, Alice and Lydia struggle to get along and frequently argue over Lydia’s future. After Alice is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is revealed that Lydia was the only one who had noticed the changes in Alice’s behavior over the past year, including forgetting words and repeating herself frequently, which highlights how insightful and observant Lydia is.
* **Anna Howland**
Alice and John’s oldest child; Lydia and Tom’s sister. Anna is a successful lawyer, has recently married a man named Charlie, and is actively trying to conceive their first child.
* **Tom Howland**
Alice and John’s second child and only son; Lydia and Anna’s brother. Tom is a third-year student at Harvard Medical School and is specifically studying cardiothoracic surgery. Tom and John are very close because both study biology and share a number of common interests.
* **Dan Maloney**
A linguistics doctoral student who Alice is advising as he finishes his dissertation research. Alice and Dan are close friends in addition to their student-teacher relationship, and she insists on staying on as his advisor even after her worsening Alzheimer’s symptoms force her to step down from teaching and speaking engagements.

### Plot summary

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.

### Parise for still alice
“HEARTBREAKINGLY REAL…. SO REAL, IN FACT, THAT IT KEPT ME FROM SLEEPING FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN…. STILL ALICE IS A STORY THAT MUST BE TOLD.”
—BrunoniaBarry, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE LACE READER

“AFTER I READ STILL ALICE, I WANTED TO STAND UP AND TELL A TRAIN FULL OF STRANGERS, ‘YOU HAVE TO GET THIS BOOK.”
—Beverly Beckham, THE BOSTON GLOBE

“MOVING AND HAUNTING, WITH A KNOCKOUT ENDING, STILL ALICE TURNS THE UNTHINKABLE INTO ART.”
—Caroline Leavitt, Dame Magazine

“READS LIKE A GRIPPING MEMOIR OF A WOMAN IN HER PRIME WATCHING THELIFE SHE ONCE KNEW FADE AWAY….A POIGNANT PORTRAIT OF ALZHEIMER’S, STILL ALICE IS NOT A
BOOK YOU WILL FORGET.”
—Craig Wilson, USA TODAY

### Reader's comment
:girl: Betty Taylor
:star::star::star::star::star:
>**Tragic but Realistic.**
This book is an amazing look at the life of a highly intelligent college professor who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. It was so tragic reading of the impact on her life, how others change they way they treat her, and how her husband and children deal with it. She also wrote "Inside the O'Briens" which takes the same approach with Huntington's Disease. I loved it too.

:girl: Marian Shapiro
:star::star::star::star::star:
>**Enlightening and Educational.**
This is a heart wrenching and heart warming story that takes us through the devastating diagnosis that Alice comes face to face with. It also lets us know how this affects all the other family members and how they find the strength to be supportive and loving of their wife and mom, while she becomes less cognitively present and aware of them. With Alzheimer's disease affecting so many families, this book has the potential to educate and sensitize future patients and caretakers. Thank you Lisa Genoa for this very realistic and helpful introduction to something which can affect any of us. It is always good to be prepared even as we hope we will never be in Alice's shoes.

:boy: Robin Irwin
:star::star::star::star:
>**A moving read with unrealistic ending**
I am familiar with the condition, watching my MiL from early stages till death. While I felt Ms Genova explored many of the dynamics of the disease and the family and their reactions, I felt in ending the book when she did, she wimped out on the full reality of the condition. The sad fact of the eventual disappearance of the person until they are a mute, bedridden shadow of their former self means the reader is not taken on the full journey. While such an ending is sad it could have been alluded to in an epilogue. I found the epilogue in this book was not really an epilogue at all.

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Genova
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/still-alice/characters
https://bookshop.org/p/books/still-alice-lisa-genova/586308?ean=9781439102817&ref=&source=IndieBound&title=
https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/index.cfm/book_number/2242/page/2/order/bw/still-alice#reader_reviews
:::

## Reflection

### My reflection on "Still Alice"

"Still Alice" is the first full-length English novel I have completed. Normally, I rarely read lengthy English texts, so the first few months of the book were a bit challenging for me. Some words required dictionary checks to fully grasp their meanings, but fortunately, the vocabulary used in the book repeated enough that I became more comfortable as I progressed. I found myself often immersed in the plot, reading two or three chapters in one sitting.

Compared to the Chinese novels I've read before, "Still Alice" doesn't have a large cast of characters, but each character is meticulously and deeply portrayed. Through the unfolding events and dialogues month by month, I gradually got to know Alice, John, Lydia, and others. The book exceeded my initial expectations after reading the prologue, drawing me in with its strong sense of immersion.

Initially, I formed subjective opinions about the characters, categorizing them as either good or bad. However, upon completing the book, I found that each character embodies a unique form of gentleness. Alice’s gentleness lies in her desire to shield her children from the unknown. She encourages Lydia to attend college, hoping she will experience the same personal growth Alice cherished. When diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Alice’s first concern is the potential genetic risk to her children, rather than her own well-being. On the other hand, John, whom I initially disliked due to his apparent lack of empathy, revealed himself to be a deeply tragic character. He hid Alice’s suicide plan from their children and stayed by her side as she gradually forgot him. Though John may struggle to express himself, his actions convey a profound care for Alice.

As the story unfolds, Alice’s relationships suffer due to her early-onset Alzheimer’s. In her early 50s and a psychology professor at Harvard, she understands all too well the workings of the brain and the impacts of her disease. The novel captures her journey from discovering her diagnosis, informing her family and colleagues, to adjusting her daily life accordingly.

One of the most significant changes for Alice is leaving her profession after over 20 years of teaching at Harvard. She can no longer lecture effectively, sometimes forgetting which class she is in or even asking students about the syllabus. The evolving dynamics between Alice and her family are both touching and inspiring. Initially, her family struggles to accept her diagnosis, unable to cope with the reality and failing to provide the support Alice needs. However, through conflict and communication, they learn empathy and choose to help her navigate her anguish. The novel teaches that supporting an Alzheimer’s patient emotionally is crucial, and forcing them to remember only causes confusion and frustration.

A particularly impactful moment in the book is Alice’s speech at the Dementia Care Conference. Though short, it is heartfelt and encapsulates her struggles. Her brain no longer functions well, stripping her of her identity as a renowned Harvard professor. Her pride and fame fade, and she faces the prospect of forgetting her memories and loved ones. What moved me most was when Alice said, “My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment.” Despite the lack of a happy ending, the story is not a tragedy. Alice endures tremendous pain but learns to live in the moment. We all face death eventually, but that does not render our lives meaningless. Alice will be remembered as a formidable woman, a wise and intelligent psycholinguistics professor, and a loving mother.

I really love "Still Alice". This novel teaches invaluable lessons about love, empathy, and understanding Alzheimer's disease from various perspectives. It offers a profound exploration of the human emotion and resilience, presenting a narrative that feels close to reality.

## Chapter summaries and discussions

### December 2003
Alice attends the annual psychology department party with John at Eric Wellman's home. Despite her efforts, she struggles to connect with the other women present, underscoring their differing personalities. Alice fails to recognize Beth, Dan's wife, whom she had previously met.

> No one spoke. Eric's gaze bounced from John's eyes to Alice's wineglass and back to John, carrying a silent secret. Alice wasn't in on it.

Everyone present was a little surprised that Alice could not recognize Beth. Eric observed to see if Alice was drunk. At that moment, Alice was unaware that her memory was failing her.

Alice visits Dr. Davis at Massachusetts General Hospital for tests and questioning, revealing gradual discoveries about issues with Alice's memory, though further tests are necessary.

While looking through photo albums with John, Alice convinces herself her memory is better than his, but a picture of Lydia prompts a disagreement about their daughter's acting class. Attempting to improve her memory, Alice memorizes words for testing but becomes anxious.

In this chapter, the challenges in Alice's memory function are gradually unveiled, prompting Alice to recognize her recent peculiar behavior and laying the groundwork for future developments.

### January 2004

In this chapter, Alice faces profound emotional upheaval. On the nineteenth, the anniversary of her mother and sister's deaths, she receives the devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease. This news, compounded by the superstitions surrounding the date, deeply affects her. Alice visit to her father's grave with John stirs up resentment towards him for passing on the genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's. Despite these challenges, Alice eventually discloses her diagnosis to John, who initially struggles to come to terms with it.

The narrative unfolds as Alice grapples with heightened anxiety and confusion due to her progressing symptoms. She confronts the reality of her deteriorating cognitive abilities and seeks confirmation from neurologists, further cementing the diagnosis.

> I'm not okay, John. I have Alzheimer's disease.
> She almost thought she'd said the words aloud, but she hadn't

This pivotal moment marks the beginning of Alice's journey navigating the emotional impact on herself, her family, and her relationships.

### November 2004

In this chapter, we observe Alice's Alzheimer's disease progressing significantly. She couldn't follow the thread of the plot anymore and even experienced hallucinations, mistaking the carpet at the front door for a larger hole.

> If John and Anna watched with her, they would many times roar with laughter or jump with alarm or ceinge with disgust, reacting in an obvious, visceral way to something that happened, and she wouldn't understand why. She would join in, faking it tryping to protect them from how lost she was.

From the sentences above, it is evident that Alice is still trying to hide the extent of her cognitive decline. My perspective is that, in addition to fearing that her family would worry about her, Alice also struggles to accept the reality that she is an Alzheimer's patient.

Although Alice was aware that her symptoms were becoming more pronounced, she found it difficult to adapt.Anna told Alice that she should write down their conversation on the whiteboard on the refrigerator to prevent forgetting it. Additionally, John wrote "Do not go running without me" on the whiteboard, which deeply hurt Alice's pride. Everything that happened served as a reminder to her that she was a patient, someone who needed to be cared for.

Startled, Alice observed Anna standing on what she had earlier perceived as a "large hole." She crouched down and touched the “hole” with her hands. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a black rug, a familiar fixture in her home that had been there for years. Alice had always wanted to prove that she didn't need care and that her condition wouldn't affect her daily life. However, the stark reality was now laid bare before Alice and Anna. The overwhelming sense of humiliation washed over Alice, making her lose control of her emotions, and in a fit of anger, she threw the rug.

In this chapter, we witness Alice's inner struggle. The rapid worsening of her Alzheimer's disease makes Alice realize that she is no longer the articulate and intelligent person she once was.
### December 2004
In December, Alice struggles with reading Dan's thesis and is interrupted by an email from Denise, who has connected her with other young patients with early-onset dementia. Alice invites them to her house, excited yet anxious about the meeting. After the meeting, sharing experiences makes Alice feel genuinely understood.

During Christmas, John announces a job offer in New York City, sparking a family debate about Alice's care. John believes he can manage, but Anna and Tom argue that moving will hasten Alice's decline. Lydia offers potential help if she attends college nearby. As the family discusses John's job without involving her, Alice realizes John is willing to sacrifice their time together for his career, a painful realization for her.

> December
> Harvard Square
> Harvard
> April
> Three
>
Alice get the wrong answer in daily quiz, but she didn't know.

## Glossary

### Vocabulary

1. **frantic** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
狂亂的
Extremely worried, panicked, or rushed.
- **Sentence**:
She was frantic with worry when her child didn't come home.
She followed his frantic glance to the fireplace mantel. [p.4]
2. **tenure** (n.)
- **Definition**:
任期；終身職位
The period of time when someone holds a job, especially a permanent one.
- **Sentence**:
During his tenure as president, the university saw significant growth.
It’s for one of our developmental psychologists, he was tenured yesterday. [p.7]

3. **rejuvenate** (v.)
- **Definition**:
使恢復活力；使年輕
To make someone or something look or feel younger, fresher, or more lively.
- **Sentence**:
The spa treatment rejuvenated her, making her feel like a new person.
Her head cleared, her body relaxed and rejuvenated, she began walking home. [p.24]

5. **enchilada** (n.)
- **Definition**:
墨西哥辣味玉米捲
A Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili sauce.
- **Sentence**:
She ordered a beef enchilada at the Mexican restaurant.
Yah, those enchiladas were huge. [p.27]

4. **psych** (v.)
- **Definition**:
精神準備；使心理緊張
To prepare oneself or another mentally for a task or challenge.
- **Sentence**:
He psyched himself up before the big game.
Okay, I’m psyched, this looks good. [p.29]

1. **estrogen** (n.)
- **Definition**:
雌激素
A group of hormones that play an essential role in the growth and development of female sexual characteristics and reproduction.
- **Sentence:**
Estrogen levels in the body decrease during menopause, leading to various symptoms.
We don't put women on estrogen replacement anymore, unless they're having sleep disturbance, really awful hot flashes, or they're already osteoporosis. [p.41]

1. **osteoporotic** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
骨質疏鬆的
Relating to or affected by osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones and an increased risk of fractures.
- **Sentence**:
She was diagnosed with osteoporotic fractures after experiencing severe back pain.
We don't put women on estrogen replacement anymore, unless they're having sleep disturbance, really awful hot flashes, or they're already osteoporosis. [p.41]

1. **menopause** (n.)
- **Definition**:
更年期
The time in a woman's life, typically between the ages of 45 and 55, when her menstrual periods stop permanently, and she is no longer able to conceive children.
- **Sentence**:
She experienced various symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings during menopause.
I don't think your memory problems are due to menopause. [p.41]

1. **tumor** (n.)
- **Definition**:
腫瘤
An abnormal mass of tissue that results from the excessive and uncontrolled growth of cells.
- **Sentence**:
The doctor found a small tumor during the routine check-up and recommended further tests to determine if it was cancerous.
And Alice didn't share her tumo theory. [p.43]

6. **saccade** (n.)
- **Definition**:
快速眼動
A rapid movement of the eye between fixation points.
- **Sentence**:
Saccades are crucial for activities such as reading.
She meant to ask John what that awkward saccade was about. [p.54]

1. **cirrhosis** (n.)
- **Definition**:
肝硬化
A chronic disease of the liver marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fibrous thickening of tissue, typically as a result of alcoholism or hepatitis.
- **Sentence**:
After years of heavy drinking, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, which severely affected his liver function.
“Cirrhosis. He was an alcoholic.” [p.56]

7. **monochromatic** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
單色的；單一波長的
Consisting of one color or wavelength.
- **Sentence**:
The artist's monochromatic painting was striking in its simplicity.
desperate to replace the frigid, monochromatic tedium of winter with the milder pinks and yellow-greens of spring. [p.56]

9. **tambourine** (n.)
- **Definition**:
鈴鼓
A percussion instrument consisting of a circular frame with small metal discs around the edge.
- **Sentence**:
She played the tambourine to add rhythm to the song.
Tambourine, Serpent... [p.64]

1. **massacre** (n.)
- **Definition**:
大屠殺
The indiscriminate and brutal killing of many people, often civilians, by military personnel or armed forces.
- **Sentence**:
The village was left in shock and mourning after the brutal massacre of innocent villagers by the invading army.
The massacre had not been confined to the sink. [p.66]

1. **proctor** (n.)
- **Definition**:
監考人
A person who supervises students during an examination.
- **Sentence**:
The proctor walked around the room to ensure that no one was cheating during the exam.
With some reluctance, she arranged for a teaching fellow to proctor the exam.[p. 67]

1. **superstitious** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
迷信的
Believing in supernatural influences or irrational fears of the unknown.
- **Sentence**:
She was so superstitious that she always carried a lucky charm with her before important events.
She didn't consider herself superstitious like John, but she'd never received good news on that day. [p.67]

1. **cardiovascular** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
心血管的
Relating to the heart and blood vessels.
- **Sentence**:
Regular exercise can help improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
You don't show any clear risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but anything that's good for the heart is going to be good for the brain... [p.71]

1. **synapse** (n.)
- **Definition**:
突觸
The junction between two nerve cells, where impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
- **Sentence**:
The efficiency of synapse function is crucial for effective communication between neurons in the brain.
we want to preserve every neuron and synapse we can. [p.71]

1. **skeptical** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
懷疑的；持懷疑態度的
Showing doubt or disbelief; questioning the validity or truth of something.
- **Sentence**:
She was skeptical of the new diet fad, preferring to rely on proven methods for weight loss.
Humiliating, but her analytical mind became instantly skeptical of the actual releyance of this list to her individual outcome. [p.73]

8. **arboretum** (n.)
- **Definition**:
植物園；樹木園
A place where many different trees and shrubs are grown for study or display.
- **Sentence**:
We visited the arboretum to learn about different tree species.
A world renowned arboretum and horticultural. [p.75]

1. **orthopedic** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
骨科的
Relating to the branch of medicine dealing with the correction of deformities of bones or muscles.
- **Sentence**:
She visited an orthopedic surgeon to treat her knee injury.
If you'd gone to see an orthopedic surgeon, he would've seen a torn ligament or worn cartilage, and he would've wanted to cut you open. [p.86]

10. **condescension** (n.)
- **Definition**:
高傲態度；屈尊
An attitude of patronizing superiority; disdain.
- **Sentence**:
His condescension made everyone feel uncomfortable.
If her mental prowess became increasingly replaced with mental illness, what would replace that great respect? Pity? Condescension? Embarrassment? [p.96]

13. **migraine** (n.)
- **Definition**:
偏頭痛
A severe, recurring headache, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light.
- **Sentence**:
She had to lie down in a dark room to ease her migraine.
Except my migraines are gone. [p.102]

14. **sabbatical** (n.)
- **Definition**:
休假；學術休假
A period of paid leave granted to a university teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year.
- **Sentence**:
He took a sabbatical to write his book.
She wants one more sabbatical year with John. [p.118]

11. **sternum** (n.)
- **Definition**:
胸骨
The breastbone, a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest.
- **Sentence**:
The sternum protects the heart and lungs.
Alice placed her fingers on the top of her sternum and rubbed the blue paste stones on the wings of her mother’s art nouveau butterfly necklace. [p.128]

15. **placebo** (n.)
- **Definition**:
安慰劑
A substance with no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs.
- **Sentence**:
The control group received a placebo during the trial.
‘’I assume it’s placebo-controlled?’’ asked John. [p.139]

12. **scrutinize** (v.)
- **Definition**:
細查；仔細檢查
To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
- **Sentence**:
The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for any flaws.
There it was, her Alzheimer’s, stripped and naked under the fluorescent lighting, on display for Sarah Something to scrutinize and judge. [p.149]

1. **scandalous** (adj.)
- **Definition**:
醜聞的；令人震驚的
Causing general public outrage by a perceived offense against morality or law.
- **Sentence**:
The celebrity's scandalous behavior was all over the news, shocking many of her fans.
She could already hear the uproar, the scandalous sound bites on the evening news. [p.182]

1. **succumb** (v.)
- **Definition**:
屈服；不敵
To yield to superior strength or force or overpowering desire; to give in or give up.
- **Sentence**:
Despite his best efforts to fight the illness, he eventually succumbed to cancer.
But every day, she felt so exhausted by late afternoon that she always succumbed to a rest on the couch. [p.192]

1. **hallucinations** (n.)
- **Definition**:
幻覺
An experience involving the apparent perception of something not present.
- **Sentence**:
She began to suffer from hallucinations, seeing things that weren't really there.
Auditory and visual hallucinations were realities for about half of people with Alzheimer's disease, but so far she hadn't experienced any. [p.216]

1. **polish** (n.)
- **Definition**:
指甲油
A cosmetic product applied to fingernails or toenails to color them or make them shiny.
- **Sentence**:
She chose a bright red polish for her nails to match her outfit.
the red polish on her own toenails. [p.228]

16. **commiserate** (v.)
- **Definition**:
同情；憐憫
To express or feel sympathy or pity.
- **Sentence**:
She went over to commiserate with her friend after hearing the bad news.
Caregivers posted questions and answers, commiserating about and troubleshooting issues regarding their eightyone-year-old mothers, their seventy-four-year-old husbands, and their eighty-five-year-old grandmothers with Alzheimer’s disease. [p.241]

17. **sludge** (n.)
- **Definition**:
污泥；泥濘
Thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous mixture of liquid and solid components.
- **Sentence**:
The factory was fined for dumping toxic sludge into the river.
But her thoughts from idea to mouth moved too slowly today, as if they had to swim miles through black river sludge before surfacing to be heard, and most of them drowned somewhere along the way. [p.261]

### Idiomatic Expression

1. **hand-me-down**
- **Definition**:
put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another.
- **Sentence**:
My older sister's hand-me-downs filled my closet when I was growing up.
The furnishings, most likely yard sale finds and parent hand-me-downs, looked rather hip together. [p.15]

2. **double-parked**
- **Definition**:
to park (a vehicle) beside a row of vehicles already parked parallel to the curb.
- **Sentence**:
The street was full of double-parked cars, making it difficult to navigate.
It was crowded and ripe with anticipation at that time of day on a Saturday, with crowds forming and milling around on street corners waiting for walk signals, outside restaurants waiting for tables, in movie theater lines waiting for tickets, and in double-parked cars waiting for an unlikely opening in a metered space. [p.23]

3. **take off**
- **Definition**:
to suddenly start to be successful or popular.
- **Sentence**:
The business really started to take off after they launched their new product.
After several false starts, Dan's thesis research had finally taken off, and he was experiencing an intoxication that Alice fondly recognized and hoped would develop into a sustainable passion. [p.31]

5. **go about**
- **Definition**:
to begin to do something.
- **Sentence**:
We’d like to help but we’re not sure what’s the best way to go about it.
Alice went about the business of readying for Christmas Eve dinner. [p.63]

5. **tease out**
- **Definition**:
to carefully separate or extract something from a complex whole, often by careful examination or analysis. It involves identifying and drawing out specific details, meanings, or implications that are not immediately obvious.
- **Sentence**:
The detective was able to tease out the truth from the witness's contradictory statements.
They were designed to tease out any subtle weakness in the integrity of language fluency, recent memory, and reasoning process. [p.68]

1. **Knock the wind out of sb.**

- **Definition**:
To shock or stun someone, usually emotionally or physically, so that they lose their breath or composure momentarily.
- **Example**:
The news of her sudden resignation knocked the wind out of the entire team; they never expected her to leave so suddenly.
The words knocked the wind out of her. [p.70]

5. **jump the gun**
- **Definition**:
is an idiom that means to start something too soon, before it is appropriate or before preparations are complete.
- **Sentence**:
They jumped the gun by announcing the new product before securing funding for its production.
Look, I think you jumped the gun going to see a neurologist. [p.86]

6. **cobble sth together**
- **Definition**:
to quickly and roughly put something together.
- **Sentence**:
They cobbled together a meal from what was left in the fridge.
They couldn’t cobble together a definitive, long-term plan. [p.101]

1. **Make a beeline for**
- Definition:
To go quickly and directly towards something or someone.
- Example:
As soon as the bell rang, the students made a beeline for the cafeteria for lunch.
He made a beeline for the dining room, likely worried that he'd missed out on the food, then returned to the living room with a grin on his face and a plate heaping with some of everything. [p.103]

4. **swallow one's panic**
- **Definition**:
to suppress or control one's feelings of panic or anxiety, especially in stressful or dangerous situations, in order to remain calm and composed.
- **Sentence**:
She had to swallow her panic and focus on the task at hand.
She swallowed her panic, and it lodged, heavy and hulking, right above her diaphragm, making it uncomfortable to breathe. [p.129]

1. **Fraught with**
- Definition:
Filled with (something undesirable).
- Example:
The negotiations were fraught with difficulties from the beginning.
She'd come to recognize the difference between days that would be fraught with difficulties finding memories and words and bathrooms and days that her Alzheimer's would lie silent and not interfere. [p.154]

1. **Storm off**
- Definition:
To leave a place suddenly and angrily.
- Example:
After the argument with her sister, Sarah stormed off and slammed the door behind her.
Lydia shoved her chair back and stormed off, leaving Alice alone at the table, stunned and queasy. [p.168]

7. **be out of your league**
- **Definition**:
someone or something is too good or expensive for you to have.
- **Sentence**:
She knew he was out of her league, but she couldn't help falling for him.
Anyway, I didn’t know if I’d be totally out of my league, but the training I’ve been piecing together and the work I’ve been getting has really given me the right tools. [p.182]

1. **Squirrel away**
- Definition:
To hide or store something secretly, especially money or items.
- Example:
She squirreled away a portion of her earnings each month for a rainy day.
How can you even consider spending the time we have left squirrelled away in your fucking lab? [p.235]

4. **thumb through**
- **Definition**:
to turn the pages of a book, magazine, or a document quickly and only read small parts of it.
- **Sentence**:
He thumbed through the magazine, looking for any interesting articles.
She picked up an even thicker book than the one the man was reading from the coffee table and thumbed through it. [p.278]

## Memorable Quotes

- **AUGUST 2004, p.175**
> The well-being of a neuron depends on its ability to communicate with other neurons. Studies have shown that electrical and chemical stimulation from both a neuron's inputs and its targets support vital celular processes. Neurons unable to connect effectively with other neurons atrophy. Useless, an abandoned neuron will die.

很喜歡這段說明神經元健康程度的描述，雖然很像是學術的討論，但卻暗喻著Alice的處境，罹患阿茲海默症後，Alice開始感受到自己不在屬於過往自己熟悉的環境，在哈佛、在聚會上常常覺得格格不入。Alice與生活周遭的關係就像神經元開始變得不健康一樣，慢慢喪失與之連結溝通的能力。

- **NOVEMBER 2004, p.205**
> She could only stomach watching the Alice Howland video once. She used to be so eloquent, so comfortable talking in front of any audience. Now, she overused the word 'thingy' and repeated herself an embarrassing number of times.

Alice觀看Lydia拍攝的DVDs，通過過去與現在的對比，認知到自己不再是曾經那位才華洋溢的Alice，讓我深深的感受到Alice在面對疾病的無助以及失望。

- **DECEMBER 2004, p.221**
> There they were. And they were coming.

可以感受到Alice的興奮，迫切地想要找尋與自身有相同遭遇和感受的人，可見Alice內心的孤獨。

- **DECEMBER 2004, p.221**
> She didn't know how much longer she could hang on to herself, but she'd convinced herself that she could make it through their sabbatical year. One last sabbatical year together. She wouldn't trade that in for anything.

我想此時的Alice一定很憤怒和不解，她已經知道自己的時間不多了，這可能是Alice保有自己的最後一年，希望至少在最後的時間與John一起度過，但John卻沒有回應她的期待。

## Culture Notes

### **1. Waltham clock**

<figure class="half">
<img src="https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SyKyrQML0.png" width="260">
<img src="https://hackmd.io/_uploads/S1K7WNMUR.png" width="300">
</figure>

The Waltham Watch Company was founded in 1850 in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was one of the first companies to mass-produce watches using interchangeable parts, a pioneering approach that significantly influenced the watchmaking industry. Known for their precision, reliability, and craftsmanship, Waltham clocks and watches included a wide range of timepieces, such as pocket watches, wristwatches, wall clocks, and mantel clocks.

The Waltham Watch Company played a significant role in the development of the American watchmaking industry. Although the company eventually ceased operations in the mid-20th century, Waltham clocks and watches remain highly collectible and are prized for their historical significance and craftsmanship.

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltham_Watch_Company
https://www.auctionohio.com/lots/eff9fac2-2ce3-11e7-b928-a7899d2aa1c7
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155149766168
:::

### **2. William James Hall**


William James Hall is a 15-story building on the campus of Harvard University, designed by Minoru Yamasaki in 1963. Named in honor of William James, who was instrumental in establishing the Harvard Psychology department, the building houses the Psychology, Sociology, and Social Studies departments.
:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James_Hall_%28Harvard_University%29
:::

### **3. Ben & Jerry's**


Ben & Jerry's is an American company famous for its ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. Founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Burlington, Vermont, it is known for unique flavors like Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey. The company is committed to social activism, supporting environmental sustainability, fair trade, and social justice. Acquired by Unilever in 2000, Ben & Jerry's maintains its distinct brand and social mission. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation, established in 1985, funds grassroots organizations promoting social change. The brand is celebrated for its quality products, quirky branding, and strong social stance.
:::info
**Reference：**
https://www.benjerry.com/
:::

### **4. Moby-Dick**


Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg on the ship's previous voyage. A contribution to the literature of the American Renaissance, Moby-Dick was published to mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891. Its reputation as a Great American Novel was established only in the 20th century, after the 1919 centennial of its author's birth. William Faulkner said he wished he had written the book himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world" and "the greatest book of the sea ever written".Its opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael", is among world literature's most famous.
:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick
:::

### **5. Brillo Pad**


Brillo is a trade name for a scouring pad, used for cleaning dishes, and made from steel wool impregnated with soap. The concept was patented in 1913, at a time when aluminium pots and pans were replacing cast iron in the kitchen; the new cookware blackened easily. The company's website states the name Brillo is from the Latin word for "bright", although no such word exists in Latin. In Spanish the word brillo means the noun "shine"; however, German, Italian, French, and English do have words for "shine" or "bright" beginning with brill- deriving from Latin words for beryl.
:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brillo_Pad
:::

### **6. Beanbag Toss**

Beanbag Toss is a lawn game popular in North America in which players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at an inclined board with a hole in its far end. The goal of the game is to score points by either landing a bag on the board (one point) or putting a bag through the hole (three points).

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhole
:::

### **7. Broadway**

Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world.

While the Broadway thoroughfare is eponymous with the district, it is closely identified with Times Square. Only three theaters are located on Broadway itself: Broadway Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Winter Garden Theatre. The rest are located on the numbered cross streets, extending from the Nederlander Theatre one block south of Times Square on West 41st Street, north along either side of Broadway to 53rd Street, and Vivian Beaumont Theater, at Lincoln Center on West 65th Street. While exceptions exist, the term "Broadway theatre" is used predominantly to describe venues with seating capacities of at least 500 people. Smaller theaters in New York City are referred to as off-Broadway, regardless of location, while very small venues with fewer than 100 seats are called off-off-Broadway, a term that can also apply to non-commercial, avant-garde, or productions held outside of traditional theater venues.

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_theatre
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Broadway-street-and-district-New-York-City
:::

### **8. Edna Pontellier**

Edna Pontellier is a fictional character and the protagonist of Kate Chopin's novel "The Awakening," published in 1899. She is depicted as a complex woman who, through a series of transformative experiences, begins to question and challenge societal norms and expectations placed upon women in the late 19th century. Edna starts to explore her own desires and independence, particularly in the context of her roles as a wife and mother within the conservative Creole society of Louisiana. Her journey of self-discovery leads her to make bold choices that ultimately have profound consequences for her own life and the lives of those around her. Edna Pontellier is often regarded as a symbol of feminist awakening and rebellion against societal constraints.

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Awakening_(Chopin_novel)
https://www.lifeposts.com/p/milestone/66231/edna-pontellier-memorial/overview/
:::

### **9. Virginia Woolf**

Adeline Virginia Woolf (25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941) was an English writer. She is considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors. She pioneered the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

Woolf was born into an affluent household in South Kensington, London. She was the seventh child of Julia Prinsep Jackson and Leslie Stephen in a blended family of eight that included the modernist painter Vanessa Bell. She was home-schooled in English classics and Victorian literature from a young age. From 1897 to 1901, she attended the Ladies' Department of King's College London. There, she studied classics and history, coming into contact with early reformers of women's higher education and the women's rights movement.She is also known for her essays, such as A Room of One's Own (1929).

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf
:::

### **10. Casablanca**

Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. Filmed and set during World War II, it focuses on an American expatriate who must choose between his love for a woman and helping her husband, a Czechoslovak resistance leader, escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Germans. The screenplay is based on Everybody Comes to Rick's, an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The supporting cast features Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson.

:::info
**Reference：**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film)
:::

## Others

https://hackmd.io/@xangus/SyM7FxMU0