Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Lezioni di chimica by Bonnie Garmus

233 reviews

iaregrate's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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kjpollard71's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad

4.0

I'm torn on this review. I thought the writing was excellent, and the story compelling. HOWEVER, I am tired of books that make all religious people out to be hateful, bigoted nut jobs/criminals (the parents, the Bishop, Catholic home for unwed mothers), and those who stay in the church do so b/c they don't know what else to do (Wakely). They then proceed to pander/apologize to the "smart" people in their life and apologize for or deny any spiritual element in their lives. The only rational decent people are atheists/agnostics (Elizabeth and Calvin), or are decent in spite of their faith, which is shown only to oppress them (Harriet). I do not deny that many terrible things are done in the name of organized religion, but as a person of faith, I reject the notion that science and faith are mutually exclusive. You can be a Christian and have a moral compass, strong convictions AND compassion and mercy. You can speak the truth in love and help others with out looking down one's nose. 
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flower_mail's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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rainynook's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So good! No wonder this book is so popular. A page-turner. There are some serious themes, but overall the book is quirky, fun and clever.  The characters are each unique and carefully-crafted. Well done!  
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charmoffinches's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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campredwood's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

It’s hard to put this one in a box- there’s a little of everything for everyone. 
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genderqueer_hiker's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I nearly DNF'd at 25%. I could not read this as historical fiction or anything rooted in reality. I was able to finish this and not hate it by placing it into more of a magical realism/fanfic/AU reality. There are no people of color; the villains are hugely dramatic, overplayed, and relatively stupid. It's highly predictable. 

It features a very stereotypical autistic-coded woman who never understands humor, sarcasm, or social dynamics. We bury our one gay character without ever even meeting him, and he's only ever used to spur on our main character’s meandering arc. There is a detailed rape in the first ~5% of the book. The author's invasive exposition gives me the impression she thinks we're stupid and irritated me to no end. I was painfully aware that this story is a direct product of its author. The dog is the best part. 
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rachel2151's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

genuinely memorable story with complex characters. elizabeth zott is who i want to be when i grow up. this book gave a real look into the struggles that women faced in the 1950’s & shows how hard they had to work just to even exist in a workplace. i was truly inspired by this book & gave it a rare 5 stars. will definitely be re-reading in the future. 
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reiverse's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Absolutely loved this book!
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lux_izq's review against another edition

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funny inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book! It was easy to read and Elizabeth’s comebacks to misogynistic men were hilarious!
I loved the thought processes involved, the description of science, and the empowerment of women that came with the book!
Women in STEM exist, and there are still biases in the field, as there are in sports.
The book flowed really well, and it was easy to follow conversations and the narrative at the same time.
Highly recommend!
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