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booksawyer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Misogyny
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, and Body shaming
mjeanette_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, and Medical trauma
daumari's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.5, but I'm actually going to round down on this one. I liked it, but I'd also say Six-Thirty the dog is maybe the most likeable character (followed by Madeline though I can see how her precociousness could be off-putting).
At times, I almost felt like I was reading satire of the era with all of the blatant sexism Elizabeth faced because it read cartoonishly over-the-top to me, though I do think that's part of fiction, to exaggerate experiences. Also maybe of-the-period but took me out a bit: this is southern California; where are the Latin@s and Asian folks?? (I know, white folks tend to hang out with their own but we do flip through povs of women watching Supper at Six- maybe some of those families were brown, who knows).
But, I do like Elizabeth's abrasiveness and insistence on things being correct and meritocratic (even if societal structure is not). She strikes me as a little neurodivergent and I'm not sure if that's intentional (Bonnie Garmus's goodreads question replies indicate she was aiming more for classical stoicism). I think part of why this book is so popular is because the message of being taken seriously resonates with a lot of women even today. We STILL see thinkpieces about the value of domestic labor (though I think there's a wider recognition that childcare and rearing are fulltime jobs- see Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change). When Elizabeth's spiraling in the newborn haze, Harriet reassures her that nothing is wrong and that also rung true.
Calvin's origins did remind me of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade, and I felt like this aspect could've been baked a little bit longer as it abruptly was revealed in the end.
At times, I almost felt like I was reading satire of the era with all of the blatant sexism Elizabeth faced because it read cartoonishly over-the-top to me, though I do think that's part of fiction, to exaggerate experiences. Also maybe of-the-period but took me out a bit: this is southern California; where are the Latin@s and Asian folks?? (I know, white folks tend to hang out with their own but we do flip through povs of women watching Supper at Six- maybe some of those families were brown, who knows).
But, I do like Elizabeth's abrasiveness and insistence on things being correct and meritocratic (even if societal structure is not). She strikes me as a little neurodivergent and I'm not sure if that's intentional (Bonnie Garmus's goodreads question replies indicate she was aiming more for classical stoicism). I think part of why this book is so popular is because the message of being taken seriously resonates with a lot of women even today. We STILL see thinkpieces about the value of domestic labor (though I think there's a wider recognition that childcare and rearing are fulltime jobs- see Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change). When Elizabeth's spiraling in the newborn haze, Harriet reassures her that nothing is wrong and that also rung true.
Calvin's origins did remind me of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade, and I felt like this aspect could've been baked a little bit longer as it abruptly was revealed in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicide, and Pedophilia
sfdogmom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Death, and Vomit
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Stalking, Suicide, Death of parent, and Bullying
louisehall's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I would first like to say I would DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone who is even mildly interested! I picked this back up after a slump and made my way through most of it in a few days because of how fun the novel is. It's written incredibly well written and Garmus is masterful with her comedic timing, I found myself laughing a lot!
I have one personal dislike, and I feel like this might be an unpopular opinion, but I did not love Elizabeth Zott. There were times I did, and I was always rooting for her throughout the novel - she deserved it after all she'd been through! - but there were times I found her love of science too gimmicky I suppose. Maybe its because I read this part the same day I write this, but I'm thinking of how she started talking about the Babylonians when that reporter just asked why her dog was called Six-Thirty. I understand maybe not wanting to explain the personal meaning behind it but there was also no need to be a patronising smart ass 😭 Moments like those were few and far between for me though, and as my rating shows I thoroughly enjoyed this book and LOVED the inspiring message it conveyed. I also loved the character development of Miss Frisk - we've all known a woman like her and it was refreshing to see her grow!
Overall, I'd highly recommend!!
I have one personal dislike, and I feel like this might be an unpopular opinion, but I did not love Elizabeth Zott. There were times I did, and I was always rooting for her throughout the novel - she deserved it after all she'd been through! - but there were times I found her love of science too gimmicky I suppose. Maybe its because I read this part the same day I write this, but I'm thinking of how she started talking about the Babylonians when that reporter just asked why her dog was called Six-Thirty. I understand maybe not wanting to explain the personal meaning behind it but there was also no need to be a patronising smart ass 😭 Moments like those were few and far between for me though, and as my rating shows I thoroughly enjoyed this book and LOVED the inspiring message it conveyed. I also loved the character development of Miss Frisk - we've all known a woman like her and it was refreshing to see her grow!
Overall, I'd highly recommend!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide and Death
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Car accident, and Grief
irenegafotas's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Death
chrysanthxmum's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Misogyny
Moderate: Eating disorder, Racism, Bullying, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Car accident, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide, Hate crime, and Sexism
rjratliff's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
Content warnings re: 🍇and ☠️ would have been nice. As always, the dog totally steals the show!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Death
pageturnervic's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Vomit, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
From the opening pages I was pulled into the story of Elizabeth Zott. Her story of being a woman in science during the 1960s, her struggles in the workplace, her demise, and ultimate redemption was darkly funny and had such an interesting third-person point of view. We enter the minds of various characters, including the dog, Six-Thirty, but without any sense that anything is magical or fantastical. He’s just sentient and cares for his people and we get to see that. Can you tell I really liked the dog? I also loved Elizabeth’s precocious daughter, Mad. I felt a little nod to Matilda except that Madeline has a wonderful attentive mother. There was a kinship I felt to Reverend Wakely, not in his beliefs and doubts but in his workplace fatigue. Working with people in a ministerial position, even the most wonderful people, can be exhausting! In fact, its a bit of a thankless profession in the same way that being a housewife or mother was in the 1960s and still can be today. I loved the way Elizabeth works through her grief and depression, albeit after a long time ignoring it. The family she creates and the people who consider her their best and only friend point to Elizabeth’s extraordinary ability to see the overlooked and discarded. My enjoyment came down just a tad because I felt the handling of religion and faith was slightly heavy-handed and definitely negative. This didn’t affect my entire view, but I did bring down what might have been a 5-star book for me.
The bottom line: I’m so glad I finally picked this up after numerous recommendations from friends!
— NOTES —
Genres: historical, literary
POV: third-person
Content: sexism, rape, sexual harassment
Romance: discussions about sex, nothing explicit I can remember
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 5
Enjoyment: 4
Craft: 5
Gut: 4.5
Total: 4.625
The bottom line: I’m so glad I finally picked this up after numerous recommendations from friends!
— NOTES —
Genres: historical, literary
POV: third-person
Content: sexism, rape, sexual harassment
Romance: discussions about sex, nothing explicit I can remember
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 5
Enjoyment: 4
Craft: 5
Gut: 4.5
Total: 4.625
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexism