Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Lessons in Chemistry

Flew through that one! Loved seeing Elizabeth and Calvin's relationship grow. Enjoyed the dog's comical POV. Angering amounts of misogyny. Had me crying at multiple points. Really intrigued to see how the Apple TV series of it has turned out.

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spootilious's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Read: July 17th, 2024
Title: Lessons in Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 2/5
Review:

I have been contemplating how to review this for a few hours now. It’s difficult because I really enjoyed reading the book. It made me smile, cringe, and cry; though I think the ‘Laugh out Loud’ reviews are a bit farfetched. In fact, this novel wasn’t just heavy, it hit like a freight train (pun intended).

I suppose my biggest conflict is that I really really like the message of the novel and the focus on social injustices.

The issue then becomes all the things I didn’t like about the novel.

The work was written well enough but Garmus switch so drastically from one injustice to another that I felt as if I were getting whiplash. She moved back and fourth so much that I don’t think any one subject got as much attention as it deserved. The one focused on the most being Women Empowerment but it felt more like anti-men than pro-women… That being said, I am the type of woman that will ALWAYS choose the bear. Still, I think it would be nice to see a feminist store that builds its own ladder rather than using the destroyed men as stepping stones to empowerment… Cuz in the end it means we still need them… even if in a negative way.

I found the dialog to often be condescending as well. Almost as if Garmus was throwing in ever intelligent sound word she could find. It felt forced. People of high intelligence can sound as brilliant as their IQ without sounding like a robot.

The unapologetic and vulgar nature of the atrocities throughout the book is both disturbing and refreshing. I’ve mentioned it in a rare review but I have to admire an author who can simply write a horrific act without defending or explaining it, it makes it hit harder.

That being said… There was a lot… and jumping from it to a ‘funny’ quip or one liner made the whole thing feel off putting…

Overall I really enjoyed the read, just not the way it was written. I would recommend this to individuals who enjoy heavy reads/sad reads, drama, historical fiction that borders on fantasy, or a strong feminist tone.

TBH I loved the show though. Very well done.

QUOTES:
“The librarian is the most important educator in school. What she doesn’t know, she can find out. This is not an opinion; it’s a fact.”

“Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counsellors would go out of business.”

“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”

“Sometimes I think," she said slowly, "that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn't make it past noon.”

TW: Rape, Adultery, Religious bigotry, Racism, Feminism, Sexism, Animal harm, parental death, death of a child, death of a parent, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexual harassment, bombs, death threats, car accidents, suicide, domestic abuse, vomit, abandonment, mentions of abortion, alcoholism, drug use, blood, body shaming, bullying, child abuse, toxic relationships, stalking, slurs, gaslighting, grief, fatphobia, emotional abuse, classism, alcohol, animal cruelty, pregnancy, miscarriage, infidelity, emotional abuse, medical content.

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noxa's review against another edition

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medium-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

1.0

This author can’t seem to wrap her head around the concept that religion and science are not mutually exclusive. Hell, just in my direct family alone, 83% of us studied science in university and we are all very comfortable in our faith… for a man of God to take 1 chemistry course and suddenly be so shaken in his faith? A. Skill issue. B. That reeks of a severe lack of understanding of religion to me. C. One of the most idiotic lines I’ve read in a book in a while.

It’s also a pretty wild choice to have a book set in the USA in the 50s and 60s and to have the only mention of black people be an offhand comment about supporting Rosa Parks. Not a single person of color in this book? Seriously? In CALIFORNIA?

There’s also somehow enough religious extremists in their town for Elizabeth to get death threats & an attempted bombing for saying that she’s an atheist on air but not a single racist exists to complain about her explicitly supporting the Civil Rights movement. Sure.

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