Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Eine Frage der Chemie by Bonnie Garmus

63 reviews

rainynook's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence

Minor: Cursing, Child death, Death, Sexism, Body shaming, Abandonment, Car accident, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Pregnancy, Vomit, Death of parent, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

recycledartgirl2022's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Car accident, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

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aaashtyn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

My cousin recommended this to me and it did not disappoint! It was such a compelling story that had so much to talk about. I personally loved that parts of the story were from Six-thirty’s perspective, and I just appreciated the inclusion of dogs being so smart and loyal to their human. This story made me sad, frustrated, annoyed, happy, etc.. all of the emotions. It was intriguing to read about a fictional female scientist in the 60s and try to navigate and create her life while dealing with all of the societal norms of the time period. Such a great book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Suicide, and Death

theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Please please please! Check the content warnings and know that all of them are prevalent in this book, but you think you can handle them PLEASE read this book. 

Elizabeth Zott is an amazing character, and a survivor. She is the embodiment of female power and a force to be reckoned with. 

The things Zott experiences in the work place are appalling and no one would call her personal life easy. In real life, a woman in Zott’s shoes wouldn’t be faulted for breaking down or giving up. But Zott doesn’t let anything stop her from reaching her goals. She goes on have a wonderful life in spite of the horrendous things she’s had to survive, because she is a survivor. 

Parts of this book had me in tears while others had me fill with so much pride I thought I would burst. At its core, this book is about the strength and resilience of women and I can’t recommend it enough. This will be a book I won’t stop thinking about for a very, very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Car accident, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Abortion, Vomit, Alcohol, and Pedophilia

kwthor's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Racism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

esophagus18's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

wow an instant favorite! impossible to put down and deeply poignant. so funny! i loved every page.

the way every character was connected in web-like fashion was thrilling and had my jaw drop on multiple occasions

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual violence, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Suicide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry is such an accomplished piece of writing, which makes it all the more astonishing that it's by a debut author (albeit one with a lot of life experience behind her).

This novel started slow (and dark - readers should be aware [I wasn't] that

there is a violent, graphic sexual assault

before you hit page 50), but once it got going, it grabbed hold of me and did not let go.

Elizabeth Zott is such an incredible main character - tough, uncompromising, fiercely intelligent, and strong-willed (almost too much so, there were times I wished she would bend just a little, but no, she would not), but she did have a gentler side which I appreciated reading about.

Elizabeth needs every bit of willpower, because number one, she was a scientist, and number two, she was an unmarried woman living in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, a time which did not look kindly on women, particularly women who did not fit their prescribed stereotypes.

Fair warning to readers that the misogyny in this book is extreme, infuriatingly so. It comes from not only men but some women too. The sexism was so overwhelmingly awful at times that I had to stop and wonder if it actually was as terrible as Garmus depicts. I'm not sure, but I know that women definitely got a raw deal in this period of history.

The other infuriating thing to read about was so many of the terrible events in the novel could have been prevented if certain people had been less greedy, small-minded, or desperate. But then I guess there wouldn't have been a story, so go figure.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me. The switches between POV characters would often occur within the same section, and even in the same paragraph at times, which was jarring as I would need to figure out whose POV I was reading.

Also, the POV of Elizabeth's

dog, Six Thirty

was a good idea in theory but didn't work on the page.

Would a dog really have that many thoughts going on in his/her brain?

I also found it hard to believe the advanced intelligence of

Elizabeth's daughter, Madeline. But then I guess some rare children really are that gifted, so I suppose it's not entirely implausible. But still.

Anyway, overall this was a really great read, albeit one with some pretty dark themes - I would advise prospective readers to check the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Car accident, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Cursing

Minor: Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Child death

historychatter's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Suicide, Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Grief, and Cursing

Minor: Vomit and Homophobia

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

i have to admit this book surprised me. i was not expecting to enjoy myself as much as i did. the story was both very funny at turns and also very serious. i enjoyed how much fun the author must have had writing some of the dialogue and setting up some of the scenarios in the story. the more fantastical elements of the story only enhanced the very real and dramatic parts of the story. it highlighted the absurdity of sexism in stem and other fields that serves to unfairly tilt the playing field and hinder societal progress on the whole. a great read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

Minor: Gore, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcohol, Cursing, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse

mirificmoxie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Pedophilia, Infidelity, Body shaming, and Domestic abuse