Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Eine Frage der Chemie

I’ve never been so deceived by a book description before. Usually, I have good idea about what a book is about just by reading the blurbs or, in the case of this book, seeing trailers for TV/Movie adaptations. But this book completely threw off my game… and for bad reasons.

Using descriptions like “laugh-out-loud funny” and “original and vibrant as its protagonist” could not be more wrong. Just because there is humor in the book, it DOES NOT mean that this is a “laugh-out-loud funny” book,

especially since a graphic SA scene is described not even 5% the way in.

Even though I knew that this took place in the mid-20th century, I did not expect the constant references to SA.

Do NOT get me started on the CONSTANT misogyny. Again, I get it, it’s the 50s-70s, with a woman in STEM, it’s going to happen… but God it felt like every chapter included some misogynistic obstacle with Elizabeth on the brunt end of it. It genuinely grated on my nerves how every chapter HAD to contain some “b-b-but you’re a w-w-woman” moment, so that Elizabeth could have her girl boss moment.

While Elizabeth had the many components of a “not like other girls” character, I do appreciate that the author did not make her one entirely. In fact, I did enjoy Elizabeth’s character a lot! It just got annoying how every few pages, she would have a “misogynist-owned” moment. I mean yeah, it takes place in the mid-20th century when misogyny ran ramped, but I understood the point after the thirtieth incident, I didn’t need over half the book to consist of that.

I liked Mad, Calvin, Harriet, and Six Thirty (after reading that Bonnie Garmus has a dog named 99, THAT made a lot more sense), so I don’t have much to say about that. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, so I adored the beginning that focused on Calvin and Elizabeth.

The whole marriage thing was frustrating, but I get it lol. One thing about Mad though was the whole family tree thing and befriending a priest to find out more information about her dad. I REFUSE to believe any mother would be okay with walking into her house and seeing a random man hanging out with your 5/6(?)-year-old daughter. NOPE.

So, yeah, I had a few issues with it, and it felt like it dragged on and on. Will probably not reread it, too much effort, but I did enjoy a lot of the book. It was also a bit too surface-level with its feminism. It was basically saying “Hey, women were treated badly in the 50s. They should not have, and should have been able to do science.” Overall, I did enjoy it, but not enough to revisit it or overwhelmingly recommend it.

Content Warnings

nat_kiverse's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

mazzoccatoadele's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring 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

someone cooked here

Content Warnings

zombiezami's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

I have seen that this book continues to be popular, and I wanted to try it for myself. I adored the characters and the writing. I thought the book was paced well, but there were a few threads that were started and never went anywhere. For example:

Walter's crush on Harriet and Elizabeth's participation in the rowing team after her pregnancy

. I also felt that, although it was in character for Elizabeth to be antiracist because she finds racism and all other forms of bigotry to be illogical, there are no Black characters or other characters of color in the book. Finally, the author employs some words turns of phrase that were definitely not used in the 1950s/1960s: e.g. "fast forward to now."

Even with all these caveats, I enjoyed the book very much, and I would highly recommend it. The author does an excellent job of showing how structural sexism harms all of society, not just women. The tragedies in the book feel very complex and human.

Content Warnings

laurenbaggy's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad 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? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

nwood1121's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

Content Warnings

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