Reviews with content warning for Grief - Lessons in Chemistry

What an engaging and inspiring story- really reflects some of the issues faced by women in academia today, but magnified 10x by being set in the 1950/60s. Loved the exploration of identity and what women should be allowed to be, and how being the tall poppy can be really hard. Loved that it emphasised the importance of surrounding yourself with a good support system. Especially loved that it never once looked down upon domestic tasks as inferior to science, just different things that should both be respected. Elizabeth was a really fun character who went through so much but stuck to her principles, even when it cost her greatly, and she felt very well rounded. Her romance with Calvin was so endearing, and I was genuinely sad when it was cut short (though the way he went out was kind of comical). The ending wrapped everything up neatly, but after reading so many books recently with more realistic endings, it was refreshing to read one where the main character got a happy ending, especially after all she suffered. Also I would die for Six Thirty, what a good boy!

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smoore236's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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juliagongaware's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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xiaogui's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

It’s an okay read if you don’t know anything about chemistry. Particularly food chemists should not read this the chemistry parts are not good. It’s a good enough comment on women in the 50s, not so much in science though. Her career is not discussed enough for it to be called a chemists life novel.

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sglance9's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

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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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nicolaparty's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

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craftysnailtail's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

This book is highly rated for a reason and there's not much I can add to the praise! It took me a while to finish because I had to take a break from feeling angry at the vast majority of men in this book (and rightfully so). It's incredibly well written and Elizabeth Zott will live on in my mind for quite a while. Educational, emotional, and eventually hopeful, this book is an important read if you're at all interested in feminism and/or women in science.

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