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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5 stars. Wow, that was NOT what I expected it to be. Based on the cover & blurb I thought this would be frothy funny chick lit. Instead, it was scathing intellectual feminist satire that touched on just about every one of humanity’s flaws.
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Quirky. Empowering. Wonderful. A brilliant woman chemist has to fight all the sexist cultural mores of the 60s and yet will not kowtow her true self to fit in, to get a job, nor to placate the idiots in power so that they are not offended. I love the genius of this book, and I love that the author made an incredibly strong female protagonist who - albeit a tad odd (perhaps a bit of Asperger's?) - was so charming and unintentionally comical. I honestly wish there WAS a cooking show that combined chemistry and was led by a no-nonsense, intelligent woman, because even today it would be a hit. Garmus knew not to talk down to her reader, and she also challenged all those cultural stereotypes of what a women should be and how a woman should act. In the 60s, it was a man's world, and yet Elizabeth Zott has to painstakingly climb her way to be taken seriously as a chemist, suffering sexual and gender discrimination, not to mention that she had a child out of wedlock (gasp!) and her attractiveness was actually a detriment to her intelligence.
This is also one of the few books that literally had me laughing out loud because Garmus puts a voice to the nonsensical thinking of misogynists and combats it with utter logic and leaves them flustered and stuttering with virtually nothing left to say. In a way, it was rather cathartic of hearing a woman have the courage to blurt out how unbelievably sexist some people can be.
A very, very fun and satisfying read!
This is also one of the few books that literally had me laughing out loud because Garmus puts a voice to the nonsensical thinking of misogynists and combats it with utter logic and leaves them flustered and stuttering with virtually nothing left to say. In a way, it was rather cathartic of hearing a woman have the courage to blurt out how unbelievably sexist some people can be.
A very, very fun and satisfying read!
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would give it 5 stars except for the graphic descriptions of rape which I had to skip past. Sexual violence is not entertainment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Grief
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The dog and toddler being too sentient really threw off the vibe for me, but otherwise not bad