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A review by jkneebone
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Okay, I do NOT get the hype with this one. I really struggled through the first half of this book. I enjoyed the second half more, but I likely would have DNF’ed before it got to that point if I wasn’t reading this for a book club, so I wouldn’t call that a ringing endorsement.
I did listen to the audiobook, and I didn’t like the narration style very much, so perhaps I would have liked this better if I’d read the physical version. We’ll never know.
I’ll admit that some of my gripes with this book are more personal preference - I’m not a fan of the use of third person omniscient, for example, and I found Elizabeth Zott to be quite annoying as a main character. In some situations her perseverance was admirable, and I liked how she drew attention to the discrimination she faced as a woman; however in other situations she was so stubborn as to be idiotic. The way she refused to understand how any of her behavior might prove to be an issue, especially once she got on TV, made it seem like she had no awareness or understanding of how society worked.
In my view there were some technical issues with Lessons in Chemistry, eg it wasn’t very well written. Frankly, I think it was too long by half, and a lot of the backstory and tangents could have been removed. On the stylistic side, some things were over-exaggerated to the point of absurdism (eg, Elizabeth teaching her dog 900+ words) while others were treated extremely seriously (eg, the sexism Elizabeth faced) which made me unsure of how I was supposed to be reading the overall tone. There was practically no character growth or development, despite how many people’s heads we got to peek into, and so many of the characters read more like caricatures with no nuance at all, including some of the main players. And for a book ostensibly about a woman scientist, so much of the story from start to finish ended up being centered around Calvin.
Overall, this was fine. There were some funny parts, and even a few moments that tugged at my heartstrings, albeit in the same way as commercials with sad animals do. It’s entertaining enough, I suppose, even if the plot is trying to do *way* too much. (IMO it would have benefited from another round of editing.) But best book of the year or any of the other superlatives people have been throwing in its direction? Agree to disagree.
I did listen to the audiobook, and I didn’t like the narration style very much, so perhaps I would have liked this better if I’d read the physical version. We’ll never know.
I’ll admit that some of my gripes with this book are more personal preference - I’m not a fan of the use of third person omniscient, for example, and I found Elizabeth Zott to be quite annoying as a main character. In some situations her perseverance was admirable, and I liked how she drew attention to the discrimination she faced as a woman; however in other situations she was so stubborn as to be idiotic. The way she refused to understand how any of her behavior might prove to be an issue, especially once she got on TV, made it seem like she had no awareness or understanding of how society worked.
In my view there were some technical issues with Lessons in Chemistry, eg it wasn’t very well written. Frankly, I think it was too long by half, and a lot of the backstory and tangents could have been removed. On the stylistic side, some things were over-exaggerated to the point of absurdism (eg, Elizabeth teaching her dog 900+ words) while others were treated extremely seriously (eg, the sexism Elizabeth faced) which made me unsure of how I was supposed to be reading the overall tone. There was practically no character growth or development, despite how many people’s heads we got to peek into, and so many of the characters read more like caricatures with no nuance at all, including some of the main players. And for a book ostensibly about a woman scientist, so much of the story from start to finish ended up being centered around Calvin.
Overall, this was fine. There were some funny parts, and even a few moments that tugged at my heartstrings, albeit in the same way as commercials with sad animals do. It’s entertaining enough, I suppose, even if the plot is trying to do *way* too much. (IMO it would have benefited from another round of editing.) But best book of the year or any of the other superlatives people have been throwing in its direction? Agree to disagree.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, Death of parent, Child death, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Domestic abuse