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A review by markalkman
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
5.0
It made me laugh, cry and explode with anger. A really, really good novel. Highly recommend!
First things first: even though it did make me laugh, don't consider this a comedy. It's not. Definitely not. Is there humour? Yes, loads. But humour doesn't make a comedy.
Boy am I glad I'm not a 30 year old in the '50s & 60s. I definitely would NOT have enjoyed that. So my respect for the women who've managed to accomplish greatness in those times (& before that) just went ALL THE WAY UP. If you can't deal with misogyny, even if it's in historical fiction - then don't read this, because it is INFURIATING. I knew things like this were going to happen, and it still made me angry as hell. Having said that: Elizabeth is a fantastic protagonist who doesn't take shit from no man, and we can definitely learn a thing or two from her.
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change - and change is what we're chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others' opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”
I didn't know what to expect exactly, when I started reading this. I'd read the blurb, obviously, I knew it'd won the Goodreads Choice Award for best debut novel and I knew people were really hyped up about this. So I had to give it a try, to see what all the fuss is about. Well, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The story was captivating, the characters intriguing and I absolutely loved the writing style as well. It might be just me, but it reminded me of Fredrik Backman (one of my favourite authors). Definitely not exactly the same, but it kind of had the same vibe? If that makes any sense.
Anyhow. I loved this. I loved Elizabeth, Calvin, Mad, Harriet, Six-Thirty, Walter, Dr. Mason, Wakely and even miss Frask. It takes on quite a few heavy topics, and it's definitely big on the chemistry (but not in the way people won't understand, because I, myself, am a chemistry-noob) so maybe not everyone will love this and that's okay. But overall... this was just a really great novel, so for me this definitely is a 5 star read.
First things first: even though it did make me laugh, don't consider this a comedy. It's not. Definitely not. Is there humour? Yes, loads. But humour doesn't make a comedy.
Boy am I glad I'm not a 30 year old in the '50s & 60s. I definitely would NOT have enjoyed that. So my respect for the women who've managed to accomplish greatness in those times (& before that) just went ALL THE WAY UP. If you can't deal with misogyny, even if it's in historical fiction - then don't read this, because it is INFURIATING. I knew things like this were going to happen, and it still made me angry as hell. Having said that: Elizabeth is a fantastic protagonist who doesn't take shit from no man, and we can definitely learn a thing or two from her.
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change - and change is what we're chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others' opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”
I didn't know what to expect exactly, when I started reading this. I'd read the blurb, obviously, I knew it'd won the Goodreads Choice Award for best debut novel and I knew people were really hyped up about this. So I had to give it a try, to see what all the fuss is about. Well, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The story was captivating, the characters intriguing and I absolutely loved the writing style as well. It might be just me, but it reminded me of Fredrik Backman (one of my favourite authors). Definitely not exactly the same, but it kind of had the same vibe? If that makes any sense.
Anyhow. I loved this. I loved Elizabeth, Calvin, Mad, Harriet, Six-Thirty, Walter, Dr. Mason, Wakely and even miss Frask. It takes on quite a few heavy topics, and it's definitely big on the chemistry (but not in the way people won't understand, because I, myself, am a chemistry-noob) so maybe not everyone will love this and that's okay. But overall... this was just a really great novel, so for me this definitely is a 5 star read.