Lessons in Chemistry
Ratings518
Average rating4.1
Oh man this one deserves the popularity! It was vivid and immersive. It toed the line wonderfully between heavy and comedic. The characters were so well-rounded. They were perfect for the story but also believable. I especially liked how Garmus wrote Six-Thirty to have an entire mental life as a complete character.
Another 4.5 read that I'm rounding up.
CW: rape, sexism, mentions of past child abuse, suicide and homophobia.
For the past couple of years atleast, I've been of the opinion that I'm quite good at identifying the books I will enjoy and only reading them. This has definitely led to some very good reading years, high rating averages, and deep satisfaction. But mostly getting my book recs from social media and blogs where I follow the kind of people who love reading SFF like me means that sometimes I miss some books outside of those genres which would have been a perfect fit for me. This is one such book whose existence I didn't even know about until well after it's release, and only because I made a new friend Shazzie and she raved about it in her review. It's taken me weeks to get my library copy because i didn't know how popular it was and how long the waitlists were. But here I am and what an experience this has been.
I got the audiobook copy before the ebook, so I started listening. And then I couldn't sleep for whatever reason, so this became my company for the whole night even if I ended up getting a headache after coz of the sleeplessness. I went into it only reading my friend's review and a couple of others and some idea of the basic premise. I don't know how exactly it was marketed but that cover is very deceptive. It promises a quirky funny book and it is in parts, but the book is much more intense and bleak and sad at other parts and I'm sure some readers might be thrown off by that whiplash. But the author does a good job balancing all the emotions throughout, making for a very engaging read. We have random POV switches which come at unexpected times, and get perspectives of those I didn't see coming, which makes for a surprising narrative. And Miranda Raison does a superb job capturing the nuances of every single person (and not person) she is narrating, which makes for an unputdownable listening experience. The pacing can feel slow and dragging in parts and the book maybe a tad bit long, but I think the rest of the story made up for these little shortcomings.
This is set in the 50s/60s California and while I don't know much about the times, the setting does feel realistic. And it's the themes the author explores that stay with you long after you are finished - misogyny, patriarchy, gender discrimination in the work place, motherhood, family, ambition, faith and more. Yes, there are more sexist asshole characters here than the good ones and reading their words and actions will make you angry, but if you think deeply, you realize that not everything has changed in the past 6-7 decades. The gender pay gap still exists, every woman who chooses to be a mother is expected to atleast partially sacrifice her career, women in literally any male dominated field have to navigate sexist work cultures and even inappropriate sexual advances, child rearing is still mostly a mother's job, the enormous amount of work that goes into maintaining a household is still dismissed as just being an “average housewife”, religions and faith leaders still instruct women to remain in hostile and abusive marriages because god doesn't condone divorce and think of the husband and children - the list just goes on and there's all this and more in the book and in our real life and it's all very rage inducing but also maybe cathartic.
Because the message of the book is be the change. Our main protagonist Elizabeth suffers blow after blow in both personal and professional lives but she refuses to work within the system or compromise her principles, sticks to her beliefs and remains dedicated to science. The book might feel a bit over the top or preachy at times, especially when Elizabeth goes on her monologues, but they are also very meaningful, and I don't always mind if the authors are hitting our head with the message instead of being subtle. The author through our character reiterates that women have to look within themselves, understand what they wanna do, and commit to it - we can't all change many people's lives like Elizabeth does through her cooking show, but we can try gather some courage to change our own. I really admired Elizabeth for persevering in being herself in a world that was determined not to accept her the way she was, and always keeping her original intent close to her heart.
While there are many hateful characters here throwing obstacles in her path, she also manages to find her people, makes her own family, who understand and support her even if they are slightly exasperated at times. Her relationship with her partner Calvin was beautiful and intense and heartbreaking, but it was nice to see them respect each other equally. Their daughter Madeline is a precocious little one who is too observant for her own good, and understands her mother too well. Harriet might start off as a nosy neighbor but the support she provides a new single mother is priceless and I loved seeing her become a part of their family. Walter, Mason, Frask - all were supportive in their own ways, being there without asking, providing support, and sometimes rectifying their mistakes. Not all but atleast a couple of the ego driven sexist bosses get their due here which was also quite satisfying to read about.
To conclude, this was everything and nothing like I expected. A resilient protagonist, her amazing found family, not quite smashing the patriarchy but atleast trying to - this book is full of tears and joy and strength and support, and quite a few laugh out loud moments as well. Yes, I felt very angry and maybe even helpless while reading it because what have I really done to change my own life, but what I can learn from the book is not to give in to despair and keep hope alive. Can't wait to see what the author writes next.
This was not what I was expecting in a good way! I thought the ending was less strong than the rest but overall I had fun with it. My main issue is that all the villains are like comically and completely evil shitty people, but otherwise I thought all the sympathetic characters were charming
An utterly refreshing read!
Gives great insight into women's lives in the '60s, in a tongue in cheek, humorous way.
Thoroughly enjoyed.
2.75 stars.... idk man i like the plot and the message but the characters were so unbearable and it did ruin a lot for me. It was hard to read because the characters. The characters felt very unreal which sucks because the situations in this book are very real but.. idk its hard to explain but a book like this deserved better characters to tell the story.
also naming a dog 6:30??? go to jail
I loved this book. I read it cover to cover in one (sick) day. It was exactly the pick-me-up/good cry I needed. I went in basically blind, except that I had corrected my understanding it was a romance novel — while there is a romance in it that much of the plot spins on, it's much more of a story of “found family” and women supporting other women.
Elizabeth is an extraordinary woman who is able to see clearly the social/cultural structures that those around her merely abide by. She calls it like she sees it calmly and rationally, and allows those around her to have temper tantrums without mothering them.
The book isn't perfect — issues of intersectionality/race are touched on only superficially, ambition and work take center stage as what women truly want, and the rational/empirical perspective that Elizabeth takes — while inspiring in the context of the book — is not critically examined. Rationality and empiricism are seen as antidotes to oppressive cultural views, while in reality they are themselves just as much a part of the culture and worldview that Elizabeth so strongly critiques.
Having said that, for me/at the time that I read it, I was able to fully enjoy Elizabeth's certainty that if you treat everyone around you like an independent adult with opinions, ideas, and aspirations of their own (including women, children, and older people) they will surprise and delight you. It is a 5-star book for me because it was exactly the heartfelt read I needed, and I can personally look past some of the critiques I raised above given the quality of the story, characters, and plot.
Moving, funny, touching, and at times infuriating. The characters are all so well-written that they almost jump off the page. The story was interesting and well-paced. The audiobook narration by Miranda Raison was the icing on the cake!
This book was a delight. It made me laugh, made me angry, made me shake my head at the absurdity of our culture sometimes. Elizabeth Zott would be on my list of literary characters I would love to have a meal with, although she would never agree to such an activity. One of my favorite books this year!
An excellent book. The show is different enough that no matter which you start with the other will be just as enjoyable.
Loved it from start to finish. Didn't want it to end. Everyone should read it. This is your homework. That's all.
I liked this! I’m really glad I got a chance to finish it before the series comes out next month. I disliked the way the narrative was structured - the plot would constantly get interrupted by asides - and the social message was a bit heavy-handed at times, but I enjoyed the characters immensely.
What an amazing story! It took a few chapters for me to get into, but then I couldn't put it down.
This was amazing. So inspiring. An amazing woman doing awesome stuff in a time where is was even worse to be a woman than it is now 😭 very inspiring and full of laughs with a few almost tears
DNF because I find historical fiction that insists on foisting characters with modern mores into the tale like its clever tiresome. Also too much telling, not enough showing.
A New York Times bestseller worthy of the hype! Take note. This book is an absolute delight. So original, a heroine we can all relate to, laugh with and root for. I blew through this one. Highly recommend!
Lessons in Chemistry is lighthearted in its tone, but sharp in its critiquing of the treatment of women in 1960s America. Initially I found myself off-put by the manner in which author Garmus seemed to be inserting herself into the book's setting and time period; I believed her to be a modern young feminist asserting her own experiences onto another space. However, I was amazed to realise that the author is in her 60s, and this is her debut novel to boot!
The reason I thought Garmus was so young is due to the aloof and youthful voice of Zott. Our protagonist is clearly an intelligent person, yet remains muddled in some social situations. I thought every scene involving a pencil was brilliant, and the way she was unafraid to take the fight to every level of an institution, whether university or commercial television.
Another fun read that I may not have picked out of a bookshelf, all thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club.
