Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Book Brief: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus


by Bonnie Garmus
 Doubleday Books, 2022
400 pages

audio edition  narrated by Miranda Raison
Random House Audio, 2022
11 hours and 55 minutes

source: library ebook, audible audio

Goodreads summary:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with--of all things--her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry  is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.


My thoughts:

This is the  buzzy book of the season and with good reason! Elizabeth Zott is one of the most memorable characters I've come across in a very long time, and the supporting cast of characters (including the dog Six-thirty) is superb. 

However, 
...this was not the book I was expecting. The cover implies light and breezy, while the blurb describes the novel as  "laugh-out-loud funny."  I experienced something much more substantial and serious. Garmis offers some pretty grim social commentary on the status of women during the 1960s, which somehow feels even heavier in light of last Friday's Supreme Court ruling.

Lessons in Chemistry  is still a wonderful read. (Trigger warning for a sexual assault scene early in the novel.)  But I do recommend you read, rather than listen. The repeated mispronunciation of Jack LaLanne's name was annoying, but the mispronunciation of multiple chemical names/terms drove me to distraction. I had to give up on the audio and switch to print.

If you're looking for a summer read that's a bit more serious and will easily lend itself to discussion, I recommend Lessons in Chemistry.

My rating:




18 comments:

  1. Yes, this wasn't as light as the cover art suggests. I totally understand about how numerous mispronunciations can get on the nerves after a bit. I felt that way with Ocean State by O'Nan. I;m glad you still enjoyed it.

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    1. Diane - Mispronunciation is my number one pet peeve with audiobooks. I'm surprised Random House doesn't have someone checking these thing...

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  2. I was just about to get on the wait list at the library for the audio, so I appreciate the heads up about mispronunciation. That would be a deal breaker for me. I've been enjoying the 1960s settings lately--always good to remind ourselves how far we've come and resolve not to let the society go backwards. The good old days are total myth.

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    1. JaneGS - Jack LaLanne was so well-known at the time... I even remember the jingle for his television show! It's hard to believe they let that slip by over and over again. Mispronouncing chemical terms may be more understandable, but you'd think a simple consult could have prevented it. Sigh.

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  3. I was ready to get a copy until I read about the mispronunciation and assault :(

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    1. Vicki - The assault scene was very difficult to listen to :(

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  4. Mispronunciations drive me nuts too. The cover does make me think it's a lighter read. I'm glad you enjoyed it despite not being what you were expecting!

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    1. Book of Secrets - The characters in this book were the best. Elizabeth Zott will stick with me for a long time... and even the dog, Six-thirty, added a lot to the story!

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  5. Thx for the heads up. I think I will read the print version instead of the audio. They often put these breezy covers on - when the opposite would be better. grrrr.

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    1. Susan - I think print is definitely the way to go here!

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  6. I agree with your thoughts. I'm still thinking about Elizabeth Zott, so she's definitely a memorable character. I don't remember if I laughed out loud, but it really wasn't a humorous book, as the cover indicates. That assault scene was difficult to listen to... yet another reason to read the book rather go with the audio.

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    1. Les - I don't remember laughing out loud while reading this book either, but I am still thinking about Elizabeth Zott. Sometimes I wonder about how these marketing decisions are made! My enjoyment skyrocketed after switching to print.

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  7. Sounds like this would make for a good book club book.

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  8. I always think it's a little odd when books are described as funny when they are so obviously more serious!

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    1. Angela - It must be a marketing decision, but certainly a strange one...

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  9. I've got this one on my shelf and may put it in my August to read pile. I'd like to read it while everyone else is rather than waiting too long.

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    1. Helen - It's definitely a good read and the character of Elizabeth Zott is one that will stay with you.

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