Lessons in Chemistry: Reviews by 2022 Reading Challengers

[Winter, Group Reads]

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing [spoiler] at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the [] with <>.

[Valerie]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the positive side, the central idea of using a cookery show as a front to secretly teach chemistry, gender politics and life skills is clever and original. There’s also enough intrigue and mystery to keep the reader interested, and the quirky characters do eventually grow on you so that you care what happens to them.
But, and it’s a big but, I found the writing style really off putting and disconcerting. This is a novel which contains a range of horrifying incidents but the distant tone of the narrator left me emotionally detached. I’m also a firm believer in ‘show me don’t tell me’ as an indicator of good writing which is not what happens in this book.
So on balance, it’s a perfectly ok read but not one I would be anxious to revisit in the future.

[KSMary]

Bait and Switch is how I felt after starting it. I, too, didn't look into this book before reading it except knowing that it was getting hyped with "good" reviews. I low-key hated it and struggled to get through it. The social commentary was in your face the entire time, the characters unrelatable and unlikeable, the interconnected characters/relationships felt forced. My daughter started reading it before I did and quit at the accident. I thought the book got better after that but it took me almost 3 weeks to finish this because I could only tolerate a little bit at a time. I did give this book 3 stars but really only wanted to give it a 2. Edited: I went back and changed it to 2 stars.

I will say though that there were glimpses of what this book could have been and maybe that's why I kept with the book.

[Valerie]

Your review actually shows 1 star. Was that your final verdict?
I agree with you that it had real potential, shame about the execution.

[Mansi V]

This is my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was unfortunately disappointed with the book, as was the majority of the people in my book club. My main criticisms were...
1) I found the characters to be quite one-dimensional, like Elizabeth's main and only personality trait was being a scientist, as was Calvin's which made the relationship feel slightly forced to me.
2) I know the book is about chemistry, but the book felt so science heavy that at times it almost read as a science textbook, and science seemed to be the answer for everything ( I personally don't have much of an interest in science)
3) The tone seemed to be quite mixed, with the author including some intense scenes on serious subject matter, and lightheartedness, then completely brushing past them to maintain a rather lighthearted tone
4) The feminism in the book felt quite stereotypical and on the surface at times, and the solution felt quite inaccurate for the time period for the sake of being inspiring. It also felt like very white-washed feminism, with the rare comments on race in the time period feeling more like a forced afterthought
It was however quite a quick and easy book to read

[Megan]

I seem to be in the minority. This book lived up to the hype! Loved the writing, the quirky characters, and the history unflinchingly portrayed. If we’re not careful, we could so easily slide back there. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

[Rebecca]

Despite the fact that I had reservations about some of the portrayals and the writing style in this book, it ended up really touching me and making me feel big emotions. I was invested the whole time, and I cared about what happened to the characters, so this one was a success for me.

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

My expectations were low based solely on the cover. I am glad this got chosen as the group read for May 2023 or I probably never would have picked it up. I assumed it was a fluffy romance. Perhaps because my expectations were so low, I was almost blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. I read through a few reviews and it seems to be the type of book you either love or hate. I ended up loving it.

(view spoiler)[

This is written in third person omniscient, which seems more and more rare. It worked in this book, however, it worked a little too well to make the bad guys just disgustingly awful and the good guys almost too good. We know the evil white males are evil white males without their inner thoughts. The bad guys never have any sort of good or neutral thought, and the good guys rarely have any sort of "bad" thought. The negative thoughts they do have will likely be taken positively by the audience of this book.
For a bit in the beginning the timeline was a little confusing because it started later in Elizabeth's life, then jumped back to her time at Hastings and meeting Calvin, and then it jumped back again when she's thinking about her past. It took a few chapters to get into the flow and the main timeline.

Much about this book is not realistic. It's silly and over-the-top. I liked most of this, like her destroying her kitchen and building a lab and getting a home centrifuge, her ridiculously precocious daughter, the entire fact that the first time she sets foot on the set of her new show is the live pilot episode. The dog. The dog was not realistic but was definitely my favorite part. And he lives!

Elizabeth herself is not realistic either. I get that she is not the average woman of the 60's, but she acts as if she doesn't even really get how any of that works sometimes. Like she's almost surprised when she's screwed over. Sometimes it was frustrating rather than empowering. Most of the time though I was cheering her on. I loved the cooking show and how all the women love it because she talks to them like intelligent humans and not morons. The amount of people lying and getting away with crazy things was ridiculous too.

Calvin's death hit too close to home. I liked the life she built for herself and Mad after that though. Sacrificing her career as a scientist for a while to make enough money. And I liked their extended family consisting of Harriet, Walter, and at the end Avery Parker (Calvin's mother). (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

SarahKat wrote: "My expectations were low based solely on the cover. I am glad this got chosen as the group read for May 2023 or I probably never would have picked it up. I assumed it was a fluffy romance. Perhaps ..."
She said in an interview that the publishers insisted on the cover even though she tried to get them to change it. What would Elizabeth have done in that situation- but of course that’s the difference with real life and a novel.

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

Valerie wrote: "SarahKat wrote: "My expectations were low based solely on the cover. I am glad this got chosen as the group read for May 2023 or I probably never would have picked it up. I assumed it was a fluffy ..."

Oh wow! That's really annoying. Almost like the publishers assume women won't consume the material unless it's wrapped in bubble-headed fluff? Did they READ the book??

[Shelley]

I actually love the cover, particularly the colors. To me, it really drives home the subtext of the book. Unfortunately, the Barbie with a brain trope rather annoys me.

I was not blown away by the book itself, but there was a lot in it that I did like, particularly the dog. If it hadn't been for the dog, I may not have stuck with the story. In the end, it was probably the writing style that did not appeal to me.

I can't help but wonder if whether you love or hate this book is tied, at least to some extent, to your enjoyment of romance books. For some reason, I assumed this book was primarily a romance. (Not my preferred genre, but I decided to give it a try.) While Elizabeth and Calvin's relationship is critical to the book, the book really isn't a romance novel. Thus, anyone hoping for more steamy romance and less sexist workplace commentary is likely to be disappointed.

[Kateryna]

I like the idea of the book very much and I'm glad I have read it. I like how main character is a scientist who loves chemistry and wants to succeed in men’s world. It was quite empowering.
However, Elisabeth looks unrealistic to me, as well as other characters. I didn’t like how all of them are oversimplified to fit in one description as scientist, child-genius, lusty boss, lying priest etc. Adding rowing as trait doesn't really help to make characters more depth. But at least it was funnier to read, imagining all this erging.
Generally, I prefer happy endings, but this one doesn’t work for me.(view spoiler)[ At the beginning, Elizabeth was against Calvin’s intentions to help her with her work. She wanted everything was fair to be able to claim all her achievements by herself. But at the end, she is somehow ok with Calvin's mother literally buying her a place in institute and financing her project. I don’t see how it solves any of her problems, it is only a tip of an iceberg. Because she still might face with male scientists do not want to work under her supervision, potential decreasing of other financing, her papers might not be published, and her not to be invited to conferences to present her findings.
I wish there was more recognition of her work as scientist and at least a hint about her future personal happiness (hide spoiler)]

[L Y N N]

I'm relatively certain this will be one of my favorite reads for this year! I doubt this is any exaggeration beyond what could and did happen very often in those times for a woman. Any woman. Anywhere. Trying to succeed in any career field. But especially STEM/science!

Speaking of which, I adored the inclusion of all the chemical reactions involved with cooking. I love to cook and would appreciate a show/podcast that explained such interactions! Perhaps there are some out there and I've just never thought to search! That will be a project for the near future!

Who couldn't love Mad? And Wakely? And Harriet? Hell, I adored all of the characters who were just trying to make more of their lives without oppressing others!

The twist at the end was gratifying and hopeful!

I will definitely plan to read anything Garmus writes in the future!