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prappleby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit
reads2cope's review against another edition
4.0
Much funnier and darker than I was expecting. Required a lot of suspension of disbelief, but the writing was engaging and easy to read. For example, very weird that Elizabeth spouted such strong political convictions on her TV show but had no qualms about working for a military contractor. At the same time, I wanted her to shove it in the face of her old bosses. Loved the time jumps and how the other story lines wove together. Picked it up because most of my aunts have read it this year, so looking forward to hearing their opinions when I’m home over the holidays.
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
khowez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
sheeprustler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse
lucyatoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The book is mainly set in the early 1960's. This is a time when a woman working as a scientist, in any scientific field, was unusual. The only other female scientist I could name would be Marie Curie, winning a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. Elizabeth is an independent individual who refused to live by the expectations and sexist attitudes of her time. The story of Elizabeth's journey as a woman who falls in love, has a child out of wedlock and becomes a working, single mother, has threads of narrative that many today can relate to. She ultimately becomes the star of a television cooking show, which acquires a legion fans who are housewives, and it dares them to make a difference and to change the status quo.
Lessons in Chemistry is a delightful book with much humour, some of it dark whilst it other times it is almost laugh out loud! It is also a historic view on gender roles and society's expectations of women, although some of these still exist today.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
seren_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
ank3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity and Car accident
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The main character, Elizabeth, is charismatic and driven, aware of her worth as a chemist but forced on a daily - if not hourly - basis to deal with sexist insults, sexual assaults, and belittling. She’s repeatedly thwarted in her attempts to move ahead in her profession, her research is stolen, and she’s discredited at college and at work.
This book is funny and inspiring but so, so sad; there’s a pall of grief and loss over everything. It’s about two outcasts who find one another, and then the struggle when one is left alone with only a dog for a friend. Nothing is ever easy for Elizabeth, not even when things seem to be going well.
Overall, I loved the book and definitely recommend it. I must be in a melancholy mood myself for it to have struck me so hard.
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
scarlett_f's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
akane_readsyt's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Sexual harassment