A review by ashdawn
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
This one was a DNF for me. For something that is "Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters....", I was not expecting the graphic rape scene in chapter 3.
Overall, the feeling of the book is pretentious. Elizabeth (and her daughter as well, who very much gives off Young Sheldon vibes, but is never in trouble at school for being outside the box) is shown almost as someone with no flaws, absolutely perfect and incapable of failing. For example, even though chemistry is her study, she overnight picks up rowing because of it being basic physics equations.
And let's not even get started on the pretentiousness with any conversation around cooking like this quote: “ 'Now I’m disrupting the egg’s internal bonds in order to elongate the amino acid chain,' she told him as she whisked, 'which will allow the freed atoms to bond with other similarly freed atoms. Then I’ll reconstitute the mix into a loose whole, laying it on a surface of iron-carbon alloy, where I’ll subject it to precision heat, continually agitating the mix until it reaches a stage of near coagulation.' ” Or when the biscuit dough is ruined because it's a few molecules of water off.....yes cooking is chemistry, but there is more margin for error.
Also, in general, Elizabeth seems so woke that she is an alien/time traveler in her time setting. While it is good to have a character breaking cultural/historical structure, there are much better ways to write it so it feels like they fit into their settings. While I don't know enough of British '50s-60s history to be sure, I know in the US to be shocked at a play in 1952 only having white actors would not have made ANY SENSE due to segregation still being in effect.
Really, the dog is the only character that was likeable.
Overall, the feeling of the book is pretentious. Elizabeth (and her daughter as well, who very much gives off Young Sheldon vibes, but is never in trouble at school for being outside the box) is shown almost as someone with no flaws, absolutely perfect and incapable of failing. For example, even though chemistry is her study, she overnight picks up rowing because of it being basic physics equations.
And let's not even get started on the pretentiousness with any conversation around cooking like this quote: “ 'Now I’m disrupting the egg’s internal bonds in order to elongate the amino acid chain,' she told him as she whisked, 'which will allow the freed atoms to bond with other similarly freed atoms. Then I’ll reconstitute the mix into a loose whole, laying it on a surface of iron-carbon alloy, where I’ll subject it to precision heat, continually agitating the mix until it reaches a stage of near coagulation.' ” Or when the biscuit dough is ruined because it's a few molecules of water off.....yes cooking is chemistry, but there is more margin for error.
Also, in general, Elizabeth seems so woke that she is an alien/time traveler in her time setting. While it is good to have a character breaking cultural/historical structure, there are much better ways to write it so it feels like they fit into their settings. While I don't know enough of British '50s-60s history to be sure, I know in the US to be shocked at a play in 1952 only having white actors would not have made ANY SENSE due to segregation still being in effect.
Really, the dog is the only character that was likeable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Homophobia, Car accident, Suicide, and Religious bigotry