Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
Expectation: A dramedy celebrating the life of a norm-busting female scientist in the 1950s and 1960s.
Reality: What was a expected but with the addition of a talking dog (bonus), but I was let down by how conveniently Garmus tied up the plots and how most characters remained two-dimensional.
My Take:
“Lessons in Chemistry” follows the recipe for maximum entertainment:
Blend historical perspective through a 21st century lens
Emulsify a strong female character bucking societal norms
Sear the heart with a tragic love story
Fold-in precocious children
Top with “Golden Age of Television” intrigue
Garnish with an animal sidekick
Finish with all loose ends tidy
This crowd pleaser addresses serious topics in a way that remains firmly palatable to the masses (i.e. “The Help”), which makes the reader feel like they learned something while also not being too challenged.
Garmus succeeds at bringing to life the experiences of women (only white) during the postwar boom of the 1950s and 1960s through Elizabeth Zott, an undervalued chemist, who later becomes a television sensation with a science-based cooking show, “Supper at Six.”
In any generation, Elizabeth’s confidence, bluntness and intelligence would rankle the patriarchal establishment, but in this era she’s forced to endure sexual assault, firing without cause and community alienation for questioning various constructs meant to oppress women.
Garmus balances outrage with intrigue as Elizabeth navigates single parenthood, one career that doesn’t appreciate and another that wants her to fit a mold. Yet as the plot points stack up everything becomes way too convenient for a story that celebrates scientific exploration — a notoriously messy process.
This was my main issue with an otherwise compulsively enjoyable romp.
Since the author weaved chemistry, rather seamlessly, into various aspects of the plot and Elizabeth’s life, the orderly way everything wrapped up was in direct conflict with the ethos of the novel — that life, like science, is chaotic and rarely goes to plan.
I’ve noticed in the past few years that books of the moment by debut authors all seem to suffer from the same case of more is more when it comes to plot and character, and it rarely is.
Like Charmaine Wilkerson’s “Black Cake,” and Shelby Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” Garmus frequently detoured from the most compelling narrative — Elizabeth’s — in favor of plots and characters that were far less interesting before they connect to the core story in a mostly tangential manner.
As the novel chugged along almost every chapter shifted between various POVs but these individuals (outside of the dog, Six-Thirty) rarely did much to enhance the story outside of giving Garmus more runway to explore social norms. It also led to some truly ridiculous events, like the terrorist in the audience of “Supper at Six.” Really?
Let’s be clear — I did enjoy this novel, but I expected more than it delivered given the nearly universal praise it has received. While I’d encourage folks to give this a read, do it because it celebrates women in science and features a talking dog, not because it’s going to change your life.
The audiobook was narrated by Miranda Raison and it was rather uninspired. While she nailed Elizabeths’ determination mixed with disaffection, every other character (with the exception of Six-Thirty) was rather one-note. It’s an easy way to experience the story, but a physical read may have made the constant POV switching less distracting.
Side note: This will be an AppleTV series soon, and I always shy away from reading casting information because I don’t want it to spoil who I picture as a character. I love Brie Larson, but she was not my Elizabeth. In my mind she was more of a Felicity Jones. Still, I’ll be watching.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 3/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (SIL’s library)
Dates read: July 16 – July 23, 2023
Multi-tasking: Good to go. Near the end a little more concentration is required as Garmus frequently shifts POV mid-chapter, but this isn’t a terribly difficult story to follow, regardless of activity.
