Read in 2023 - 20: Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

My Mum gave me this paperback for my birthday, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

Of the four review quotes on the cover, two are true for me, too: "Thought-provoking and stylish" (although I don't really know what makes this novel "stylish" - though-provoking it certainly is!) and "A timeless novel".

The quote I least agree with is "Sparks joy with every page". There is much hearbreak and sadness, too, but of course it is hard to say what the person who wrote the review really meant without me having read the full review. Also, I did not find the book "absolutely unputdownable" - I did put it down many, many times, mainly because I read it mostly during my lunch breaks when working from home, and did not find it at all hard to stop between one chapter and the next.

The story is set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, somewhere in California. A chemist struggles to assert herself not only as a scientist, but as a woman. Her life has all the ingredients to make her an outcast: difficult family background, unmarried mother, under-appreciated full time job in a male-dominated environment, and very good-looking, which attracts men for all the wrong reasons and makes other women jealous to the point of scheming against her.

And yet, quite by accident she becomes the host of a cooking show on TV - and soon, her unwilling celebrity status brings its own challenges.

There is plenty in the book, from humour to love story, from drama to lucky turns of events. Family and friendship are as important as romantic love, and a little girl plays an equally significant role as a dog.

Speaking of the dog, he is probably my favourite character, but there are several others I really grew to like. The only negative point (if you could call it that) I found with the book is character-related, too: While most of the cast have their good and bad sides, like all real people, there are a few who have nothing but bad sides, and like in the Grimm brothers' fairytales, in the end they get what they deserve.

If you get a chance to read this, I recommend you do so. On the back of the cover, it says "Soon to be an Apple TV series" - I happen to be a subscriber to Apple TV, and when/if the series becomes available, I will certainly watch it.

For the author, it must be thrilling to have her debut novel so widely acclaimed and hugely successful! Her website is here, worth checking out.