Overall, what did you think of Lessons in Chemistry? (No spoilers, please!)
I really enjoyed this book. Having grown up in the post-WWII era, it really resonated with me. I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from high school and my grandparents, who raised me, saw no need for any education beyond that. I defied them by attending junior college, joining the counterculture in the sixties, and having my first child without the bonds of matrimony. My son, who was reading by the age of two, was like Madeline in some ways. My favorite character, however, was Six-thirty,
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I know that I’m in the minority, but I did not care for the book at all. I thought the author was trying too hard to be zany, and although the male attitude was pretty accurate for the time, most of it was just ridiculous - the coffee contraption, the cooking show using Sodium Chloride (table salt), the dog!
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. I did enjoy reading it and following Elizabeth and how she continues with her life. Her relationship with Calvin was so sweet. They loved each other. The other men in this story were awful. Madeline, Harriet, and the dog are such wonderful characters and they added to the story. As for the cooking show, I feel that was Elizabeth’s way of sharing her beliefs with other women. It made them think about their own home situations. Often times, we see the dog’s point of view and that was interesting as well. As for Madeline, it would be interesting to see a book about her as she grows up and meets the world head on.
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The style of this book initially struck me as pretty strange, but I did end up enjoying it. I guess I came to somewhat appreciate the comic and unrealistic aspects. I would not choose to read this type of book regularly, however. And I think if I pass it on to my friends, I will preface it with my feelings, so offering to share but not really recommending it. I do think it made valid points about the sexism of that era.
I’m still reading it but so far it’s EXCELLENT! I recommended it to my brother and his wife who are both engineers. My brother read it immediately and is now recommending it to everyone he knows too lol
This book is one of my favorites. I’ve recommended it countless times. I love the story line, the quirkiness of the characters (including the dog) and crazy TV show. I had the pleasure of meeting Bonnie Garmus and she was so gracious - it made me like the book even more. I wish I had a chance to ask her how she came up with Six-thirty’s name.
I hoped this book would not contain actual lessons in chemistry. This was a challenging subject for me in high school. In an interesting way, it actually DID present lessons in chemistry which were fun and informative to read.
I enjoyed this book, one of the best fiction offerings I have read in ages. The female characters were especially unique, trailblazers in their time. Elizabeth was a leader for women in ways that some men would never understand, even today, sadly. Calvin was the exception, an intelligent and understanding guy. Including the point of view of Six-Thirty was so creative. Would love a sequel to this story.
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I totally enjoyed this book! I felt that it depicted the 60’s very well, and how women were treated in the workplace. I also was intrigued by Elisabeth’s personality. Was she on the spectrum or was she never shown love in her childhood? She was a most interesting character, intelligent, literal, strong, but was also a good mother, even without a role model. She is not the first or last to have her research taken from her by somone in a supervisory role. But seh made her own way. I liked her!
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