Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I got Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus from the library based solely on Lisa's recommendation on this post. I knew absolutely nothing about the book when I started, although based on the name and the cartoon-y title, I assumed it was going to be a fun, contemporary romance novel.

It starts with "November 1961" and it was at this point that I audibly exclaimed to my husband "that was before I was born," at which point he dryly responded "so really old then?" and I stopped talking to him about the book.  Elizabeth Zott is a scientist in the 1960s, working at a job filled with sexual harassment, people stealing her work, and jealousy. But then she meets Calvin Evans, a Nobel prize winning chemist who does take her seriously, and they fall in love. But Elizabeth's life can't be simple and things get complicated.

I really enjoyed this book, far more than I thought I would at first. I laughed repeatedly during the first chapter because the commentary about patriarchy and sexism was so spot on and funny. And then the book turned. There was a graphic rape scene, homophobia, a suicide, and someone shooting at a dog, not to mention yet another attempted sexual assault, domestic violence, and on and on and on. It's a whiplash kind of book, veering from the guardrail of humor to the guardrail of dread from one page to the next. 

So, I did think this was a wonderful book. I would hesitate recommending it to sensitive readers, though. I was absolutely unprepared for some of the more disturbing scenes and had to step away from it at times. 

The characters in this book are fully developed and realized and their motivations are clear. There is an absolutely wonderful dog character and I loved it when the author would slip into his point of view, although I can see how that bit of whimsy might not be for every reader. I thought Garmus did a masterful job of weaving together Elizabeth's interests in chemistry, rowing, and cooking. I have read a couple of reviews that basically said that they didn't like or understand Elizabeth's character and I could not disagree more. Elizabeth is a smart woman who feels held back by society in a way that The Feminist Mystique foretold. Sure, it might be impossible for most of us to put ourselves in some of the characters' shoes (I'm not going to win a Nobel prize and I wasn't reading The Sound and The Fury at age eight), but they were eminently relatable because human problems are human problems.  

What a debut for Bonnie Garmus. I can't wait to see what else she does. 4.5/5 stars

Lines of note:

The story was simple: a child named Amanda Pine, who enjoyed food in a way that some therapists consider significant, was eating Madeline's lunch. (page 3) 
I enjoy food in a way that some therapists would consider significant and I audibly snorted at this line.

She had been under the impression that Calvin Evans was a smart man, but now she realized that he was one of those people who might only be smart in one narrow way. (page 25)

Sometimes I wonder if other people are secretly married to my husband. 

Idiots made it into every company. They tend to interview well. (page 111)

I am feeling a bit demoralized by my job search these days. I've had a few interviews via Zoom, but none in person and I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm not as desirable an employee as I might have hoped. This line gave me a bit of a lift.

...only half listening as Elizabeth droned on and on about what the thing could do - sit, stay, fetch, probably, god only knows. Dog people were always so relentlessly braggy, so ridiculously proud when it came to their dog's minor accomplishments. (page 314)

I plead guilty to the charge of overbragging about my dog.

"I fell in love with Calvin," she was saying, "because he was intelligent and kind, but also because he was the very first man to take me seriously. Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counselors would go out of business." (page 331)

Imagine what the world would have been like for (the fictional) Elizabeth if more than one man took her seriously.  Maybe she was in love with him. Maybe she was just in love with the idea of being able to talk to someone about her work over the dinner table.