Bonnie Garmus Lessons in Chemistry /anglais

I join a long list of reviewers who give this book 5 enthusiastic stars. Like these reviewers, I, too, was drawn deeply into this quirky and charming book. I also immediately contacted one of my reader friends to exhort them- “you gotta read this book!” This is truly a special story. I will say though, that the cover mislead me and I can’t imagine that the main character, Elizabeth Zott, would have approved of it. Yes, it’s attractive, but the cover made me think this was a rom-com. Elizabeth would never read, yet alone appear, in a romantic comedy. Character driven, with a bit of magical realism, this book is about Elizabeth, chemist, mother, tv star. As fascinating as Elizabeth is, it’s the dog in the story who steals the show and who truly keeps his human family going. Another unforgettable character is Elizabeth’s young daughter, “Mad”. She seems like a genius, but according to Elizabeth, she is not- she’s just well-taught (by Elizabeth). Most reviewers mention these three characters only, but let’s not forget several other endearing characters: Elizabeth’s interfering but stalwart neighbor, Elizabeth’s TV boss, and Wakely the minister. OK, I’ll also give a shout-out to Elizabeth’s obstetrician and all the rowers. And then there’s Evan. With humor, wit, heart, and earnest naivety, Elizabeth takes on the world of the 1950’s-60 in California. She is a chemist, who knocks out her kitchen to make a lab, and who brews coffee in a twenty-step process using a Bunsen burner. Not surprisingly, her world is not ready for an independent, scientific, slightly off-kilter woman. As you read, you may get caught up in the wit and humor, and Elizabeth’s whirl as a TV cooking show host is fabulous. But there are serious themes in this book. Many reviewers mention the discrimination of women, but hardly any mention the criticism of God and religion. I also agree that this book deserves to be a top book of 2022. Highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Dear Ms. Garmus, Although you probably do not read.reviews such as this. I feel obliged to address this to you in part to say thank you for penning such an interesting and enjoyable book. In fact, it is such a great read that I have read it three times. My first encounter with Lessons in Chemistry was when my wife received it as a present shortly after it was published, and seeing her enjoyment while reading it, I picked it up. Most recently, I re-read it because I was watching the Apple TV version of the book and thought "this doesn't look anything like the book!" So I read it again, and I encourage people to just read the book since it is so much better than the show. (God, do I hate screenwriters!) I mentioned my wife, who is a scientist herself, and being a wizard in the kitchen is just one of the many ways that she has created great chemistry in our relationship for the past thirty years. Loretta, like Elizabeth Zott , is a true inspiration. As to why I liked the book so much? First the premise of a woman not being taken seriously I saw this first hand with my mother during my adolescence in the 1960s. Among other things, she basically oversaw the Urban Redevelopment Office in my hometown but was begrudgingly only given the title of Deputy Director, although everyone knew she was the true tour de force in the office. She, with my father, also raised five children, and lost two sons - I Another reason your book resonated with me. Your message about how home makers are under appreciated rang true as well - then and today. Second, I loved your characters. Although Elizabeth is the star, Mad might be my favorite character. She is refreshingly precocious and the kind of child who I loved to have in my classroom when I was teaching. She also also reminds me of our daughter. Thirdly,, the message and encouragement to be a change agent is just what we need to hear in today's world and hopefully it resonates with the women -and men - who read your great book. Finally, I read your bio and saw that you rowed at Green Lake in Seattle. We have family who live near there, one of whom owns Phinney Books nearby, and we have run around the lake many times. Great memories. Best wishes and I look forward to your next book. Ken Ebert, Ph.D.

Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant Chemist in the late 50’s/early 60’s when a woman’s “place” was in the kitchen. Her innovative ideas and contributions are continually dismissed by the pompous men in her field. She eventually agrees to host a cooking show in order to financially support her daughter and herself. After all, cooking is chemistry. Elizabeth is ferociously strong and resilient. Her independence and determination make her a wonderful role model for young women. Garmus paints a humorous, colorful story of the oppression women dealt with and how tenacity and perseverance can overcome most challenges. I was invested in Elizabeth’s character from the beginning, but when she rescued Six Thirty, I was done for. Her conversations with this amazing canine are some of the best moments in the story. I love the interactions between Elizabeth, Six Thirty and her daughter, Mads. I rated this 4.5, simply because it felt rushed at the end. However, it was an excellent read that I can highly recommend.

Loved the way the author took you on an emotional and informative journey about life and lessons and heartache and happiness. What a great storyteller Bonnie Garmus is.

The book arrived in perfect condition but had a bit of dust and dirt on the back. I was able to remove most of it with some wet wipes As for the book itself, I didn’t read it yet

This book has had a huge amount of marketing and appears to have sold a lot of copies which is always great for the writer (and the industry in general). I've also had a few friends read it too and have heard nothing but good. The book is 386 pages split into 46 chapters which makes reading it very easy. I had a look on Amazon before I started and was amused to se that this is the number one book in the "Feminist Criticism" category (there was me thinking it was a novel!). The story starts with Elizabeth as a mother, scientist and TV presenter, juggling her commitments in a way that was unusual for the 1960s. We then go back ten years and begin to understand how she got where she is now. Whilst appearing to be light on the surface, the book quickly moves to much darker territory, showing the sexism and abuse that was accepted as normal. That sums up the beauty of this book - it has an unforgiving hardness at its centre but is wrapped but a thin layer of social predictability making it accessible to read. There is a balance of comedy and serious issues that also makes the book fun. Elizabeth as a character is hard to believe and I thought the author could have softened her more but, let yourself go with the depiction, and she is a great focus for the novel. The story has a big build up before we actually get Elizabeth on TV (which is marketed as the core of the novel) - this feels like a long time but is necessary as it sets the scene. Everyone in the book is a remarkable person for all sorts of reasons - even Six Thirty (the dog) who is taught to recognise hundreds of specific words. Getting further into the book I became more and more aware of how deep the topic is. There is a lot of thought around the equality messages and you can't help but make comparisons to today's society - some problems have been reduced by legislation and gradual society change but many issues are worse than ever. Women appearing on TV today would say that their looks are analysed more than ever before, with the possibilities of feedback not limited to phone calls and letters. Endings of novels are hard to get right but this one is perfectly achieved. There is a lovely amount of emotion mixed in with a good balance of well structured plot.

I enjoyed the novel from the 1st chapter on. I laughed and I cried and couldn’t stop reading. It’s on my list of favorites. Thank you Bonnie Garmus for this marvelous time spent with Elizabeth Zott

There is long time that I’ve read something so impactful, interesting and profound. A book that took my attention since the first chapter and make me feel inspired by stories full of encrypted messages and important debates.