Lessons in Chemistry were on my reading list when I saw the title, even before I read the back cover. Elizabeth Zott appears in a research institute in the 1960s at a time when it was difficult to work as a woman in an all-male team. Another heroine in the world of science! Lessons in Chemistry novel touches on many things. It tells us about love, gender inequality, being a woman, not being “average”, and the importance of being yourself. And that we can find the strength within us when life draws a different path. She reminds us that living life to the fullest requires courage. That looking for strength elsewhere actually makes you weak. Through Elizabeth Zott, author Bonnie Garmus wants to remind us that no woman is “average”. Let’s dive into the book together from different angles.
Through the Eyes of Bonnie Garmus
As I scrolled through the Goodreads reviews of Lessons in Chemistry, I read many reviews and the author’s Q&As and tried to understand the author’s point of view. While advancing her career as a copywriter in science, technology, and medicine, she was inspired to write the novel during a bad day at work. While she cannot understand that sexism still exists in this century, she thinks that this problem should change from the past to the present. There has been progress in the state of sexism since the 60s, but I don’t think any of us think the world has come far enough.
“The book isn’t anti-men, but anti-sexism.”
We know that the whole story is fictional, but we also know that it is based on the experiences of the author’s mother when she was young. Yes, we know that women all over the world still face difficulties in life and the workplace, even in educational institutions full of the most educated people. Even though I find it hard to accept it, mobbing, inequality of opportunity, and even inequality of pay are everywhere we turn our heads. The fact that one in six women in the US is sexually assaulted is a shocking statistic. Worse than that, there are far worse statistics elsewhere in the world.
All women require control over their bodies, safe environments to work and live, and equal pay and opportunities. Anything less is unacceptable. As our character Elizabeth Zott will tell you, this is not an opinion. It is a fact!
What to Expect?
The novel opens in 1961, Elizabeth Zott is a 30-year-old single mother working in television as the star of a cooking show for housewives called Supper at Six. Elizabeth, who has an academic career and important studies, is a research chemist. To understand how life brought her here, we take a little trip back in time to find out how we got to the present day. After her traumatic experience at UCLA, she started working at the Hastings Research Institute, where male employees are overwhelmingly dominant, ignoring her hard work and enthusiasm. She finds the love of her life with a successful scientist who recognizes her intelligence and respects her and her work. Calvin Evans, Nobel Prize-nominated and intolerant at work.
Chemists working in the laboratory.
The first time they meet, Calvin thinks she’s his secretary, the second time they meet, she throws up on him. Their love story is never ordinary. They are not ordinary; they are minds that are great together. They are soul mates. A strange and unusual couple who adopt the most loyal and incredible dog. They named him Six-Thirty. They were happy.
Not to expect?
But it wasn’t a love story with a happy ending. I don’t think it’s even “just a love story”. It’s the story of a woman who can’t cope with the loss of her love. She had to face various surprises in life. First, she loses the love of her life and gets lonely. When she finds out that she is pregnant, she is fired on top of that because she is single. Life forces her to re-establish a new order.
Our character never fully overcomes her unhappiness and loss, she just keeps moving forward. I don’t think the book contains great happiness either. I don’t think it’s as funny as it’s marketed. We are watching a character who has also learned to live life day by day. She and everyone in this book carry the weight of the past and the present on their shoulders. She is a very unexpected character at that time. Her open and honest comments about marriage, religion, and social norms can be considered rebellious and unexpected. You might even find some of her discourse a bit ahead of its time.
But I can say that you can enjoy most of the lines you will read while reading this book. Nowadays, when I read popular books, I think that I might come across something irrelevant from the back cover, and I am happy with that surprise factor. You know how much I love strong female characters and Elizabeth Zott is all that and more. There are moments when the character is written a bit too robotic, there is no need to make her so soulless, but that never stops us from understanding her. She is fearless in the face of adversity, true to herself, and never lets others scare her into being less than she can be.
Being a Catalyst
One of my favorite comments about the book is that Elizabeth acts as a catalyst in her relationships. Even though it seems like she builds each relationship from different angles, I think it’s all about how people see her. The story of our main character progresses in the way people react to her.
I guess we cannot say this only for our main character. In life, we all move forward step by step with the decisions we make. So do our relationships, we draw the lines with the behaviors we show at the necessary turning points. Elizabeth is the same way, chemically speaking, she is a catalyst, and she changes every character she comes into contact with.
- Her neighbor, Harriet Sloane, has reached a certain age in her life but is trapped in a terrible marriage. But for Elizabeth and Mad, she occupies a very valuable position in the middle of their lives. They nurture each other in every way. I think Elizabeth’s different approach to society and what is expected reminds Harriet how important change is. There is only one life for all of us.
- They met producer Walter Pine because their daughters went to the same school. A relationship that starts so wrong somehow progresses with a touch that will change each other’s lives. I think reading these touches is always hopeful for life.
- Dr. Mason is a rower and a wonderful and supportive friend who comes into her life with the birth of her daughter Mad.
Supper at Six: Turning Point
How can a life change unexpectedly? If you want to read this in a novel, especially from a hopeful side, Lessons in Chemistry is a sweet example. It tells the ups and downs of life from different sides. In Lessons in Chemistry, Elizabeth Zott is very much exposed to the unexpected flow of life. Loss the loved ones, pregnancy, and unemployment. But what kind of cooking program could be the turning point in the life of a highly intelligent and hardworking chemist?
Chemistry and cooking are very similar. They are both based on recipes. Some things are dangerous to do in both. There are ingredients where the order of mixing is important. And yes, food has a chemistry too. And yes, it is quite enjoyable and possible to explain some chemical phenomena through food. It should not seem absurd to you that a mother who cares about cooking for her daughter’s healthy nutrition suddenly finds herself on TV screens addressing large audiences in the field. If the reason for the great difficulties she has experienced in her life is being discriminated against as a woman, if you are faced with a large female audience, you want to take this opportunity too. At least that’s what Elizabeth Zott wanted.
Seizing the opportunity, she faced the expectation of dozens of women who were supposed to cook dinner for their husbands and take care of their homes and children. Despite the backlash from society, she has touched the lives of many women. Even though feminism has come a long way, unfortunately, it is not possible to talk about equality of opportunity all over the world. At the time, our character responded unexpectedly. She does her best to inspire women and she succeeds. It is impossible not to admire.
Lessons in Chemistry: Apple TV
As a person who loves book/series/movie adaptations, I guess I can’t miss this one. Especially when the story, the period, and the characters are interesting enough for me. This adaptation, which was shot quickly on Apple TV, tells me not only the importance of whether your work is good or not but also how valuable marketing is. We are part of such an era. It’s not enough to do something well, you have to sell it well.
Brie Larson starring in Lessons in Chemistry.
I believe a TV series adaptation could be created for this work by Bonnie Garmus, given its great storyline. When I was thinking about the idea of adaptation while I was reading it, I can say very clearly that I am extremely happy that they have taken action. It is at the top of my watch list, and I am sure I will finish Lessons in Chemistry starring Brie Larson in the blink of an eye.
Entertaining and Thought-Provoking
I don’t like the fact that we find ourselves constantly talking about feminism and gender inequality, but at the same time, I know how valuable it is to talk about it. Unfortunately, women have to fight social norms the most. We need to support each other’s lives and remember to respect our wishes in the family, in the workplace, and society. We must remember that Bonnie Garmus wrote the first chapter of this book during a difficult day at work. And she was brave enough to open another tab in her life.
I am looking forward to seeing what Bonnie Garmus will offer us in her next book.
Never forget your self-worth. The odds against life and the possibilities are always open. As long as you are aware enough to see what lies ahead and the opportunities.
Enjoy your reading 🙂
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